If you haven’t had much exposure to what outdoor learning entails, you may be left wondering what exactly are the benefits of taking lessons outside. We believe that the outdoors should be treated as a classroom without walls and there is something to be learnt from all aspects of nature. In this blog, we explain some of the huge benefits of grabbing your wellies and getting outside.

 

Environmental awareness

Everybody is fully aware of the environmental crisis that is happening in the modern world due to human consumption. If we had been more aware of the detrimental impact our disposable lifestyles were having on the environment just 50 years ago, the future would be looking a lot brighter today. This is why teaching children from a young age what huge effect they can have on the world around them by making small changes is crucial. Spending time outside and in nature gives children a chance to see the impact first hand, watching bees busy at work pollinating plants and flowers growing will hopefully instil a love of the natural world.

 

Time away from technology

Technology is a fantastic tool in education, however in modern-day society, children are taught using screens, they relax in front of the screen and even communicate using a screen, getting outside for a lesson gives children a chance to learn in a new way, using their hands, eyes and ears in new ways which is great for their development.

 

Exposure to risk

Every parent worries about the safety of their child and has probably used the phrase ‘if only I could just wrap them up in cotton wool’ however if your child is never exposed to risk, they will be unable to deal with assessing a dangerous situation in an informed way. During outdoors education children are taught how to assess risk in a safe and controlled environment, for example using a whittling knife children are taught safety and how to use the knife correctly and the extreme importance of respecting sharp objects.

 

Teamwork

In outdoors learning, often many of the classes are based around needing to work as a group in order to complete tasks, such as shelter building. This is a fantastic opportunity for children to practise communication skills, learning compromise and how working together can achieve great results.

At Kingscourt school, we take children outside for lessons from reception and continue to do so through to Year 2. We are very lucky to have beautiful grounds with 23 acres of private playing fields and a walled garden. Mrs Hubbard, Forest School leader (Level 3), spearheads our outdoor adventures and caters lessons towards the age group of children, to inspire them to enjoy being outside and learning about their environment. If you would like to learn more about our primary education you can request a prospectus here or better still attend an open day to see the school in action first hand.