When we take children outdoors, we see so many layers in what is happening. To start, the obvious one: children running around, having fun, their eyes wide with curiosity, and the sound of happiness and laughter filling the air. When we look a little closer, we see that they are obviously learning – if they are den building, they are learning engineering skills, or creating a poem is supporting their literacy. However, like an onion, outdoor learning has many layers, and if we look closer, we see more. Counting and sorting natural objects links directly to numeracy, while a daily mile in the playground supports health and wellbeing. Outdoor learning doesn’t sit apart from the curriculum; it enriches it. The children might not be aware, but we are developing their meta-skills. Skills that will support them throughout their life, such as resilience, focus, adaptability, and many more. And, the best part, as a teacher, I can develop these skills naturally outdoors, and often to a deeper level than I can indoors.
Attention through Birdwatching
For some children, asking them to sit quietly in a classroom and “pay attention” can be a bit like pulling teeth. Yet, if you take that same child outdoors and ask them to spot the flash of a robin in the hedge or the flutter of a butterfly amongst the grass, and suddenly, their attention comes alive. Birdwatching, following a bee’s trail, and even creating a sound map where children listen carefully and mark the noises they hear, all build the muscle of focus. They are not just noticing the animals or sounds, but are practising how to filter information and hold concentration in a busy world.
Resilience in a Stick Tower
I love to set children (and adults!) the challenge of building a free-standing stick tower. It will wobble, it will likely fall, and they will try again without giving it much of a second thought. In that moment, there is a magic happening – they are developing resilience. Outdoors failure can seem safer. There are no marks left in a jotter or workbook to show where they erred; instead, it is simply part of the process. Whether it is a tower of sticks collapsing, a den not quite big enough for the team, a fire that won’t light or a puck that goes astray when playing hopscotch, these small setbacks teach children to bounce back, adjust, and try another way.
Adaptability in Den Building
Every den-building session is an experiment in adaptability. The ground is uneven, the sticks aren’t uniform, and the weather often has its say (especially here in Scotland!). Children learn to adapt, change their plans, negotiate with their team, and compromise on design. These are the very skills adults rely on daily in workplaces, families, and communities. Outdoors, adaptability is not abstract; it’s lived and felt.
Reflection in a Sit Spot
Sometimes the most powerful learning comes in stillness. We live in a world that is always on the go, feeding us information electronically throughout the day. Children move from breakfast club to school to after-school clubs, then tennis, swimming, piano or more. They are rarely afforded the pleasure of nothingness. A sit spot, time spent quietly in nature, noticing thoughts and surroundings, gives children the space to stop and reflect. They learn to observe without rushing, to connect with themselves, and to develop a sense of integrity and self-awareness.
Each of these outdoor experiences can be tied back to the curriculum. A sit spot can spark creative writing, birdwatching builds data handling skills, and den building links to STEM through design and problem-solving. The magic is that while children are ticking curriculum boxes, they’re also developing those invisible, lifelong skills. In a world that rarely slows down, this quiet practice builds an inner skill set that is every bit as important as literacy or numeracy (I may even suggest it is more important as mental health is so important).
Why Meta-Skills Matter
Curriculum outcomes are essential, of course. It is what we build our lessons on and measure impact. But when we zoom out, we see that schools are also shaping humans for a future we can’t fully imagine. The Curriculum for Excellence and the Curriculum for Wales both recognise this. Meta-skills are the tools that prepare children for change, uncertainty, and possibility. And the outdoors offers a natural, joyful, and sustainable way to nurture them.
At Love Outdoor Learning, we’ve pulled these ideas together into our Meta-skills Map. It links outdoor activities directly to over 70 lessons across the curriculum, from literacy and numeracy to health and wellbeing, while showing the meta-skills each one develops. Our members use it as a quick and practical guide to embed outdoor learning into their weekly plans.
So the next time someone says outdoor learning is “just playing outside,” remember that birdwatching teaches attention, stick towers teach resilience, den building teaches adaptability, and a quiet sit spot teaches reflection. Let’s share these skills with the parents (it helps them develop both an awareness and a value of outdoor learning). These are the invisible lessons… and they last a lifetime.
