Dramatic changes were made to the Primary Curriculum. The need for children to be desk-bound is far higher due to increased academic pressures. My role as an Outdoor Learning Teacher seems even more important.
So far this year we have discussed, questioned, shared, invented, developed and changed ideas whilst making dens, orienteering, planting bulbs, testing air resistance, measuring tree heights and building bee hotels. We have got cold, wet and muddy in the school grounds and over in the park and sought inspiration from Darwin and Bear Grylls.
We know that in the future these children will need to give anything a go, change job with ease, cope with global changes and value their community. It seems unlikely that they will be prepared for this if solely sat at a desk from 4 to 18 years old.
Outdoor Learning does not need a forest; it needs a patch of land and some creativity. In the outdoors, children have an increased chance to develop into healthy, strong, confident, questioning, happy adults and complimenting their academic abilities from the classroom.
This ‘In Brief’ Article first appeared in the March 2015 Edition of UKEdMagazine – Click here to freely view online – The online version of this article was updated in 2019 by UKEd Editorial staff in line with website and policy changes.
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