Outdoor learning is simply taking teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls — into the playground, the field, the woods or the local park. It isn’t a separate subject or a big project. It’s a way of teaching the things you already teach, using the world outside as the classroom. Here’s what it means, why it works, and how to start this week.
📚Covers the whole curriculum — maths, science, English and more.
💚Better engagement, calmer classes, and skills that last.
🌳Works in any green space — no forest required.
The basics
What is outdoor learning?
Outdoor learning means using the outdoors as a place to teach and learn — deliberately, and as part of normal school life. That might be a maths lesson measuring the playground, a science session hunting for minibeasts, or a writing task inspired by what children can see, hear and feel around them. The subject stays the same; the setting changes.
What makes it different from a one-off trip is that it’s regular and purposeful. Children get outside often, learning is tied to real experiences, and there’s room to explore, ask questions and get a little bit muddy. For a lot of children — especially those who find sitting still indoors a struggle — that shift can change everything.
Why it works
The benefits of outdoor learning
Teachers who take learning outside tend to notice the difference quickly — in engagement, in behaviour, and in the children who suddenly light up. Here’s what’s behind that.
🎯 Deeper engagement
Real, hands-on context makes lessons click. Children who switch off at a desk often come alive the moment they’re outside and part of it.
🧠 Stronger memory
Doing beats listening. A lesson tied to a place and an experience sticks far better than the same facts from a worksheet.
💚 Calmer, happier classes
Time in nature is widely linked to lower stress and better focus — which makes for a more settled group, ready to learn.
🤝 Life skills
Teamwork, problem-solving, resilience and independence grow naturally when children tackle real tasks together.
🏃 Active bodies
Movement is built into the day rather than squeezed into break, which helps concentration back in the classroom too.
🌍 Connection to nature
Children who spend time exploring the outdoors learn to notice it, enjoy it, and want to look after it.
Across the curriculum
What outdoor learning actually looks like
You don’t need to reinvent your planning. Most of what you already teach has an outdoor version — often a better one.
🔬 Science
Habitats and minibeasts, plant growth, weather and seasons, materials — studied where they actually happen, not from a diagram.
➗ Maths
Measuring real distances, symmetry in leaves, data from a bird count, shape and area drawn out large in chalk.
✏️ English
Descriptive writing powered by what children can see, hear, smell and touch. Nature is a brilliant prompt for detail.
🎨 Art & wellbeing
Land art from natural materials, quiet observation, sketching outdoors — creativity and calm in one session.
💡 Short on planning time? Our Outdoor Lesson Generator builds a ready-to-teach outdoor session for any subject and age in seconds — or browse hundreds of ready-made outdoor lesson plans.
Clearing it up
Outdoor learning vs forest school
People often use the two terms interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same thing. The simplest way to think about it: forest school is one type of outdoor learning, not a different thing altogether.
🌳 Outdoor learning
The broad umbrella — any subject, taught outdoors.
Led by your curriculum goals.
Works in any green space, from a playground to a park.
Can be a single lesson or a whole-school approach.
🍃 Forest school
A specific approach within outdoor learning.
Child-led, over regular sessions in a natural space.
Focus on play, exploration and managed risk over time.
Often run by a trained Forest School Leader.
Want the hands-on version? Our forest school activities guide has age-by-age ideas, games and safety basics you can use straight away.
Where to begin
How to get started with outdoor learning
The biggest myth is that you need training, kit and a woodland. You don’t. You need one lesson and a bit of nerve. Here’s a simple way in.
Step 1Start small
Take one lesson you already teach and move it outside this week. A spelling activity, a maths measuring task, a bit of observational writing — nothing fancy. See how the class responds. It’s usually all the convincing you need.
Step 2Build a routine
Pick a regular weekly slot and a reliable spot. Agree a few simple ground rules and a “stop” signal with the class. Once it’s a routine rather than a treat, children settle faster and you spend less time managing and more time teaching.
Step 3Go further
Ready to embed it across the school? A structured scheme of work gives every teacher a plan in their hands — so outdoor learning happens in every class, every week, without one person carrying it all.
Whole school • all year
One outdoor lesson every week — ready to teach
Our Outdoor Learning Scheme of Work gives you a fully planned outdoor curriculum for every class from ages 4–11. No specialist training, no prep — just pick it up and teach. It’s the simplest way to make outdoor learning happen across your whole school, every week.
What’s the difference between outdoor learning and forest school?
Outdoor learning is the broad idea of teaching any subject outdoors. Forest school is one particular approach within it — regular, child-led sessions in a natural space, focused on play, exploration and managed risk. All forest school is outdoor learning, but not all outdoor learning is forest school.
Do I need special training or equipment?
No. To bring outdoor learning into your teaching you just need a safe outdoor space and a plan. Some approaches (like accredited forest school) do need a trained leader, but taking your normal lessons outside doesn’t. Sensible clothing and a basic risk assessment are all most sessions require.
What subjects can I teach outdoors?
Nearly all of them. Science, maths and English are the most obvious fits, but art, PE, geography, history and wellbeing all work brilliantly outside. Most lessons you already teach have an outdoor version.
Does outdoor learning work in bad weather?
Yes — with the right clothing. Layers, waterproofs and wellies mean most weather is fine, and children often love it. The saying holds: there’s no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. Keep a wet-weather backup plan for the genuinely wild days.
Is there evidence that outdoor learning works?
A growing body of research links time outdoors and hands-on learning with better engagement, wellbeing and behaviour, and with stronger recall of what’s been taught. Most teachers see the difference for themselves within a few sessions.
How do I get started?
Take one lesson you already teach and move it outside this week. Build it into a weekly routine with a set spot and simple ground rules, then grow from there. A ready-made scheme of work makes going school-wide straightforward.
Ready to take your class outside?
You don’t need to run before you can walk — one lesson outdoors this week is a brilliant start. When you’re ready for more, our free tools and ready-made plans have your back.
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Some of the best lessons don’t happen at a desk…
Outdoor learning is simply taking teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls — into the playground, the field, the woods or the local park. It isn’t a separate subject or a big project. It’s a way of teaching the things you already teach, using the world outside as the classroom. Here’s what it means, why it works, and how to start this week.
The basics
What is outdoor learning?
Outdoor learning means using the outdoors as a place to teach and learn — deliberately, and as part of normal school life. That might be a maths lesson measuring the playground, a science session hunting for minibeasts, or a writing task inspired by what children can see, hear and feel around them. The subject stays the same; the setting changes.
What makes it different from a one-off trip is that it’s regular and purposeful. Children get outside often, learning is tied to real experiences, and there’s room to explore, ask questions and get a little bit muddy. For a lot of children — especially those who find sitting still indoors a struggle — that shift can change everything.
Why it works
The benefits of outdoor learning
Teachers who take learning outside tend to notice the difference quickly — in engagement, in behaviour, and in the children who suddenly light up. Here’s what’s behind that.
🎯 Deeper engagement
Real, hands-on context makes lessons click. Children who switch off at a desk often come alive the moment they’re outside and part of it.
🧠 Stronger memory
Doing beats listening. A lesson tied to a place and an experience sticks far better than the same facts from a worksheet.
💚 Calmer, happier classes
Time in nature is widely linked to lower stress and better focus — which makes for a more settled group, ready to learn.
🤝 Life skills
Teamwork, problem-solving, resilience and independence grow naturally when children tackle real tasks together.
🏃 Active bodies
Movement is built into the day rather than squeezed into break, which helps concentration back in the classroom too.
🌍 Connection to nature
Children who spend time exploring the outdoors learn to notice it, enjoy it, and want to look after it.
Across the curriculum
What outdoor learning actually looks like
You don’t need to reinvent your planning. Most of what you already teach has an outdoor version — often a better one.
🔬 Science
Habitats and minibeasts, plant growth, weather and seasons, materials — studied where they actually happen, not from a diagram.
➗ Maths
Measuring real distances, symmetry in leaves, data from a bird count, shape and area drawn out large in chalk.
✏️ English
Descriptive writing powered by what children can see, hear, smell and touch. Nature is a brilliant prompt for detail.
🎨 Art & wellbeing
Land art from natural materials, quiet observation, sketching outdoors — creativity and calm in one session.
💡 Short on planning time? Our Outdoor Lesson Generator builds a ready-to-teach outdoor session for any subject and age in seconds — or browse hundreds of ready-made outdoor lesson plans.
Clearing it up
Outdoor learning vs forest school
People often use the two terms interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same thing. The simplest way to think about it: forest school is one type of outdoor learning, not a different thing altogether.
🌳 Outdoor learning
🍃 Forest school
Want the hands-on version? Our forest school activities guide has age-by-age ideas, games and safety basics you can use straight away.
Where to begin
How to get started with outdoor learning
The biggest myth is that you need training, kit and a woodland. You don’t. You need one lesson and a bit of nerve. Here’s a simple way in.
Take one lesson you already teach and move it outside this week. A spelling activity, a maths measuring task, a bit of observational writing — nothing fancy. See how the class responds. It’s usually all the convincing you need.
Pick a regular weekly slot and a reliable spot. Agree a few simple ground rules and a “stop” signal with the class. Once it’s a routine rather than a treat, children settle faster and you spend less time managing and more time teaching.
Ready to embed it across the school? A structured scheme of work gives every teacher a plan in their hands — so outdoor learning happens in every class, every week, without one person carrying it all.
One outdoor lesson every week — ready to teach
Our Outdoor Learning Scheme of Work gives you a fully planned outdoor curriculum for every class from ages 4–11. No specialist training, no prep — just pick it up and teach. It’s the simplest way to make outdoor learning happen across your whole school, every week.
Explore the Scheme of Work
Questions
Outdoor learning FAQs
What’s the difference between outdoor learning and forest school?
Outdoor learning is the broad idea of teaching any subject outdoors. Forest school is one particular approach within it — regular, child-led sessions in a natural space, focused on play, exploration and managed risk. All forest school is outdoor learning, but not all outdoor learning is forest school.
Do I need special training or equipment?
No. To bring outdoor learning into your teaching you just need a safe outdoor space and a plan. Some approaches (like accredited forest school) do need a trained leader, but taking your normal lessons outside doesn’t. Sensible clothing and a basic risk assessment are all most sessions require.
What subjects can I teach outdoors?
Nearly all of them. Science, maths and English are the most obvious fits, but art, PE, geography, history and wellbeing all work brilliantly outside. Most lessons you already teach have an outdoor version.
Does outdoor learning work in bad weather?
Yes — with the right clothing. Layers, waterproofs and wellies mean most weather is fine, and children often love it. The saying holds: there’s no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. Keep a wet-weather backup plan for the genuinely wild days.
Is there evidence that outdoor learning works?
A growing body of research links time outdoors and hands-on learning with better engagement, wellbeing and behaviour, and with stronger recall of what’s been taught. Most teachers see the difference for themselves within a few sessions.
How do I get started?
Take one lesson you already teach and move it outside this week. Build it into a weekly routine with a set spot and simple ground rules, then grow from there. A ready-made scheme of work makes going school-wide straightforward.
Ready to take your class outside?
You don’t need to run before you can walk — one lesson outdoors this week is a brilliant start. When you’re ready for more, our free tools and ready-made plans have your back.
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Outdoor Scheme of Work
Outdoor Lesson Generator
Risk Assessment Wizard