Take Learning Outside on Outdoor Classroom Day!
Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to celebrate and inspire outdoor learning and play! And here at Nature Play WA we have a range of free resources to help educators across all grades take their classroom learning outdoors.
What is Outdoor Classroom Day?
Outdoor Classroom Day is a day designed to inspire and celebrate the value of outdoor learning and play. But more than just one day, our aim at Nature Play WA is to get as many children as possible playing and learning outside, every day!
Why outdoor learning? Research demonstrates that outdoor learning has the potential to improve children’s health, increase learning engagement and foster a greater connection with nature.
Play not only teaches critical life skills such as resilience, teamwork and creativity, but is central to children’s enjoyment of childhood. With increasing pressures on childhood, children today are too often overprotected, overscheduled, and overly attached to screens, which is why it’s more crucial than ever before to help get children outdoors
Get Involved
It’s easy to get involved and there is something everyone can do!
If you’re a teacher, educator or school administrator head over to Outdoor Classroom Day to register for the next global event. There you will also find resources for getting your school community excited about being involved in Outdoor Classroom Day. If your school is already involved with outdoor learning, the official day is perfect for celebrating what you do and inspiring other teachers around the world to join in.
Outdoor Learning Resources
For lesson ideas, printables, hints and tips to make your Outdoor Classroom Day a success, check out these Nature Play WA resources;
- My Outdoor Classroom Nature Passport: Our free, printable My Outdoor Classroom Nature Passport resource packs of hands-on, nature-based learning ideas, lesson plans and printable activity booklets for kindergarten through to grade six.
- Talk N Walk for Schools Toolkit: A simple, flexible wellbeing program, Talk N Walk involves taking a social walk outdoors with students participating in discussion using provided conversation prompts and short nature-based activity challenges.
- Nature & Me Activity Cards for Social Emotional Learning: A set of 54 nature-based activity cards developed to help children identify ways to feel more calm, present and connected through nature-based activities.
- 5 Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Ideas: 5 of our favourite outdoor scavenger hunts that are perfect for encouraging children to spend time outside – perfect for home or school.
- Nature Classroom Activity Ideas with Printables: See our complete collection of outdoor classroom printables.
