We are often asked what equipment schools should purchase for outdoor learning, from trim trails to climbing frames, and fire pits to den building kits. Outdoor classrooms are also found to be top of the list. These items can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.
Whilst these things can be great and look awesome, how much do they enhance your everyday teaching of the curriculum?
How many teachers are comfortable and confident in taking their classes to use them regularly? We look at the arguments for and against.
Large, static equipment in the playground can encourage children to actively engage in play, enhancing balancing, climbing, crawling, moving, pushing/pulling, riding, walking, and running (Cooper, 2015). While this is good, it has actually been found that:
Outdoor learning should be low cost, easy to integrate and accessible.
The natural environment increases physical activity more than typical playground structures.
Children who play in the natural environment have better motor skills than those who spend time in a traditional playground with large equipment (Trost, 2010 and Fjørtoft, 2001).
White and Stoecklin developed this, and suggest that a playground with plants, trees, flowers, water, dirt, sand, mud, animals and insects would give rich, developmentally appropriate learning environments where children naturally want to learn and grow. Such playgrounds also lend themselves to teaching science and developing a sense of place.
An environment like this brings many benefits to the children while outside but the benefits also continue when children enter the classroom (Holmes, Pelegrini, & Schmidt, 2006). There are multiple studies which show that just 20 minutes outside increases the attention of children, including those with ADHD (Faber Taylor and Kuo, 2009; Van den Berg and Van den Berg, 2011; Kuo and Faber Taylor, 2004).
Fire pits, den building kits and the like are great for a one-off lesson, but generally, they are rarely used regularly within a school to enhance learning. They are instead treated as a reward for classes (this can be different within a nursery setting, where we have seen them used more regularly).
Rewards can be a great thing in schools; however, is it worth spending hundreds of pounds on something that will not regularly positively impact learning?
Experience has shown us that schools often desire big pieces of equipment as a quick fix to outdoor learning.
It can cost substantially less to develop a natural playground (and there are plenty of funding opportunities available to support this).
So, ask yourself, are you looking for a quick fix or are you looking to fundamentally change practice and approaches to learning? There are some fantastic pieces of equipment that can in fact do both, but you do not need them to get outside initially.
“We have only to step outside of the classroom door to pique children’s curiosity and take learning to a new level.” – Jill L. Jacobi-Vessels, 2013
What’s in our kit?
We keep our backpack simple and handy. It has the basics for a grab and go kit that will do for a whole host of lessons.
- Wool/ yarn – great for arts and crafts, measuring, marking off areas and more
- Chalk – take your writing, letter formation, art, maths or more outdoors
- Photo of the register
- Medications – If children do not keep a hold of them then I pop them in the front pocket
- Phone – it lets you contact the school and them contact you
- Camera – great for gathering evidence
- Measuring tape (10m and sewing little ones)- handy for maths and more
- Mini first aid kit – you never know when you will need it
- Small ball – turn taking or games
- A Tarpaulin – a handy seat or shelter (some bungees too)
- FSC (Field Study Council) guides
Kit ideas
Some kit seems obvious, and you will be used to using it. Other kit less so. We explore some of the pieces you might not know and share why we think it should be included in your bag.
The FSC (Field Study Council) guides are phenomenal. They state that their “best-selling guides are stunningly illustrated, packed with facts, and splash-proof” making them perfect for heading outdoors. Over 80 different titles to introduce all aspects of nature, from Bees to Woodland Plants.
For me, they are a hardwearing resource that encourages investigation, discussion, teamwork and more
A tarpaulin can be a handy piece of kit. We use ours to build a shelter when it is raining, or a seating area in the dry. A 5x4m tarpaulin will easily sit a full class with room to spare. You can pick them up from Screwfix, Amazon, Muddy Faces, etc.
All you need is to add some tent pegs and bungee cords for easy assembly. I keep them all rolled together so it is easy to grab when required.
An electronic whistle can also be very handy. I use one long whistle to let children know I want them to freeze or three to call them to me. Invaluable if kids are spread over a large area.
Every class should have their own individual kit bag.
Here’s why…
This means that it is easy for teachers to grab their kit and head outside and not waste time looking for kit that could be in other rooms.
It also means individual teachers have responsibility for topping up kit as and when required – rather than relying on just one, already busy, member of staff.
