On Wednesday 15th November, we invited our FS2 parents to explore our Outdoor Learning area, known as Owl’s Den, based at QEGS. During the session we shared with parents some of the knowledge and skills the children have gained during their outdoor learning sessions. 

Mrs Robinson, one of our Forest School qualified teachers, introduced our Outdoor Learning curriculum and why we think Outdoor Learning is so important for our pupils’ complete development. 

Key skills developed during our outdoor learning sessions are: collaboration, communication, independence, resilience, problem-solving. The benefits to children are twofold, as Outdoor Learning helps them to develop both physically and mentally. Physically, children gain an awareness of their 5 senses, they develop both fine and gross motor skills when climbing, making obstacle courses, and tying knots. Mentally, being outdoors has been proven to support wellbeing, being active and getting exercise. Similarly, pupils build confidence; we observe that a lot of our more reserved children who can be quieter in classroom discussions frequently thrive during outdoor learning days and contribute heavily. There’s always lots of running, exploring and smiling too!

During the workshop, parents got to experience a variety of activities that our pupils participate in throughout the year.

Activities included:

• Making dens for our teddy bears (linked to our key text ‘The Bear’s Winter House’ by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake)
• Making stick men (linked to our key text ‘Stick Man’ by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler) 
• Clay figurine making, such as hedgehogs and mice
• Leaf identification

Thank you to parents who joined us – it is always a pleasure to discuss the EYFS curriculum and the exciting activities we have planned throughout the year during our sessions at Owl’s Den. Outdoor Learning’s core values link very closely with the EYFS curriculum and we believe it is essential for supporting our pupils’ health and physical development.

Mrs M Robinson, EYFS Lead