Collaboration post
It’s crucial for children to have a varied education in which they learn from different environments, not just a classroom. During the summer months in particular, it’s a good idea to get out and about and encourage your child to learn about the great outdoors. Here are some outdoor learning activites for your child from a private prep school in Surrey.
There are plenty of other options, but the below ideas should inspire to come up with your own outdoor learning activities.
1. Map Reading
Of course, with satellite navigation readily available on our smart phones, we don’t really need map reading skills anymore. However, it’s a good activity to do with your child and great for their spatial awareness, sense of direction and even their maths skills. Head out for a walk and encourage your child to use a map to help you find your way home. It will give them that all important sense of achievement if they are successfully able to navigate around using a map, which will be great for their confidence.
2. Obstacle Course
It’s important that your child gets at least 15 minutes of outdoor exercise each and every day, if not more, but this might take some encouragement, particularly if your child is older and wants to spend every waking moment on their digital devices. If you have a garden, you should try and build a fun obstacle course to encourage running, jumping and climbing. Exercise will pump endorphins around their body that will reduce any stress or anxiety they might be feeling. It will also improve their physical fitness!
3. Plant Some Seeds
Whether you choose to plant flowers or fruit/vegetables, doing so will teach your child about how plants grow and also help the understand responsibility and taking care of something. What’s more, they will learn how to be patient whilst waiting for their plant to grow. Talk to them about photosynthesis and explain that some plants are better suited to different seasons.
4. Build a Bird Feeder
There are plenty of instructions on the Internet for how to build a bird feeder, which is a great way to help your child get in touch with nature. You don’t even need a garden for this; you could just hang your bird feeder outside your front door or on your balcony if you have one. Once your feathery friends start paying you a visit, you can talk to your child about the different species of bird and encourage them to write it down in a little ‘bird watch’ notepad so they don’t forget.