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50 ways to experience outdoors at OaklandsClay imprints of natural found objects.Resources – clay, rolling pins, natural found objects.Instructions – roll clay to required size, collect a range of natural objects, press into clay and leave to dry. Paint and varnish when dry. These make nice tiles.Gardening/mud playResources – spades, buckets, trays, watering cans, spoons, any other random objects, wipes/handwashing stuff.Instructions – Fill buckets or trays with mud or use the raised shallow beds in the allotment. Dig, make mud castles, bury objects to find. You could make a witches’ cake mix – collect leaves and other things and some mud. Use a big stick to crush the leaves in a bowl or pan, then add mud and stir. Or hide plastic mini beasts or other objects in shallow digging beds and search for them using hands or digging implements.Nature trail Resources – Found natural objects or Xmas baubles, toys etc to hide in woods/playground beforehand. Instructions – Choose and collect something to create a trail with, e.g. pine cones, bright leaves, sticks, pebbles. Or you could use baubles or other markers. Invite your friends to try and follow your trail. You could leave a prize at the end (a ball, bells, toy etc).Scavenger huntResources - Set a list of things to find e.g. 5 different leaves, something edible, something rough, something that smells nice etc. Your list could be pictorial or use real natural objects to match up to the things you find.Instructions – Go outside and use your different senses to explore what you find. Can you find everything on your list? Compare with the rest of the group at the end. You could make up a rhyme to say as you go on your hunt. Here’s one or you could make up your own: ‘Into the forest (playground) we go. What will we find? Nobody knows. Explore with your ears, your eyes, hands and nose. Out in the forest (playground), anything goes.’Campfire or Kelly kettleResources – fire pit or safe marked fire area, kindling, wood, fire steels, cotton wool, petroleum jelly, safety equipment as per risk assessment (fire extinguisher, fire gloves, buckets of water, fire blanket). Optional – Kelly kettle and stuff to make hot drinks.Instructions – Ensure the person in charge is trained and competent and that the Risk Assessment has been shared with everyone present (remember to phone the fire station at the start and finish to let them know about your controlled burning). Put petroleum jelly onto the cotton wool. Build up kindling then larger wood. Use fire steels to light your fire. You could cook food: bananas and chocolate buttons in tinfoil, marshmallows on long sticks. Campfire songs are fun, we have adapted a few familiar songs. Here are a couple:Campfire’s Burning?(tune: London’s Burning)Campfire’s burning, campfire’s burning,?Light the Kindling, light the kindling,?Fire fire! Fire fire!?Throw the sticks on, throw the sticks on,?Campfire’s burning, campfire’s burning.???If it’s hot beside the fire?(tune: If you’re happy and you know it)If it’s hot beside the fire clap your hands,?If it’s hot beside the fire clap your hands,?If it’s hot beside the fire and you want it to go higher,?If it’s hot beside the fire clap your hands.?Leaf bashingResources – white fabric cut into pieces, stones for holding and bashing with, rubber circles or chopping boards to place underneath, leaves, hard surface.Instructions – collect leaves, put between two pieces of fabric or fold fabric over with leaf inside. Place on rubber/board on hard surface. Bash with the stone until the print of the leaf can be seen on the fabric. You can also try flowers and berries. You could put the fabric on the ground and wheel your chairs over it instead of bashing it.Bark rubbingResources – wax crayons, paperInstructions – Place paper against tree bark and rub until pattern appears. For pupils working on trays, look for pieces of wood that can be places on tray. Or try other objects like leaves. Making bird feedersResources – bowls or trays, lard, bird seed, string and whatever else you decide to use to shape it.Instructions – Squish the lard and mix in the bird seed. Mould it into or around something, we like to use pine cones, yoghurt pots or to just make ball shapes with string through them. It’s quite fun squishing. We have also upcycled gastro-feed bottles and turned them into hanging bird seed feeders. There are lots of other ideas available online.Making bird homesResources – empty milk/juice carton (the type that has soya/almond milk in works best), dowel or sticks, non-toxic paintInstructions – cut a small circular door at the front of the carton and push a stick through just below to make a perch. Decorate and use wire or string to hang up outside. You can make bird houses out of lots of things such as tin cans and old teapots. Look online for more ideas.Making a bug hotelResources – sticks, dried leaves, pine cones, containers (mugs, tins, wood boxes etc). Or planks and bricks.Instructions – fill containers with the dried materials and place in a sheltered spot. Or build layers of shelves with bricks and planks, filling each shelf space with dried materials. Make sure it has a waterproof roof as insects like to stay dry.Make a log or stone pile habitatResources – logs, branches, moss, mulch, leaves, spade or stones, rocks and gloves.Instructions – Find a shady spot, dig a shallow hole, fill with logs (biggest at bottom), then sticks then twigs. Fill the gaps with mulch, leaves and moss. Or fill your shallow holes with rocks and stones. Think about putting up a sign so that other people don’t disturb your habitat. Hopefully frogs, hedgehogs, newts, insects, spiders and more will make their home in it.Journey sticksResources – big sticks, string or wire, found objects.Instructions – go on a journey in an outdoor space and notice what is around you. Smell, feel, look, listen to it and then if you can, tie it to your stick. Continue your journey in this way. At the end you can use your stick to share your journey with others.Journey booksResources – Pieces of card (A4 works well) hole punched at one side, ribbon or string, PVA glue, natural/found objects.Instructions – Go on a journey outside. What do you notice? What would you like to share about your journey with other people? Collect natural/found objects from different points of your journey. If you can’t take it with you, take a photo or investigate it to help you remember it. When you return, use the card as pages. Glue the things you have found onto the pages or find ways to represent them e.g. string and ribbon for grass, straws for gates, sandpaper for paths. Once the pages are dry, tie them together with your string or ribbon in the same order as you saw them on your journey. Use the book to retell the journey by yourself or with friends. Take it with you next time you go and retrace and retell your journey.Nature based sensory storiesResources – a sensory story, you could write your own or adapt one.Instructions – Think about how you can tell your story outside. Can you use natural resources to represent things? E.g. bark for dragon scales. Can you incorporate a journey into your story? E.g. following clues through an enchanted forest or going on a bear hunt. Do you need to collect things on your way? E.g. pebbles to build a house, sticks to fight off enemies, pine cones to throw into a well. You could take a Bluetooth speaker to add a soundtrack.Found natural object sculpture (dream catchers, wind chimes, crowns etc)Resources – willow, sticks, bark, pine cones, string/wool, other things like bells, tinfoil, baubles, cds, beads, glue (if doing 2nd idea) etc.Instructions – bend the willow into shapes and weave string across with decorations attached (either natural, found or manmade). Hang things from the bottom like pine cones or baubles. Or tie sticks into a cross and hang found objects from it. You can also make a crown by bending the willow into a circle and decorating it with leaves, flowers etc.OR – find a piece of bark or wood that is large enough to decorate. Collect smaller objects to glue onto it. Stick the smaller objects onto the bark/wood to decorate. Hang decorations in classroom or outdoor spaces.Weaving the willow domeInstructions - Sit under willow dome while others weave the willow into the structure.Make sensory sock/tights filled with natural objectsResources – old tights or socks, found natural objects.Instructions – find natural objects that won’t rot and collect a few of each. Fill the sock or tights with them and ties the end to create different tactile objects. Alternatively, make open feely bags/boxes to put hands into and explore objects.Make a natural mandalaResources – natural found objects, (optional: PVA glue, card)Instructions – collect groups of objects from the woods or other outdoor spaces. Create a mandala on the earth and leave it for other people to find. Alternatively, meet in the polytunnel or classroom to glue the objects onto card to create a mandala or other pattern that can be displayed.Parachute gamesResources – parachute, soft balls, song sheet.Instructions – Take your parachute outside and enjoy singing different songs and playing games with it. On very sunny days, parachutes make good canopies to give some shade if you have trees or posts to tie it to.Make and fly kitesResources – sticks, string, ribbon &/or wire, paper or fabric, glue, light found objects to decorate e.g. leaves.Instructions – create a kite frame out of sticks. Glue paper or fabric onto frame. Decorate with leaves and other light objects. Attach a tail. Tie string to corners and fly once dry.Ice cube/lolly paintingResources – ice cube tray or lolly moulds and lolly sticks. Paper. Art tops/shirts.Instructions – freeze different coloured water-based paint in lolly moulds or ice cube trays, optional - add lolly sticks for handles. Once frozen, take outside to play with and paint as they melt.Natural object paintingResources – paint, trays, art tops, hand washing stuff, sticks, wire, gaffa tape, found natural objects, paper.Instructions – find some sticks and a variety of different textured natural objects. Use wire or gaffa tape to attach objects to sticks or just use objects as they are. Experiment with painting, rolling, printing with the objects. Stick wall hangingResources – lots of small sticks, paint, trays, string, wire or ribbon.Instructions – roll sticks in different colours of paint. When dry, hang together horizontally one below the other to make a wall decoration. This can also be used to make Xmas tree shapes if each stick is slightly longer than the last. Small decorations can be hung between the sticks. Or make stick stars to hang.Clay facesResources – air dry clay, small found natural objects, pieces of bark or wood.Instructions – Squish a ball of clay directly onto a tree trunk or, if working at a tray, a piece of bark or wood. Squish it down well so that it moulds to the bark or wood and make an oval shape for a face. Press small found objects into the clay to create a face. You could also make other creatures like hedgehogs or spiders.Splat paintingResources - paint, cotton wool balls or leaves, rubber mallet or thick sticks, large card or paper.Instructions – hide blobs of different coloured paint under leaves or cotton wool balls on a big sheet of card or paper. Splat them with the mallet or stick to make the paint splurge out.Musical processionResources – variety of music on an iPod, pictures or objects to represent each song, Bluetooth speaker, markers to put up around woods (e.g. – musical notes symbols), percussion instruments, streamers, ribbons etcInstructions – pupils choose an instrument and some streamers. Process around the woods making lots of noise. When you reach a note symbol, stop and offer a pupil a choice of music. Play that piece, have a dance and then continue around the woods.Or – Go on a musical journey outside with your playlist. You could go on spooky walks playing music as you go and trying to find some scary things on the journey - spider, ghosts, monster. Hide them beforehand or use toy animals.? Ice archaeologyResources – plastic take-out containers or margarine tubs, water, plastic mini beasts or creatures, small hammers or rocks, food colouring or paint (optional).Instructions – freeze a mini beast in a tray of ice the day before, you could colour the water to make it harder to see the creature. Take outside and break through the ice using the hammers to unearth the creatures.Shakers Resources – tins, plastic bottles or tubs, found small natural objectsInstructions – collect a variety of different natural objects and put into tubs and bottles to create shakers.Sand doughResources – sand, salt, plain flour, warm water, bowlInstructions – see separate instruction sheet for how to make (Sharepoint). Can be used instead of air-dry clay for some of the above activities including as an alternative to journey sticks, stick things found on your journey into the sand dough. Hide and seekResources – Big Macs/symbols etc, fabric (optional)Instructions – Pair up with another pupil. Use your communication device to say ‘Ready, steady, ‘go’!’ and one goes and hides (you could take fabric to hide under). Go find your partner. Ask ‘again’? and play again.Record SoundsResources – Big Macs or other recording devices.Instructions – Gather together and ask ‘What sounds can we find in the woods?’ Demo some – breaking twigs, crunching leaves. Split up and go and record one or more sound. Gather again (polytunnel?) and share the sounds you recorded.Music/Noise MakingResources – plastic bottles or tubs with lids, bags, drum (optional), Bluetooth speaker and linked music (optional)Instructions – Take containers to the woods and collect things that make different sounds e.g stones to bang, sticks to tap, things to shake in bottles/tubs. Spend time exploring and experimenting. Collect enough to share if possible. Gather in polytunnel or other area. Take it in turns to share your favourite noise maker – demo, start a beat or noise, everyone else copies in the circle. You could go fast, slow, loud, quiet. Choose a favourite instrument and accompany the drum – explore tempo and volume. Freestyle to world music on speaker. Accompany songs in a round e.g. ‘The river is flowing’.Sink or FloatResources - tub, water, found natural objects.Instructions - Fill a tub with water. Collect natural objects and experiment to see which sink and which float. You could make a poster of your findings. Frisbee/large ball golfResources - tubs/bowls, 2 sets of number markers, balls or frisbees.Instructions - In a large outdoor space, mark out numbered golf ‘holes’ using buckets or bowls. Mark numbered ‘tee off’ points. Start at number one tee off point and try to get your ball or frisbee into the number 1 ‘hole’ in as few throws as possible. Keep score. The player with the fewest points at the end is the winner. You can play at the same time as other players or play separately and compare scores later.Water pistol paintingResources - water pistols, water based liquid paint, card cut into large shapes or found objects, large paper (optional). You can also use bottles of spray paint (squirty bottles with watered down paint).Instructions - Fill water pistols with paint. Place card shapes or found objects on the playground floor or on large sheets of paper. Squirt the paint at and around the object or card shape. When you remove the card/object, you should be able to see an outline of the shape left behind. Follow my leaderResources – percussion instruments (optional)Instructions – choose a leader. They lead the way through the woods or round the playground. Everyone else has to follow their route and copy any actions or noises they make on the way. You could all carry bells, drums etc and bang/ring when the leader does.Make a mini worldResources – air dry clay or salt dough, rolling pin found natural objectsInstructions – Go for a walk and collect natural objects. Find a space to work and roll out some clay/dough. Create a mini garden or world by pressing the objects into the clay/dough. Make natural paintResources – different coloured natural things, sieve, egg yolk or oil or water, bowl, something to crush with (rolling pin or stick?), ground spices.Instructions – berries can be crushed through a sieve and mixed with a little water to create a water colour type paint. Experiment with different edible berries (don’t use poisonous ones in case they get licked). Try other substances – earth for browns, charcoal for black and ash for grey can be mixed with oil or egg yolk as can powdered spices. Dyes for fabric can also be made by boiling up plants e.g. beetroot, berries, onion skins, turmeric.Mix a spell (good for Halloween)Resources- a cauldron (or bowl), a stick and other things you find.Instructions – Decide what you want your spell to do. Maybe make up a spell rhyme (you could record it on a communication device) before you go. Take your cauldron and go outside and collect things to make your spell. Gather together with your ingredients and mix your spells. Add a bit of drama – you could bang symbols or blow bubbles as the spell takes effect.Decorate a class treeResources – natural objects or things made from natural materials e.g. cotton, sheep’s wool, metal etc.Instructions – pick a tree for your class. Label it as yours. Add a decoration each time you visit it. Use natural objects or things made from natural materials. Try not to use things containing plastic as these degrade, shed fibres etc. It could be a whole school activity.Create a denResources – sticks, fabric, tarpaulin or anything else you have available.Instructions – Build a den to hide, play or learn in. Change the roof to create different light effects and noises. You could make it out of natural things or use things you bring with you. Decorate it, maybe with a theme. Tell stories in there or celebrate religious or cultural festivals.Collect things to make a seasonal displayResources – natural objects that you find outside, PVA glue, card, any extra craft bits that you want to add.Instructions – EG – Autumn: make hedgehogs with leaves (which have been collected from the woods/in the community walks) and make a display using different colours of paints for Autumn and Winter with fingers and hands. If the weather is nice this can be done outside. Winter: make mini Xmas trees with bits of spruce branches, stick to card and decorate with scrunched up foil. Make a garland of pinecones, you could paint them, stick things to them or wind ribbon around them. Collect twigs, tie them together, display in a vase and decorate them.Firework ArtResources – A big sheet of paper (or lots joined together - dark colours are best), an A frame or strong cord/rope tied between two posts or trees?, string?, bottles of paint or pots with a hole in the bottom.?Instructions - Tie bottles of paint to the A frame/cord and swing between pupils sitting in a circle.? Paint will create crazy "firework" trails.RME outsideResources – assorted depending on your themeInstructions – Celebrate festivals outside. You could celebrate Wesak by building a shrine outside and offering flowers, lighting incense, chanting and using a singing bowl. Or Diwali – re-tell the journey of Rama as he sets off to rescue Sita from Ravana the demon king. Follow her trail of jewellery (baubles). Take bricks or other objects to build a bridge to cross the water to rescue her. Or build a Sukkah (sukkot) to celebrate the Feat of the Tabernacles. Making spidersResources – clay, twigs, thread (try to use a natural based thread rather than a plastic based one to prevent small plastic fibres making their way into the environment).Instructions - Make spiders using clay and twigs. Find the twigs and something for eyes then sing ‘Sammy the spider has 0 legs, then (pupil's name) added 1.....etc’ (Alice The Camel tune)?. You could also make a spider's web using thread in between the trees. Having the pupils throw the ball of thread between them can be fun (choose a friend).?Make a box monsterResources - A large cardboard box use something to make holes in it, e.g. a Philips head screwdriver. Instructions - Collect twigs, leaves etc and together poke the materials into the holes to create a creature. You could use something for eyes or just draw them on. Leave outside and your creature will be eaten up by the ground in time (make sure there is no plastic tape attached if leaving outside)!?Footprints/wheeltracksResources – flourInstructions – shake the flour over the ground and then have fun running, wheeling, stomping through it to create tracks.WhittlingResources – potato peelerInstructions – find a nice stick. Explore the texture and smell of it. Then use the peeler to peel the bark off it. Feel and smell how it has changed. You could decorate your stick, wrap string or wire around it, turn it into a wand, use it to hang things from.Litter pickResources – litter pick sticks, bags/buckets to put rubbish in.Instructions – Go out in the woods or the local community and pick up litter that you see. Try not to touch the litter except with the sticks – it could have germs on it or cut you. You could record what you have collected with photos or a check list.Build a nestResources – bowl or tubInstructions – explore and collect natural items to build a bird nest. Try to find something strong to give it structure, something to fill in the gaps to keeps the cold wind out, something soft to line it with. Use your senses to explore each thing that you find and if its suitable, decide how to use it in your nest. ................
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