Outdoor Classroom Day is about more than just one day of celebration, inspiration and exploration. The end goal is more time outdoors every day, both at school and at home.

There’s no need to wait for the next Outdoor Classroom Day to take learning outdoors, you can start now with these seven great lesson plans suitable for children of different ages. Try them, share them, adapt them. And prepare to be amazed.

1.OUTDOOR ART GALLERY

This lesson explores the creation of sustainable artworks that reflect the environment and its needs helps to promote positive thinking about the importance of the outdoors.  Links to Australian Arts, Design and Technology, and Geography Curriculum, ideal for Middle Primary School – Years 2 and 3.

2.DISCOVER WILD CREATURES

Discusses the wildlife creatures present in the school grounds and how to look for their signs and tracks. Involves a creature hunt, and the opportunity for students to create their own wild creature.  Links to Australian English – Literacy Curriculum, ideal for Year 1.

3.”PUSH & PULL” HUNT

Invite small groups of students to go on a “push and pull” hunt around the school grounds, e.g. a door that needs to be pushed, a storage container that needs the top pulled off.  Demonstrate the function of a pulley with a teddy bear, rope, pulley and tree branch.  Links to the Australian Sciences – Physical Sciences Curriculum, ideal for Year 2.

4.MIRROR MIRROR

This lesson explores position and movement, a fundamental part of the mathematics curriculum throughout all key stages. Students gather natural objects and create symmetrical art on the ground.  Students work collectively and collaboratively to check that their work is symmetrical by using their mirrors.  Links to the Australian Mathematics – Measurement and Geometry Curriculum, ideal for Year 3.

5.EXPLORING MINDFULNESS

“Dadirri is inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness”, Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, Aboriginal writer.  A great lesson for helping students discover how they feel when they are outside.  This activity allows children to follow mindfulness techniques and then share with the group their favourite one through, the use of creative techniques.  Links to the Australian Health and Physical Education – Personal, Social and Community Health Curriculum, ideal for Year 5.

6.JUNIOR CARTOGRAPHERS

Simple and fun, this activity asks small grounds of students to create a map of their school grounds using an natural or man-made resources they can find.  They then compare their map to a Google Earth map of the school, and compare and contrast differences.  Linked to the Australian Geography Curriculum, ideal for Year 3.

7.ROLY POLY

Students collect a variety of objects from your outdoor area (e.g. tennis ball, soccer ball, football, tube, wheel, block, a teddy), and then search for a slope, hill or area of uneven ground (or construct a ramp).  Students discuss which items they think will roll down the hill fast/slow/far, and why.  They can then put their hypotheses to the test and record the results.  Linked to the Australian Sciences – Physical Sciences Curriculum, ideal for Prep/Pre-Primary.

BONUS TIP:

Sign up for Outdoor Classroom Day 2018! Get a head start on your outdoor adventures by signing up your class or whole school to Outdoor Classroom Day on 1 November!

We hope you enjoy these lesson plans. Share your experiences and learning with us on Twitter or Facebook by using #OutdoorClassroomDayAU.