Outdoor Classroom

Nature journaling is a wonderful practice for people of all ages. It sharpens our curiosity and our skills of observation, drawing, and writing, all while we soak in the beauty of the outdoors. Nature journals can be anything from sketchbooks to detailed diaries about the birds, plants, animals, and other things we see around us, …

This week, head outside to locate in search of wildflowers. You can even draw a picture or write down a description of them in a nature journal. Then, use a field guide to identify them, or try one of these internet sites:  Discover Life Wildflower Search MyWildflowers.com   Featured image by mmainco

This activity will help your students become more familiar with the types of products that can be recycled, as well as how to recycle them.  Supplies:  One pair of non-latex gloves for each team of students (such as garden gloves) Trash bags in two different colors, one for regular litter and one for recyclable materials …

This week, create a class memory book about the activities they did together outdoors. You can have each student create their own page. They might write about their favorite activity, a new experience, a special memory, or something funny that happened. They can include drawings and other designs. Older students can create their pages on …

This week, have the students write letters to themselves reflecting on their outdoor experiences.  Or, have the students each write a letter to a new student who will be in your class next year. What can they expect when they head outside together? What kind of helpful advice can the current students give the new …

This week, teach your students how to set goals. Then have your students write down a list of goals they’d like to accomplish this summer. Be sure to include things that get them outdoors in the fresh air. Start by brainstorming as a class, then have the students write down their own list. Invite them …

Join other classes around the world for Outdoor Classroom Day on May 23! To find out more and to sign up, click here.    Photo by GaborFromHungary

Haiku is a form of poetry that originated in Japan. It is made up of 17 syllables in 3 lines that usually don’t rhyme. Traditionally, haiku focuses on the natural world. This week, have your students write their own haiku about nature. Just follow the form below:  LINE 1: 5 syllables LINE 2: 7 syllables …

All you need for this creative activity are some smooth pebbles, canvas boards, and twigs. Click here to find out how to get started. 

This activity will challenge students to see things from a different perspective as they practice writing creatively. Here’s what to do:  Instruct the students to take notebooks and pencils and head outside. Next, have each student locate a crawling insect (no flying insects as they are too difficult to follow).  Students are to follow that …

This week, take a few minutes to review the water cycle. Then head outside as a class to find evidence of it. Here are come good reference sites: National Geographic – “Water Cycle” Nasa – “Precipitation Education” Peer – “The Water Cycle” Photo by Erean

This week, take your class out on a sensory walk. Start with a short lesson about the five sense. Then, take your students outside with notebooks and pencils. Have them record the things they feel, hear, see, and smell. They could also include what they would taste if they were tasting things. Come back together …

This week, help your students kick off their own gardens by starting seeds indoors! To begin, provide students with a list of plants that do well when started indoors. You can find the list here. Then check the planting calendar for your area. Simply put in your zip code to find out the best time …

This week, head outside during reading time! Whether students are reading alone or in groups, have them take their books outdoors to read in the fresh air. It’s a whole different kind of reading experience! When you go back inside, discuss the differences the students noticed between reading outside and reading in the classroom. Which …

This week, have your students find real-life examples in nature of the terms they learn in geometry. On a sheet of paper, have them draw and label the ones they find. These could include: point lineline segmentraypolygonvertextrianglequadilateralpentagonhexagonangleintersecting linesparallel linesperpendicular linessquare rectanglecircleovalobtuse angleacute angle

Before going outside this week, discuss weathering and erosion and it’s effects. (NE Geology Kids presents a nice summary.) Then, take the class outside to search for signs of weathering around the school. Photo by taliesin https://www.onegeology.org/extra/kids/earthprocesses/weathering.html

Supplies needed: one magnet per studentnotebookspencils This week, head outside to the playground with magnets, paper, and pencils. Together, name all of the objects on the playground and have the students write them down. Next, have the students decide if they think the objects are magnetic or not. If they think an object is magnetic, …

Valentine’s Day is almost here, so this week, send your students out to find some hearts in nature. Take along a camera; when a student discovers a heart-shaped object, have him or her take a photograph of it. Also write down where the heart was found. Then print the pictures to display in your classroom. …

This week, send your students outside to look for parts of speech. Instruct the students to first find a noun and write it down. Then have them think of three to five adjectives that describe that noun and write them down as well. You can have them search for verbs and adverbs, too. Photo by …

Wintry weather can get students down with the bare trees and grey skies. This week, teach your students about a fascinating feature of the season: snowflakes! For information and instructions on how to make paper snowflakes, click HERE. Photo by FidlerJan