A lot can be gained by taking children outside to learn, writes Claire Thew.
Experienced teachers will tell you that no two children or young adults with SEND are the same. Focusing on what they can do instead of what they can’t do very quickly highlights that in any group there are those that are good at a wide range of things. This creates challenges for learning and skill development both inside or outside the classroom.
Over recent years, schools have worked hard to provide better and more integrated learning experiences for those with special educational needs. This often means that children can remain in their local environment, with family and friends. Outdoor space, however, is often last on the list when considering learning opportunities, with those with SEND either forgotten or limited in what they can enjoy. Yet learning outside of the classroom can enrich the learning experience, presenting children and young people with SEND with opportunities to fire creativity, enhance learning, build independence and improve wellbeing.
Why is outdoor learning so important?
Regaining control: Those with SEND may have learned a sense of helplessness or passivity because of the levels of control exerted over their lives by family, teachers and the wider society. Going outdoors to learn forces them to break free from this. Outside, they can explore their space freely, introducing new sensory stimulation and fostering a sense of independence.
Neurological development: Learning outside the classroom and, in particular, sensory play – has been proven to help build nerve connections in the brain, improving children’s ability complete increasingly complex learning tasks. Fine and gross motor skills: Whatever a child’s or young adult’s ability, engaging in outdoor learning and play can help to develop fine and gross motor skills far beyond those developed through indoor learning alone.
Language development: Learning outside the classroom supports language development, as children learn to describe what they can see, feel, smell, hear and taste, as well as perception of their bodies, movement and balance. Outdoor space presents a far wider range of senses and experiences than indoor environments, with resulting benefits for all.
Emotional wellbeing: Learning outside the classroom is often less confrontational and worrying for children and young people with SEND. A properly thought-out outdoor learning environment creates a safe, calming environment for children to explore their surroundings. As they explore further and learn more this helps to build self esteem.
Problem solving, reasoning and risk taking: Learning outside the classroom encourages children and young adults to develop problem solving and scientific thinking whilst they play and explore. It also helps them to understand the world around them, exploring what is positive and safe.
Focus and attention: Providing a stimulating environment – particularly if it involves sensory-based learning and play – can encourage mindfulness and focusing on specific tasks.
Overall fitness: In short, if children are outdoors moving more, their general fitness will improve. With the UK’s obesity crisis even more stark in children and young adults with SEND, the need to take learning and play outdoors has never been so great.
Ability to adapt to change: Learning outside the classroom requires those involved to learn how to adapt to unpredictable weather and changing seasons. Learning to be flexible with their view of order, timescales and routine is important for many children and young people with SEND and taking learning outdoors promotes this in a way indoor learning is limited.
Motivation: Learning outdoors, in the natural environment, can play a positive role in motivating children and young people to learn more generally. Not only does it present a stimulating environment but this is often a welcome change from their ‘indoor world’, offering new experiences that stimulate their imagination and enthusiasm.
How to get the most from outdoor learning
- Focus on ability: Focus on empowering and enabling individuals of all abilities to take part, rather than on disabilities and restrictions. This means providing learning and play opportunities that suit a wide range of ability. If you think in terms of ability, individuals are no longer separated. Suddenly, play and outdoor learning opportunities become truly integrated and accessible for all.
- Don’t play it safe: Words like ‘achieve’, ‘progress’, ‘inclusivity’ and ‘ability’ are all great. But if we want children or young adults to learn outdoors, we need to focus on ‘challenge’. If children and young adults aren’t challenged then they don’t experiment and try new things, and they don’t improve their skills. Making mistakes is good – it’s how we all learn!
- Complementary and alternative: Outdoor learning needs to be a different and a complementary experience to what happens in the classroom. It shouldn’t just be a case of taking classroom learning outdoors – although that can be beneficial too, when the weather is good. Think about learning objectives and how the outdoor world can be used to enrich the learning experience in a complementary way.
- Embrace what’s different: Take advantage of the things you can only do outdoors, like gardening and looking after the outdoor space. This can be hugely empowering for children and young people with SEND. Gardening is very inclusive as the same rules apply to everyone, regardless of ability. It takes time for things to grow, which promotes patience as well as attention to detail.
- Continually challenge: Successful outdoor learning relies on continual and increasing challenge. This is doubly important when creating a scheme for children or young adults with a wide range of abilities. Don’t make things too easy, so that they complete it too quickly. Allow those that have been successful to progress on to the next challenge. Provide a range of versions of the same activity – so that peers of different abilities can play and learn together.
Claire Thew
Claire Thew, Marketing Manager at Playforce
Website: playforce.co.uk
X: @PlayforceUK
Facebook: @PlayforceUK
