Taking science outside of the primary classroom can provide first-hand experiences of the local environment that allow children to observe science taking place in the real world. This embeds their learning of science into meaningful contexts and provides opportunities for novel and exciting learning experiences.

Through heading outside children can develop important skills such as fieldwork, observation and recording data. It is also a fun activity for children and provides additional stimulation and motivation for all levels of ability. Even simple tasks can be presented in engaging ways when taking place outside the classroom!

In this post, I will look at some of the ways that teachers can take science outside of the classroom and of some of the factors they need to consider.

The Importance of Outdoor Learning

Getting outside and interacting with different environments can be beneficial to all of us. All environments present opportunities for learning science. Children learn about the world by using their senses, and by taking the learning outside of the classroom a teacher can provide sensory-rich environments that enhance the learning experience.

An Ofsted study of children’s experiences show that first-hand experiences of learning outside the classroom help to make subjects more vivid and interesting for pupils and also enhance their understanding. It found that this can also contribute significantly to pupils’ personal, social and emotional development. Learners of all ages said that they enjoyed working away from the classroom and that they found it ‘exciting’, ‘practical’, ‘motivating’, ‘refreshing’ and ‘fun’.

Taking education outside the classroom does not have to mean leaving the school. The school grounds themselves can be a vital resource which can be underused in many schools. In particular for topics looking at living things and the environment, the school playground and field can provide natural habitats for engaging children and providing situations for investigations and fieldwork.

Things to Consider

There are many different reasons why teachers might not consider outdoor learning, particularly on school trips. Teachers may worry about the health and safety risks involved in taking children off-site. A simple trip may involve a lot of paperwork and administration as well as have cost implications for the school and parents.

Some teachers are concerned about the organisational issues in taking the children outside. There are more distractions, and it can be harder to talk to the children. These are valid concerns, but with careful planning these problems can be minimised.

Think About:

What are the learning objectives and benefits of going outside? Have a clear vision of what you want the activity to achieve. What do you want the children to experience and what skills do you want them to acquire?

• How many additional staff will you need? Keep them informed of the learning objectives and how they will support the children. If you are going off-site, will you need additional helpers?
• What are the potential risks? How will you minimise them? It’s important to always carry out a risk assessment before you go.
• How will you help the children to understand how the outdoor experiences connect to the work carried out in the classroom?
• What in-class activities will you carry out to follow up on the outdoor activities?
• Where can you go for more help and support? There are lots of outdoor learning and field studies websites that provide information and advice.

Science Within the School Grounds

Wherever your school is located there will be opportunities for you to work outside. Your school grounds can provide easy access to environments for the children to study, even if there are only a few bushes or a small patch of grass.

in EYFS and KS1 nature walks, materials walks, sound walks are all activities that can easily be carried out with a class or in groups that can engage and excite the children and enhance their learning.

The areas around the school provide a rich, easy to access, learning resource. They offer excellent opportunities for learning. It’s not just the playing field and playground – what about the paths into and around the school and even walls of the buildings? All can provide opportunities for science teaching.

Consider other facilities available to you at your school. Is there a school nature area or school garden that can be used? Does your school have a pond?

If the school does not have a nature area or garden, could this be the focus for a class project to set one up? Rope in parents and the PTA to help? Perhaps the children could design places for insects to live or small flower-beds to attract pollinating insects like bees and butterflies.

Some schools will have plenty of space available to take the children outside, but other schools are less fortunate. It may be that there are areas available within walking distance of the school. Find out about local allotments, parks or communal areas that might provide possible locations to visit.

Check to see what your school policy is for taking children off-site and any related procedures you need to adhere to. Also check if you need permission from the landowner of the site you are visiting.

Even if your school is a concrete jungle there are ways to enhance the space to encourage outdoor learning. Could growing spaces be set up with raised beds made from logs or planks? What about large plant pots, hanging baskets or window boxes?

Science Whatever the Weather

Outdoor science can take place whatever the weather. And in some cases it is the weather that provides the science. Be sure to dress appropriately with waterproof clothes, gloves and wellies if necessary.

Make rain catchers and wind speed meters and test them out. Experiment with the sounds of raindrops using different containers. Build boats from natural materials and test them in puddles. Measure the size of puddles after a rain shower and monitor how the size changes as they evaporate.

On windy days make and fly kites. Make pinwheels and see how fast they spin. Colour the blades different colours and see how they mix as it spins.

If you get snow, explore it as a material for building; make a snow arch or small igloo. Build snow balls of different sizes and see which one takes the longest to melt when it gets warm again. Look for animal tracks and see if the children can identify them. Compare friction on a concrete surface and on ice by pulling a weighted shoe across both surfaces with a forcemeter. Investigate freezing by filling balloons with water and food colouring and leave out overnight. Once frozen, remove the balloon to make snow marbles.

Make a Mess

Topics such as shadows or plants have obvious outdoor opportunities.

But other topics can also be taken outside the classroom. Sometimes, going outside makes certain activities easier to deal with, especially if there is a risk of mess or a lot of space is needed. This includes:

• growing plants
• many activities using water
• looking at how heart rate changes with exercise
• modelling the solar system
• Looking at how a drum skin vibrates by using bird seed on it. Leave the seed for the birds when you’re done!

Whilst it would be possible to do these activities indoors, being able to go outside can make things a lot easier!

The Outdoor Classroom

It is a good idea to consider having useful resources readily available and an area set up to use as an outdoor classroom. You can use large plastic boxes with wheels set up with science equipment, paper and pens for children to use at breaks and lunchtimes. Equipment could include:

• Clipboards, paper and pens.
• Hand lenses or magnifying glasses.
• Plastic pots with lids and clear plastic bags for collecting specimens.
• Tape measures and rulers.
• White trays for collecting samples.
• String for marking out areas.
• Small quadrats for sampling (Wire coat hangers pulled out into a square, or squares made from sticks tied together with rubber bands).
• A digital camera or tablet computer for taking photographs.
• Cleansing wipes and hand sanitizer gel.

To help the children (and teachers!) identify any plants and animals they might find when investigating living things outside the classroom, it helps to have some identification guides handy.

Assign children to be outdoor monitors and to take responsibility for putting the boxes out in the morning and bringing them in at the end of the day. They also take responsibility for keeping the contents replenished.

Kit out an area with wooden benches, tables and chairs for the children to work on.  This allows science activities, as well as those for all other curriculum areas, to be taken outside at short notice.

Set up a School Nature Area

Nature areas can be an oasis for wildlife in urban areas. Even if your school is in a more leafy area many gardens are over-managed and not very friendly to birds and wildlife. Nature areas can provide a safe and attractive place for the children to learn about wildlife.

A nature area provides children with Science on their doorstep. There is a lot of science involved in planning and setting up a nature area. The children can research the places where insects like to live, or the types of plant that attract bees and other pollinators. A nature area allows the teaching of the life cycles of insects and plants since the children have easy access to observe insects and flowers in the wild. A school pond might also provide tadpoles.

By building a nature area children can be encouraged to think about their local environment and how it can be made more attractive to wildlife, and to people. Setting up a school nature area can be an exciting project that can benefit the school as well as local wildlife. This doesn’t have to be a major construction project, and a few simple ideas can still provide good learning opportunities.

There are many different things that the children can do. Such as:

• Set up a compost area. Food waste can be composted and turned into fertiliser for the plants.
• Create a bug hotel. These can be built from wooden pallets, branches and bricks. These provide places for insects and other small invertebrates to live. Smaller versions can be made which you hang on a wall.
• Plant flowers for pollinators such as lavender and buddleia. This can encourage bees and butterflies. Many garden centres sell pollinator friendly plants and seeds.
• Simply leave a patch of field to grow wild without being cut. Rope it off to protect it from the lawnmower! This will encourage wild flowers and insects.
• Bird boxes can be hung up on trees or on high walls to provide places for birds to feed. Maybe you could set up a webcam so the children can see if there are any birds inside without causing any disturbance.
• Bird and insect feeders can be hung up around the school. You can buy these, or make your own! Could even make a bird cafe!
• Build a pond. This doesn’t have to be very deep. It can encourage frogs and insects.

Are there any charities that can help? Some woodland charities provide saplings to schools. Speak to your local garden centre or builders’ merchants to see if they are willing to donate any spare plants or building materials. You might be able to involve the local community in fundraising and offering help for the heavier jobs.

Here are just some ways a nature area can be linked to science curriculum:

• Naming common plants
• Naming common invertebrates (minibeasts)
• Plant life cycles
• Pollination
• Habitats and where animals like to live
• What plants need to grow
• Insect life cycles
• Types of soil
• Seeds and bulbs
• Seasonal changes

Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay

Set Up A School Garden

A school garden provides a more managed area than a nature area. The children can be involved in the planting, growing and harvesting of many different fruit and vegetables. This gives children an understanding where the food on their plate comes from.

Garden areas can be made from raised beds using timber, a selection of plant pots, or even just using growbags.

Again, like the nature area you might be able to involve the local community in fundraising and offering help for the heavier jobs that would be too much for the children. There may be a chance to use recycled materials such as reclaimed timber.

Good plants to grow include, runner beans, carrots, pumpkins, potatoes, onions, leeks, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries and  peppers.

Here are just some ways a school garden can be linked to science curriculum:

• What do seeds need to grow?
• Planting bulbs and tubers
• Asexual reproduction in strawberries.
• Pollination of flowers.
• Plant life cycles – flowers turning into fruits containing seeds.
• Seed dispersal
• The role of soil.
• Seasonal changes

A Basic Kit List

The exact equipment needed will depend upon the nature of the activity, but there are some items that will always prove useful.  These include:

• Clipboards to help the children record what they observe whilst out in the field.
• Hand lenses or magnifying glasses will study small objects in more detail. It is also possible to buy plastic pocket microscopes.
• Basic plastic pots and clear plastic bags for collecting specimens.
• Magnifying jars or insect boxes are also useful for investigating collections.
• A digital camera (or iPad) for making lasting records of the different things they observe.
• Large plastic boxes (such as Really Useful Boxes) with securely fastening lids. These are generally weatherproof and could be stored outside if necessary.

To help the children (and teachers!) identify any plants and animals they might find when investigating living things outside the classroom, it helps to have some identification guides handy. These can be purchased as books or laminated sheets. Some nature websites provide downloadable quick guides. It is also possible to purchase some guides as apps for tablet computers or the teachers’ phone. Some apps will identify plants from a photo, which is very handy to have. These include Leaf Snap, iNaturalist and PictureThis.

Also consider having a supply of cleansing wipes and hand sanitizer gel handy!

Useful Links

Thinking Beyond the Classroom : PSTT CPD Unit for Teachers

ASE Outdoor Science Collection

Institute for Outdoor Learning

Field Studies Council

Forest School Association

Nature Detectives Tree Tools for Schools

RHS Campaign for School Gardening

RSPB – Wildlife Friendly Gardening

Wildlife Trust – Wildlife Gardening Guides

Woodland Trust Outdoor Learning Pack

Learning through Landscapes

Science and Plants for Schools : Gardening Guides

Outdoor Classroom Day