Spending time outdoors has been shown to positively influence children’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being and supports the aims of outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA) in Key Stages One and Two. In PE, OAA provides pupils with the opportunity to be physically active for sustained periods, to overcome challenges individually and in teams, and to develop confidence and problem-solving skills in real-world environments. Curiosity, play and pupil decision-making are central to this. Pupils are encouraged to explore through movement, ask questions, and make decisions as they tackle outdoor challenges.
Forest school and beach school-style lessons provide an ideal context for OAA, where children explore their local environment, move in varied ways, and work together to solve a range of tasks. These help pupils see outdoor spaces as places to be active, play, and be healthy, both now and in their own free time. Outdoor learning also promotes a sense of connection to the local environment as children notice and value the spaces where they move and learn.
These activity cards can be used to introduce a class to a new outdoor environment or to build social connections in a newly formed class. They offer flexible opportunities for pupils to be physically active, cooperate, and make decisions together outdoors, aligning with the OAA aims around team challenges and problem-solving in real spaces. How teachers might use these cards:
- Card 1 ‘Exploring our environment’, supports children in getting to know each other and the environment, presenting them with tasks to collectively complete using natural resources. These are helpful for building connections and improving children’s confidence in a new environment.
- Forest survival cards provide a story-based scenario that teachers can contextualise and adapt to the class’s needs. For example, different tasks for each team, or the same task for all.
Consider building in time for pupils to share their experiences through dialogue, not only what they achieved as a team, but also how their team worked together to overcome challenges.
- What strategies proved effective?
- What would they change next time?
- What did you do to look after the area, the animals and the plants?
This reflection strengthens pupils’ learning in decision-making, resilience, and teamwork while deepening pupils’ connection to their outdoor environment and encouraging its protection.
Responses