Outside Learning Ideas and Forest School Activities
Inside: Explore forest school activities and outside learning ideas using natural materials — a fun way to boost skills, creativity, and outdoor confidence.
There’s something magical about stepping outside and learning in the natural world. The sights, sounds, and textures of the great outdoors offer children a fun way to build confidence, curiosity, and essential life skills. Forest school activities are a great opportunity for children of different age groups to explore the natural environment, develop fine motor skills, improve communication skills, and enjoy a much-needed break from classroom-induced fatigue and too much screen time.
Outside Learning Ideas and Forest School Activities: A Natural Way to Learn
Whether you have access to a woodland area, a schoolyard forest, or simply a corner of your backyard, there are countless nature activities you can incorporate into your homeschool, forest school, or after-school program.
Planting Trees: A Lesson in Patience and Responsibility
Planting young saplings is a fun activity that encourages children’s awareness of the environment while teaching responsibility. It’s a great way to connect with nature and understand the importance of trees in the natural areas around us.
How to Get Started:
- Choose indigenous species or fruit trees native to your region.
- Pick a quiet spot with green leaves, sunlight, and healthy soil.
- Involve children in digging, planting, and watering.
This hands-on learning experience nurtures fine motor skills and patience while providing a different perspective on the seasonal rhythms of nature.
Den Building: Bushcraft Basics in Action
Den building is one of the most popular forest school activities and a fun way to develop problem-solving, social skills, and bushcraft skills. Using natural objects like sticks, leaves, and stones, children can build shelters in a woodland setting or outdoor space.
Tips for Den Building:
- Gather specific items such as long branches, pine cones, and leaves.
- Teach kids simple bushcraft basics like stacking or lashing with rope or sticky tape.
- Encourage children to test different designs and see what works best.
Use the finished den as a storytelling hut, a base for imaginative outdoor games, or a starting point for a nature scavenger hunt.
Nature-Based Crafts: A Fun Way to Get Creative
Nature-based crafts are a great time for kids to explore messy crafts while appreciating the different shapes and textures of natural materials. Whether you’re making bird feeders or trying leaf rubbings, outdoor crafts allow kids to slow down and engage their senses.
Ideas for Nature-Based Crafts:
- Nature Journaling: Sketch, paint, or write about natural areas you explore.
- Mud Kitchen: Use mud, water, leaves, and stones for sensory exploration and pretend play. Add a metal sieve or spoons for extra fun.
- Bark Rubbings & Leaf Rubbings: Use crayons and paper to capture the patterns of different species.
- Bird Feeders: Smear pine cones with peanut butter and roll them in seeds. Hang them up to attract local wildlife.
On rainy days, collect wet leaves, petals, and twigs to make collages or muddy faces with clay or mud — a fun activity that’s also a perfect antidote to boredom.
Nature Scavenger Hunts: Build Observation Skills
A nature scavenger hunt is a good idea for building observation skills and getting kids moving. Use a guided worksheet or create a checklist of different shapes, colors, or specific items like a sycamore seed or green leaves.
Great for large groups or younger children, scavenger hunts can be tailored by time of year, season, or theme (e.g. insects, wildflowers, bird tracks).
Fire Safety and Bushcraft Skills
Teaching fire safety is an important bushcraft basic for older children. If your forest school leader allows, practice making a small campfire, learning about different species of wood, safe fire circles, and respecting the natural environment.
Use this time to discuss the role of fire in indigenous peoples’ cultures or how it’s been used throughout history.
Outdoor Learning Activities for the Early Years
Outdoor education benefits children in their early years by supporting physical activity, coordination, and social skills. Here are a few more great ways to engage younger children outdoors:
- Hula Hoop Nature Frames: Place a hula hoop on the ground and challenge kids to fill it with nature items in as many colors or textures as possible.
- Nature-Based Play: Create obstacle courses using logs, stones, and leaves.
- Seasonal Nature Studies: Observe how the natural world changes at different times of the year.
- Use Useful Websites like the RSPB or National Trust for informative ways to plan different forest school activities next year.
Benefits of Outdoor Learning
The benefits of outdoor learning are well-documented:
- Boosts children’s confidence and independence
- Enhances fine motor skills and coordination
- Encourages physical activity and healthy habits
- Develops observation skills and problem-solving
- Supports communication skills and teamwork
- Provides a perfect antidote to digital overload
The great outdoors truly is the best classroom.
This lively collection of outdoor activities offers something for everyone — whether you’re new to forest school or looking to expand your outdoor learning activities next year.
From den building to nature journaling, these ideas invite children to reconnect with the natural world, develop practical skills, and have plenty of fun along the way.
It’s a great opportunity to embrace a child-led approach, let kids guide the adventure, and rediscover the joy of hands-on learning in the natural environment.
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