The great outdoors provides children with so many different learning opportunities, usually for free! It can also allow them to develop important skills to complement their classroom-based learning. Getting outside and exploring will teach your child about STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) while developing their physical skills, like hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. Read on for 5 ideas for outdoor learning activities you can do with your child from a private college in London.
Gardening
Getting their hands dirty is a great way for children to learn about nature and how things grow and survive. Planting seeds will strengthen their fine motor skills and coordination, while they’ll feel proud of planting something and watching it grow. You could challenge your child to observe how the seedlings grow, recording their findings every week, and use the opportunity to talk about what plants need to grow and survive, and where our food comes from. If you haven’t got much of a garden, you could just place potted plants on a windowsill and challenge your child to observe how they grow.
Bird watching
Challenge your child to research all the different bird species in the country and then spend some time outside recording which ones they spot. You can help by leaving breadcrumbs or seeds outside to attract birds, and creating a little area by a window where your child can spot them without scaring them away. They could take it further by drawing or painting one of the birds and trying to capture their beautiful colours or what they look like in flight. Through these activities your child will learn about the different bird species and what they eat to survive, as well as how they fly and the different habitats they live in.
Nature art
Challenge your child to collect different objects when you’re on a walk, such as seashells, stones or leaves, and then create a picture or sculpture out of them. They could dip leaves in paint and use them to make colourful impressions on paper, or build sculptures using sticks and stones. They might also want to make a collage of different items, such as leaves and petals. They might even be able to make a necklace out of some seashells and small stones. Creative activities like these will help them learn about the natural world while developing dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
Outdoor learning is a great way to cover STEM subjects while giving your child some fun in the process.
