Summer Term Outdoor Learning

The children have all been working hard in Outdoor Learning and have had a lot of fun participating in a variety of activities.

Prep R have enjoyed learning about seeds and enjoyed planting vegetables in their raised beds. They are looking forward to tasting the different vegetables and fruits they have worked hard to look after. A favourite activity for Prep R this term was making wildflower seed bombs to take home and plant in their gardens. The children have also enjoyed exploring symmetry by creating butterflies out of natural materials in our woodland and playing games.

In Prep 1, the pupils have enjoyed discovering more about nature in our woodland and developing their use of exciting language by completing a scavenger hunt around William’s Wood. They have also been busy exploring texture by creating nature prints with clay. Through their experimentation, the children discovered which natural materials were the best for printing. The prints looked particularly beautiful after the children added paint to them.

Prep 2 have planted a Sweet Pea teepee and have been eagerly waiting for the plants to grow, they were even pleased to see the rain return after many weeks of sunshine, as the Sweet Peas are beginning to look healthier. A favourite activity in Prep 2 has been going on a minibeast hunt in William’s Wood. The children thoroughly enjoyed searching the different areas to see what they could discover and used identification charts to name the invertebrates they didn’t recognise. The children also enjoyed exploring camouflage through woodland games, although it became very competitive when the girls decided to challenge the boys!

Prep 3 have enjoyed completing a range of activities to support and develop their learning further in their history topic of the Stone age. They have discovered more about the hunter gatherer lifestyle through making their own tools from natural materials found in the woodland. They enjoyed creating their own paintbrushes but loved attempting to make their own paint even more, using mud! A highlight of the term was also seeing the pupils work closely with their parents and grandparents to create mini shelters from materials found in William’s Wood. The results were very impressive!

Prep 4 have been learning how to use different knots to help them put up a tarpaulin to use as a shelter. It was great to see the children show resilience as they practised the knots, even though they found them difficult, until they had successfully tied the knot several times. The children were able to put these skills into practice by working as a team to erect a group shelter. It was a great opportunity for the children to develop their communication, problem solving and leadership skills, whilst having fun.

In Prep 5, the children have discussed Mental Health Awareness Week and the importance of looking after their minds as well as their bodies. The children have really impressed Mrs Lowde with their maturity when completing a variety of mindfulness activities. They worked individually to create some amazing sound maps and worked well in small groups to create the most stunning nature mandalas.

It has been a busy term for all the children, but it has been a pleasure to see the children’s love of nature continue to blossom. The best part is that we still have lots more fun activities planned for the last few weeks of the school year.