We asked our wonderful Twitter community what advice they would give to teachers wanting to take the first step towards more time outdoors… and they answered! Here are 10 top tips from teachers for getting outdoors – check out the evolving thread for more. 

1. Just let them be. When I take my students outside, I am simply an observer. They love the unstructured time and I love the conversations that I overhear. So much learning is happening. You won’t regret it. *I do have safety rules and will interject if someone is being unsafe. @SJPGreenTeam

2. Connect to seasonal changes, involve all senses, model curiosity, remove all ‘toys’, observe what the children are naturally drawn to and build on that interest. Keep it simple! @BrimbleGaynor

3. Parents often provide ‘indoor shoes’ for their child at school. Ask them to consider providing ‘outdoor boots’ to be kept in the class. I had 100% buy in. @MikeW_OutdoorEd

“KEEP IT SIMPLE!”

4. Schedule it into your week. The way you wouldn’t miss gym or library, don’t let yourself miss outdoor time! Have a meeting spot where you start and finish. @MsGaleOCSB

5. Don’t see it as something extra you have to plan, just see it as a part of your everyday learning…..it’s just a lesson in a classroom with the sky as the roof! @ClairePasco01

6. Build on children’s natural inquiry and the phenology of your place to support teaching your curriculum outside. @JenniferBaron7

“LOOK AT THE SPACE FROM THE EYE LEVEL OF YOUR CHILDREN.”

7. Find someone else, if only one person in your school, who believes as much as you do in the benefits of being outdoor with the students. @FESKindTeacher

8. Go out on your own first. Look at the space from the eye level of your children. What would they see? What questions might they ask? What would you need to take for them to explore? Learning opportunities will present themselves and then you can take them in any direction. @MissNicHall

9. Work out what’s stopping you doing it already. What are the barriers? Are they practical, like having the right clothing? Is there a time that would work best and not conflict with other commitments? Are management on board? Work on these and you’ll be on the right track 😊 @jpmackwriter

“WORK OUT WHAT’S STOPPING YOU DOING IT ALREADY.”

10. Build it into your daily, weekly and termly planning. Ensure it’s closely linked to the curriculum, not only about getting kids outside. Let families know so they send coats etc daily. Have spare kit ready every day. Find a colleague who will do it too. @cprsmum

What are your tips for getting outdoors to learn as part of the school day? Share them on social media using #OutdoorClassroomDay to appear on our Get inspired wall!