Taking the learning outdoors allows for the lesson to become a multi-sensory experience. The Brilliant Pandas have been utilising this for our maths lessons. The large open space allows for a carousel of different activities to keep the children busy and engaged whilst also being in a natural and calming environment. Sending the children running off in all directions to find a set number of leaves, sticks or stones meant that not only were they practising their counting skills but also being active in their learning and expanding their language skills. A giant hopscotch was drawn on the football pitch, and the children had a lot of fun calling out the numbers as they jumped between the boxes. Those who would benefit from additional challenges were then asked to jump over one or two boxes at a time to improve their skip-counting abilities.
Our Unit of Enquiry is currently exploring how to keep our bodies healthy. Keeping active and natural fresh air go hand in hand to achieving this. We began our journey in the classroom where the class learnt about the heart and how it works. We discussed what we thought might happen to our heart rate when we exercise, but the class was divided and unsure. The learning then moved into the garden, and we played some running around games. The children were very excited to be able to check their heart rates and discover their own answers to the previous question. Learning experiences such as these not only promote the children’s love for learning but also their ability to research and find answers for themselves.
