Is it the change of scenery, the fresh air, exposure to the elements or just the freedom from four walls that makes learning outside more fun for children than indoors? All kinds of experts from all over the world agree that learning outside the classroom has a raft of developmental and other benefits. That’s why we’ve designed outdoor learning and play resources that are linked to every aspect of the national curriculum and EYFS.
Our design team and consultants are education experts and because we ONLY work with education establishments (and have done for over 15 years), you can rely on us to speak your language, to appreciate that every school and setting is different, and to understand that you want your outside space to deliver positive educational outcomes.
We believe that with great, high-quality learning resources, every area of the curriculum can be delivered outdoors, which is why we’re constantly improving and updating our product range. Through our #takeitoutside campaign, we take a different curriculum area every month and share ideas that we hope will inspire you to take that topic outdoors. In July, we’re looking at great ways to take geography outside which, at KS1, is all about children developing knowledge of the world, the UK and their locality.
Here are 10 great ways (and resources) to help bring geography to life outside the classroom:
1. Why not take a discovery trail around your school grounds to spot different natural features, terrains and conditions? Mark what you find with this Freestyle Mark Making Set
2. Use our great outdoor mark-making resources to create maps of your school/local area
3. Identify local weather patterns and compare with other places in the world using our Weather Station (part of our Discovery range)
4. Use our Materials Centre to develop geographical vocab like beach (sand), river (water) or cliff (stones)
5. Make an imaginary journey from your school to another location across the globe using this Signs Set
6. Explore topography with our Discovery Pits with Staging
7. Create buildings or iconic structures from around the world with our Cork City Construction Sets
8. Investigate water cycles with our Planter range
9. Why not create a simple map of the world using natural materials found around your school grounds? This Standing Project Table would be really useful
10. Use our Tipis (in natural hazel) or fabric and timber to spark a discussion about how people live in different parts of the world.
We’ve got some great discounts throughout July on resources to support outdoor geography so make the most of this month’s special offers at Playforce Shop.
And if you’d like expert advice on how to improve your outside space to make the very most of outdoor learning at your school or setting, book a meeting with our expert consultants today.