Outdoor learning

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
• understand the benefits and challenges of outdoor learning
• consider how to integrate outdoor learning into curriculum planning in the primary phase
• enhance the experiences afforded in outdoor spaces for high-quality teaching and learning
• work safely and towards effecting confident practice outdoors in the school grounds and local environments.

Outdoor learning may be defined as a broad term ‘for actively inclusive facilitated approaches that predominantly use activities and experiences in the outdoors, which lead to learning, increased health and wellbeing and environmental awareness’ (Institute for Outdoor Learning, 2021). School-based outdoor learning involves ‘play, teaching, and learning that take place in natural environments for children in formal education and care settings’ (Waite, 2020, p. 1). School-based outdoor learning often involves physical activity and provides memorable, authentic and contextualised experiences to extend classroom-based learning (James and Williams, 2017; Karpinnen, 2012) and supports a range of curriculum objectives across many subjects and topic areas (Macquarrie, 2018). Regular and long-term opportunities for outdoor learning such as those in school can achieve a range of outcomes in relationships with nature, self-constructs, health and wellbeing and meta-skills (Fiennes et al., 2015).