In this episode, we unpack the secrets of crafting
irresistible outdoor learning spaces. Join me
as I unveil the keys to designing outdoor spaces
that spark curiosity, foster creativity, and
make learning an unforgettable adventure. Hello
and welcome to Blooming Curious, the podcast
that's all about nurturing that natural curiosity
in our earliest kids and students. I'm Edwina,
your host from the Ed's Lessons blog, a passionate
advocate for play and inquiry, and on a mission
to keep children curious and questioning. The
days of talk and chalk are over. We're diving
into the world of integrated, inquiry and nature
-based learning and exploring the strategies
that create lifelong learners. So if you're a
classroom or homeschool educator, or even a curious
parent, then this is the place for you. The outdoor
environment has the potential to be an extraordinary
learning space, provided it's set up appropriately.
The outdoors itself presents us with unique learning
possibilities. When you think of all the elements
Mother Nature provides us with, it's water, sand,
sticks, trees, rocks, pebbles, all sorts of animals,
nests and seed pods, leaves, plants, flowers,
the list goes on and on. When it comes to providing
children with opportunities to play and learn
outdoors, I believe we as educators have a real
opportunity to provide play and learning experiences
for children that they may not be getting in
their own homes. We know and hear of so many
children who don't have access to a garden or
an outdoor space. and many who spend far too
many hours sitting down on some kind of electronic
device and we witness the results of that inactivity
and sedentary lifestyle on the news and in our
classrooms every day. The media is full of reports
about childhood obesity, social and emotional
problems and children with poor core strength
who struggle with physical games and even holding
a pencil securely. So just the same way as you
go and you stand in front of your indoor learning
space and you work out where you're going to
have your different learning zones, so we have
to evaluate and plan our outdoor space in the
same way as we do our indoor. So what are the
considerations? So I'd like to ask you these
questions for you to consider as you stand and
look at your outdoor setting. Are children going
to engage in outdoor play or outdoor learning
or both? Are there elements of risk? Does the
outdoor learning space provide an opportunity
for learning? And what objects or structures
are there for children to engage in in some way?
Now where do you start planning an outdoor learning
environment? Well, you start with where you are
and with what you currently have. As educators,
we have very little say in the design and layout
of the outdoor area. You arrive and the play
equipment is already there. There's a slide,
a cubby, monkey bars, a jungle gym, a sandpit,
and if you're lucky, there might be a mud kitchen
or an area where kids can play with loose parts.
So when we're starting out, I encourage just
stand there and look at the area critically and
ask yourself these questions. Are there any opportunities
for fascination in this space? What opportunities
are there for authentic play? Are there opportunities
for children to move and be physical? And are
there opportunities for children to be quiet
and relax? If you think about it, so many children
live in a processed world, right? They're filled
with imagery and noise. How many have actually
laid under a tree and listened to the wind rustling
through the leaves? or watched the clouds drift
across the sky or felt the texture of wet sand
between their fingers and smelled fragrance of
a herb or the grass after rain. I'm not kidding.
I have taught children here in Perth, Western
Australia where the beach is just down the road
who have never been to the beach. So these are
the kind of considerations we as educators need
to have when we are planning our outdoor setting.
If you're lucky enough to be homeschooling on
the other hand, especially in a country setting
or you have a forest or bush or a beach school,
children are gaining rich authentic learning
experiences outside. But what about those of
us that are living and teaching children in urban
settings? As educators, we know full well that
children learn through doing. They build schema
by having experiences. then why is it that so
many outdoor spaces in schools are sterile? How
can it be enough for us just to have the play
equipment or a ball or some tricycles? Are we
catering for the budding musician or the artist
or the writer or the cook or the quiet contemplative
child who doesn't want to kick the ball or ride
the tricycle? What's that kid going to do? Wander
around the space aimlessly? looking for something
to engage with until the bell goes and then he
or she hasn't even had a meaningful experience.
So our job is to create awe and wonder for the
children we teach, to find ways to engage them
in experiences that connect them to nature, that
build schema and that feed their innate curiosity.
Dr. Claire Warden talks about learning with nature,
not just in nature. That means you need to consider
the seasons and now every season brings new opportunities
for learning. That's why I like to link my science
curriculum to the seasons. So for example in
your rainy season you plan activities not just
in the rain but with the rain. So perhaps you'll
make a rain gauge out of an empty drink bottle.
And you'll go outside and you'll observe reflections
in puddles or perhaps you see how long it takes
for the water in the puddle to vanish and find
out why it vanishes. Here in Perth, for example,
where everything's just sand, it vanishes pretty
quickly. And so there's a whole investigation
into the quality of sand and soil and what holds
water and what will just let the water run through.
And in spring, you plant a garden. In autumn
and summer you harvest and so you integrate nature
and the natural environment into your learning
and your curriculum and of course you plan for
children's voice and agency. So perhaps you do
an investigation into the plants that grow at
that particular time of year or you get them
excited and you involve them in the planning
process. It's also a great opportunity for children
to share their learning and make it visible through
floor books or a learning wall. And if you're
more interested in floor books and learning walls,
I'll be talking about this in later episodes,
so be sure to subscribe now and follow so that
you get notified when every episode drops. So
you use these opportunities not only for planning
and learning, but you also use them for building
your community so that you show people how these
kids are learning and how they're developing.
We as educators need to be alert to the possibilities.
We need to be aware and really switched on. Teaching
is not a passive job. If you want passive, then
I'm afraid teaching is just not for you. So as
you stand there contemplating your space, you
need to consider your curriculum. the seasons
and what's available for you outdoors. Perhaps
you need more authentic equipment, things like
real pots and spoons and colanders in your sandpit
and mud kitchen. Perhaps you need planter boxes
and plants and seeds or perhaps you need loose
parts. As always, educators have one massive
constraint and I know that's exactly what your
guys are all going to come back and say to me,
I don't have the budget. But I have found over
the years that with a little imagination and
ingenuity and a generous dollop of determination,
you can provide fabulous experiences for children.
So many of us spend our own money to provide
resources for children, but there's so much we
can provide without spending a penny. Objects
from nature, for example, on your walks in the
bush or your forest on the beach, pick up and
collect interesting seed pods and shells and
sticks and gum nuts, and then you put those into
your loose parts area or into your mud kitchen.
Of course, you need to teach and show kids where
to put these when they have finished playing.
Perhaps the gum nuts will disappear into the
sand. Well, how about taking a leaf out of the
Japanese school's books and get kids to rake
the sand with child -sized rakes and once again
unearth the natural elements that disappeared
into the sand? What an amazing life lesson, teaching
responsibility and community not to mention a
great physical workout. Another way you can get
all these resources without spending a penny
is to send out a letter to the class or your
community telling them about the experiences
you are trying to provide and asking them for
donations. for kitchen equipment they no longer
need things like muffins tins and pots and pans
and colanders and spoons and sieves and stainless
steel teapots mixing bowls is all wonderful to
have in the sandpit or mud kitchen and this also
makes learning authentic because these are the
actual materials kids see and find in their own
homes or perhaps pieces of fabric or planters
and pots for planting into Or maybe someone's
granddad is an avid gardener and he has packets
of seeds and garden equipment lying around and
he'd like to donate that. I have found that when
you go to the community and you ask, they are
incredibly generous. But if you don't ask, you
don't get. So ask. If you want to create a vegetable
garden, you need some planters and plants. Why
not apply for a school grant? Just a simple Google
search for plants and planter grants for schools
will yield quite a few options. I know, I've
checked. And don't forget to plant some flowers.
Some wild flowers and herbs. Things like mint
for example. Children can pick these and they
can make potions, they can chop them, you can
even harvest them and make a salad together.
I remember several years ago when I grew sage
in a plant in our early childhood space we explored
the softness of the leaves and the smell and
then the children asked me what do you use it
for? So I made pasta and I served it with butter
and sage and I can tell you they polished everything
off. Okay they got lucky because I'm pretty good
in the kitchen and I have to be with an Italian
husband. My point is when I see sage I think
sauce for pasta and it was a great experience
for the kids. And you can even take that learning
further, and you can write and draw the procedure.
So once again, you see those teachable moments,
they're all around you, you just have to stop,
look and listen. Yep, just like before you cross
the road. Loose parts are another beautiful and
essential resource for any learning space. Once
again, go to your community. Ask them. Go to
second -hand shops. businesses and places like
Ramida here in Perth and I'll link to that in
the show notes. And by the way, next week we'll
be having our very first guest on the show. I'm
really excited and nervous about that. We'll
be talking to our loose parts expert. So make
sure to subscribe and follow so you'll get a
notification when this episode is published and
you won't miss out on that. And here's another
little example of how you can incorporate loose
parts. A friend of mine who works in a school
here in Perth shared this great loose parts idea
with me. Shout out to you, Michelle. She worked
with a teacher who had these trolleys with loose
parts and they would wheel these things out into
the playground. I think it was once a week, she
said. And just allow the kids to play. however
they liked, without interference of any kind
into their play, the teacher's only job was to
make sure the kids were safe. She said it was
amazing to see the development of the kids' skills
over time. And the first time was a bit chaotic,
well that would be expected, but over time the
play became rich and deep and the skills, including
cooperation, just blossomed. So you see, even
if it's just once a week, it's better than nothing.
Rich learning and play experiences can be created
even when you don't have a playground or even
when the outdoor area is barren. Then there are
things like logs and log slices which are a great
addition to any play space. Not just to bring
that wonderful calming element of nature into
the space. but great for kids to learn how to
walk and balance on, which is great for their
core strength. And the slices can become anything
from frames for transitional art to plates in
the mud kitchen. Their use is only limited to
the child's imagination. And again, go to your
community. Ask. You might have an arborist in
the community. Or check Facebook Marketplace
for contacts of your local council. So much is
possible if you just ask. You never know what
you're going to get. Of course, I so hope that
you have trees in your outdoor space, but if
you haven't, is there a way you could plant a
tree? Could you get the community involved again?
Could you have a busy bee and get someone to
donate a tree and you could plant it? Ask and
you never know what you get. Trees, by the way,
are wonderful opportunities for children to experience
the changing of the seasons. It's even better
when you have several trees. If you're in a very
exciting and fortunate position of planning a
brand new outdoor area, I learned from Clay Warden,
by the way, that you need different types of
trees, not just one type. And why? Because they
all have different characteristics, different
leaf shapes, colors. textures. See them as opportunities
for learning. Imagine classifying leaves according
to their shape, their size, their color, their
texture, or making patterns with different leaves.
Outdoor math lesson sorted. With outdoors, like
with any space, we always need to consider health
and safety. So be mindful that any equipment
you bring into the space can't cause harm or
injury. And of course, we all need a bit of inspiration.
So I recommend you look at Rusty Keeler's website.
Rusty is an outdoor learning designer and consultant.
He provides all sorts of resources and ideas
on his website. So go and take a look at that.
I'll place a link in the show notes. And then
of course, there's Claire Warden. Look at her
website with lots of ideas for children's learning,
especially learning with nature. And once again,
you'll find a link to her website in the show
notes. To conclude... Whether you are lucky enough
to start planning a brand new outdoor area or
you just need a bit of ingenuity with the materials
and equipment you bring in, either way, your
first and only consideration is this. Does this
environment bring awe and wonder to children?
Are there opportunities for them to get curious
and physical and have you provided for all kinds
of learners? I hope this helps you a little as
you plan for your learning experiences outdoors
and remember model curiosity and wonder yourself.
Ask the kids what they like, brainstorm together
and make it your very first project of the year.
By the way, I have a great lesson plan for a
picture book called The Curious Garden. You can
find it on my website and I will leave a link
to that in the show notes. It also has links
to the Australian curriculum and I've integrated
inquiry into the lessons. So have a look at that.
I also have another resource for you called Backyard
Inquiry, which is great for starting an inquiry
into those teachable moments when kids find a
bug on the ground and you want to take that learning
further. You'll find both of these links in the
show notes. Before I go, I would love to know,
as you plan your learning experiences for the
term ahead, what is your... most challenging
experience when it comes to integrating inquiry
into your lessons. Click on the link in the show
notes and leave me a voice message. Don't forget
to follow and subscribe if you found this a useful
episode or you like the show. That way you can
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and especially you don't want to miss next week's
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that would be awesome. But until next week, remember
that curiosity is a superpower. So stay blooming
curious.