Outdoor Reflections
Here in Scotland, our younger children are expected to have fun creating a range of symmetrical pictures and patterns using a range of media. Immediately the outdoor possibilities of such experiences run riot in my mind where the explorations can be bigger, better and...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...20 outdoor bird games and activities
When learning about nature and wildlife, experiential outdoor sessions need to happen. We need children to play and to practice key skills so that observing and understanding birds is a key focus of our time. Over the decades , a number of outdoor educators such as...Snow Fun: 15+ Ideas
Snow is precious. Be prepared in advance to make the most of the soft fluffy stuff as soon as it arrives. The post draws together various posts and ideas I’ve blogged about over the years to save you searching. Just to wet your appetite for snow, here are some...Holly
In 2005 I planted a holly tree in front of my house. It has grown slowly but steadily and since 2014 has consistently produced berries being a female tree. This does surprise me because there are no holly trees that I can see nearby. My understanding is that the...10+ Ideas for Windy Days
Wind is about the movement of air. It’s the result of differences in air pressure. Air likes to move from areas of high pressure to low pressure. This can be demonstrated with a balloon. Inside a blown-up balloon are lots of molecules – many more than...12 Puddle Play Investigations
At this time of the year, there are lots of puddles to meet and greet when out and about. Whilst children tend to like and play in puddles, I suspect they remain a secret source of fascination to many adults too. These suggestions are designed to help you respond to...2D Shape Art with Leaves
This blog post is a guest post by Justina Danišová, who is an experienced environmental educator and home partner in the Czech Republic. She has her own website and is influential across her country in supporting educators to develop learning and play opportunities....We’re Going on a Bug Hunt – Minibeast Magic
The summer term is a particularly good time to find minibeasts – in the cooler months the worms, insects and other little creatures tend to be less active or more hidden! Most children, when asked, are keen to hunt for minibeasts. Many want to use different...8 Easy Minibeast Habitats Young Children Can Make
When children go bug hunting, many often want to create homes for minibeasts. Any measures which improve the biodiversity of an outdoor space help. Creating a range of habitats will help attract more creatures into the grounds. In the photo above, this minibeast...Minibeast Hotels and Other Residences
There is something about humans which makes us not only want to adapt and change our own habitats and homes, but that of other creatures. Generally, the more natural an environment the better it is for wildlife to flourish. Given that most school grounds are highly...9 Ideas about Magnifiers
As my life continues to change, I’ve have been doing a huge amount of sorting out of my resources and deciding what brings me joy and that I wish to keep. My collection of magnifiers is one example. Over the years I’ve collected and used many different...Composting
I visit a lot of schools who like the idea of a compost bin and have one, but in terms of really using it, are a little unsure about what they are doing. The trick is to prepare in advance. Composting is not a spur-of-the-moment activity for a supply teacher....Colour and light explorations with sweet wrappers
At this time of year, chocolates are bought and the amount of wrappers thrown in the bin can mount up. At a recent training event I asked the participants to save their sweetie wrappers and we added them to a transparent tarp. It was a random choice of designs. I...Googly Eyes – Exploring Magnetism Outside
For one of my birthdays, I received a set of magnetic googly eyes. The idea is that you use them to attach photos to your fridge and that you can put the googly eyes over people or animal eyes for a comic effect. Naturally I saw their potential for helping children to...The Science of a Splat
The beauty of undertaking science outside is that an ordinary playful activity can be channelled into an investigation which develops multiple competencies particularly analytic thinking skills. Regardless of the age of a child, creating splashes or splats is...A Recycled Xmas Tree
A guest blog post from Andrea Stevenson. I was truly inspired by a recent Creative STAR post about giving new life to a Christmas tree which would otherwise have been thought of as rubbish. The first thing we decided to do was cut off all of the branches leaving short...10 Ideas for Exploring Clouds
“A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed. It feels an impulsion. This is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see...Rainbow Potions
Recently I saw a blog post about creating natural watercolour paint from fresh flowers. With lots of flowers appearing now spring is here, I thought it would be a timely opportunity to have a go at this myself – a practice run before trialling on a group of...
Creative STAR Collections
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
Subscribe – Choose Email or RSS
- @SunnysideSA @satrust_ @30DaysWild @Muddyfaces @cosydirect @NottsOutdoors Great fun! I think I first saw this and t… https://t.co/w0Suo1j78g
Awards
