Learning Outside The Classroom

Learning in outdoor environments can have many benefits on children’s education as it can help them to develop new skills and become much more engaged with other pupils. Learning in outdoor contexts beyond the classroom can involve things like school trips, enabling children the opportunity to gain a new experience from an educational visit. Not only can children learn from such trips, but it also allows for a new, fun and interesting way for them to gain new knowledge, improving their attitude towards learning to be far more positive.

From my own experience of visiting a context of learning that children could benefit from I took a visit to the Plantasia in Swansea, Wales. From this trip I discovered that the layout of the Plantasia was very colourful which helped to attract the younger children, as well as lots of images around the area of different species and plants. Small information posts were also spread across the Plantasia, offering children the chance to gain new knowledge independently by reading and taking in the information given.

 The Plantasia offered an enjoyable and exciting experience for children with living animals and the chance to have an insight into what a real rainforest would look and feel like to be amongst.

Experiences like these are important for children as they can be encouraged to discuss with others about what they have seen and learnt, and also have the chance to reflect back on the experience after.

Whilst researching I came across this website http://www.lotc.org.uk/, The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom which promotes that all young children should have as much experience as possible of outdoor learning activities and experiences. The website offers up many opportunities for teachers or anyone working amongst younger kids to seek for educational trips and visits that may help with children’s learning. It is a great resource providing events to encourage learning through first hand experiences.