Feb 16, 2023 | Gardening, RME Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
Whilst in Japan, I had the opportunity to visit several exquisite gardens. Japanese gardens have been influenced by the Shinto love of nature and the Buddhist idea of paradise. Most gardens appear to share a common aim of creating a microcosm. Elements such as water,...
Jan 25, 2023 | Literacy Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching and Burn’s night recently passed, many teachers rather cleverly merge the two by choosing Robert Burn’s poem, A Red Red Rose as a focus for a lesson. Rabbie Burns, like many poets and writers took inspiration...
Jan 19, 2023 | Health & Wellbeing, Social Subjects Outdoors, Whole School
In Scotland we have Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning. This document is integral to our curriculum. The three overarching statements summarise the expectations: “Our vision for outdoor learning in Scotland is that: All children and young people...
Jan 14, 2023 | Developing School Grounds & Outdoor Spaces, Gardening, Social Subjects Outdoors
I’m a big fan of willow structures in school grounds and outdoor spaces. In a previous post Clare Revera explained the benefits of these living sculptures. So you can imagine my excitement and delight when visiting The Coombes School, many years ago, I found...
Dec 3, 2022 | Literacy Outdoors, RME Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
Metasaga is a beautiful framework for interpreting and revisiting a familiar local environment for children and adults of all ages. It was developed by Kate Coutts in the early Noughties. Basically the approach aims to promote discussion and create links and...
Nov 5, 2022 | RME Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors, Technologies, Whole School
30th November – St Andrew’s Day – is regarded as Scotland’s National Day. Increasing number of people living in Scotland make the most of the day to celebrate Scottish traditions and culture. I rather like that Saint Andrew is the...
Jul 12, 2022 | Art & Music Outdoors, Developing School Grounds & Outdoor Spaces, Social Subjects Outdoors
Imagine an artwork that you can not only look at, but walk over, cycle round, stand on top of, admire from above, below and all sides. I’m standing on The Lady’s forehead, looking down her nose… One that can be trodden down, gets muddy, smells,...
Jul 6, 2021 | Maths Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
Scottish and Land Forestry manage Bennachie, a woodland close to where I live. This summer, a trail can be followed that takes you around the area of woodland needed to capture the annual carbon footprint of an average UK citizen. As you walk along, you encounter...
Jan 2, 2016 | Art & Music Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
“How hard it is to escape from places. However carefully one goes they hold you – you leave little bits of yourself fluttering on the fences – like rags and shreds of your very life.” Katherine Mansfield Imagine leaving your country and homeland and...
Nov 14, 2015 | Art & Music Outdoors, Early Years Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
I find that holidays and visits to different places provide inspiration for flexible and open-ended outdoor activities with children. Andrea Stevenson demonstrates this effectively in this post where her daughter was inspired to create her own chalk figure after...
Oct 7, 2015 | Community Involvement, RME Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
In 2014 I posted about the love locks I came across in Vilnius. I’ve kept this post much as it is and have left it down below. Not long afterwards, whilst working at St James Primary School in Caerphilly, I discovered a lovely twist on this tradition,...
Oct 1, 2015 | Art & Music Outdoors, Community Involvement, Social Subjects Outdoors
Since 2009 Inverallochy School has been actively making its school grounds an exciting place to play and learn. They are one of many schools now demonstrating that this is a process and not a product. It’s not about a one-off grant fund application or waiting...
Feb 16, 2015 | Art & Music Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors, Technologies
It is impossible to ignore The Kelpies. These huge sculptures immediately attract your attention when driving past Falkirk on the M9 motorway. Finally Scotland has a piece of roadside public art with a “wow” factor. They are unmissable, unforgettable and...
Sep 17, 2014 | Art & Music Outdoors, Early Years Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
Mirrors have interesting light-reflecting properties. Put a mirror in a natural space and you may struggle to find it again as it can be so good at camouflaging and blending into the scenery. Often the only clue is that when you glance over a mirror, something seems...
Aug 31, 2014 | Art & Music Outdoors, Science Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors, Technologies
Most weather vanes are basic affairs. They are an arrow which points in the direction of the wind and with the compass directions at the bottom. The designs are usually fairly traditional stuff. All-in-all, my excitement levels about weather vanes has never been...
May 18, 2014 | Art & Music Outdoors, Gardening, Health & Wellbeing, RME Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
There is something very poignant about seeing a single flower, such as the image of a red poppy at Flander’s Field and knowing its role in Remembrance Sunday and its story associated with The Great War. Over the years, flowers have become associated with...
Sep 15, 2013 | Science Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
2023 update: Be aware At present the UK is being hard hit by Bird Flu (avian influenza). Follow local guidance where it exists and keep an eye on national updates at NatureScot and other UK Government Agencies. Do not touch any dead bird. In...
Aug 16, 2013 | Art & Music Outdoors, Literacy Outdoors, Social Subjects Outdoors
At the Turriff Show, one of my favourite competition’s were the children’s miniature worlds. They are beautiful and a good example of how encouraging children to put thought into the design and time into creating the displays pays off. The outdoor...
Jan 16, 2013 | Nature Play & Learning, Play Resources, Social Subjects Outdoors, Technologies
There is nothing quite like seeing a native plant growing in its rightful place. Over in Japan, bamboo is a weed that can be found growing as ground cover in woodlands like this: And yet it is cultivated in gardens to grow to a glorious size – a proper bamboo...
Oct 23, 2012 | Health & Wellbeing, Nature Play & Learning, Social Subjects Outdoors, Technologies
The first frost of the autumn arrived last week. The rose-hips (Rosa canina) have turned red and so the combination of the two means that it’s time to get out and get picking. They can be found on bushes all over the UK and beyond. Historically, they are a wild...
