40+ Suggestions for Exploring Rotation Outside
When you write a book, one of the interesting challenges is deciding what needs to be included and what should be omitted. It’s never an easy task. One concept that I felt I didn’t do justice to in Messy Maths, was that of rotation. Thus I thought it would be good to...Story Washing Lines Outside
Back in 2008 my first introduction to a Swedish outdoor “Rain or Shine” nursery was Skogsnattarna I Ur och Skur. At the first gathering session, I met Anna, one of the teachers, who used a story line outside. This was part of the routine in...The Clootie Tree
A long time ago I visited the Kagyu Samye Ling Buddhist Monastery and World Centre for Peace and Health. Whilst walking around the Peace Garden, I came across the Clootie Tree. It was impossible to ignore such was the blaze of colour and vibrancy even on that...An Outdoor Music Wall
This blog post was originally published many years ago. However the process Mile End School Nursery in Aberdeen used to create the music wall remains a good example a process that involves the children and began with their interest in exploring sounds. The nursery...The “Sensori” Water Station
Children love water play. I have always loved the work of Tom “Sensori” Bedard who writes the blog Sand and Water Tables. It’s very niche and all about engaging children through well-thought out apparatus and creations at the sand and water trays....The Interactive Pallet Play Station
Pallets are “in” in the world of outdoor play. And Stramash outdoor nurseries are up there in terms of the creative constructions which are appearing in nurseries across the world. In 2016 at Fort William this amazing play station was developed. In...Portable Water Walls
Some practitioners work in settings and schools where they cannot leave equipment out overnight. Usually storage space is pretty tight too. Thus I wanted to look at ways of creating simple, portable water walls which children could create themselves. Many years ago I...Developing a water play area
It’s easy to browse Pinterest and “ooh” and “ah” over the amazing photos that you see of outdoor features in early years settings which seem so with- it compared to yours. This post is from a lovely nursery that I worked with several...Willow Lattice Arches and Panels
One of the big surprises many years ago was the versatile way in which children chose to play with a pair of Cosy willow lattice arches. When I first saw these in a Derby nursery, I could see they were very open-ended. I was not surprised that the children used them...25+ Outdoor Literacy Books, Packs, Videos and Downloads
Often I am asked about resources for outdoor literacy. Thus it seemed to make good sense to put these into a blog post for anyone to access. It would be helpful, if you know of others, to get in touch so that the list is kept up-to-date. Please note – this blog...Creating DIY Tree Baskets from Willow
There is an irony about travelling to Canada to attend a workshop to learn about a practice that stems from the British Isles. As part of the IPA Canada 2017 conference, Evergreen staff provided a more natural approach to the use of loose parts. Evergreen is a...7 Reasons to Have Willow Structures in your School Grounds
This is blog post is co-written by myself and Clare Revera. She is a consultant and trainer who used work at Out to Learn Willow. This company specialises in training adults and children in the traditional craft of willow weaving, using dried and living willow. They...A Bird Feeding Garden
I have previously blogged about RSPB Mersehead Reserve in Dumfries & Galloway and the accessible wildlife garden which took the art of container planting to a new height. This was not the only gem of a wildlife area. I found myself drooling over the spacious...Investigating and using feathers – 10 Ideas
August is the time for collecting feathers in NE Scotland. All the gulls have been shedding their feathers, left, right and centre on the playing fields and parks. When you and your class go collecting, be sure to store some away for examining and using at other...Creating Bird Friendly Schools and Nurseries
The RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch is running again from 6th January until 20th February 2023. You can register to participate and download many free resources and advice about making this wonderful Citizen Science project a brilliant, direct learning experience...Looking back to look forward to the New Year
A new year and new adventures. So, it’s back to school or nursery and with this comes the excitement of a new year and new beginnings. Whilst we make personal resolutions, perhaps it is time to make the most of this tradition and apply it in a reflective way to...10 Ways for Schools and Nurseries to Re-use Xmas Trees
If you have a real Christmas tree, then you are in luck. There are lots of possibilities for it to have an extended life after the festive period. Here’s some ideas to help you out: 1. Plant your tree outside Firstly if your tree has roots, then plant it out....Frode Svane: Adventure Play in Snow
When snow arrives it is time to celebrate this unique opportunity for outdoor play and learning. This is a guest post from Frode Svane. He is both an architect and a pedagog, working with projects for parks, public places, schoolyards and kindergardens in Norway. He...Snow stencils…and blood!
Scotland continues to have lots of snow and below freezing temperatures. The temptation to drop work and play all day outside is immense. Today, here’s what happened during my lunch break… First I made some stencils, using scrap pieces of cardboard. But...
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Recent Posts
Story Stones and Thinking SkillsA little stone can give a lot of empowerment in a funny sort of way.
Outdoor Toilets and ChildrenWhen children need to go they need to go!
Hand hygiene outdoorsRemoving one of the barriers to working outside with groups.
12 reasons to have stumps in your outdoor spaceStumped for ideas? Check out this blog post about why every school needs a stump or several!
Dunblane Nature Kindergarten – A transformation from traditional to nature-based practiceFantastic example of positive impact of nature-based practice.
Legacy and LossWhat’s your professional and personal impact?
Education Scotland Outdoor Learning Webinars FREE to viewLots of free outdoor learning webinars all in one place from Education Scotland
Out to Play 12: Caring for Our Outdoor SpacesJust published. Time-saving links and a download.
Compass Points – Outdoor Suggestions15+ ways to learn about compass directions – all in a download.
7 Conker Games and AdviceEvery school needs a conker tree
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