Outdoor Learning

Last week’s groups revisited the suncatcher activity. They proudly remembered how their suncatchers needed to be placed in the freezer, as the colder outdoor temperatures weren’t quite enough to freeze them. It was wonderful to see the children’s reactions—full of awe and wonder—as they observed the change from a liquid to a solid. The children then took their suncatchers outside to test them in the sun, noticing the drips as the ice began to melt. This sparked thoughtful discussion, linking back to our hot and cold water investigation, with the children recognising that the warm water suncatchers had frozen more clearly.

We’ve had a few rainy days recently, but that didn’t stop the learning—in fact, it made it even more exciting! 

Outside, the children were fascinated by the rain droplets on the ground, which they described as making “circles.” This provided a lovely learning moment, as Mrs Britton introduced the correct scientific word: ripples. The children eagerly used their new vocabulary while observing the puddles.

Next, it was time for a hands-on gardening activity—creating a wormery! The children followed simple, short instructions and worked together to collect soil using trowels. They added sand and fine gravel, discussing why different materials were needed. We then talked about where worms might live, spotting worm holes in the soil before carefully digging. The children were reminded to collect soil underneath the worms so they could be handled safely and gently. There were lots of gasps and smiles—the children were truly in awe!

The worms were carefully placed into the wormery, and each child chose a leaf to place on top to finish their creation.

To round off the experience, the children shared what they had done with the rest of the class. They showed growing confidence speaking in front of others and did a fantastic job recalling key words and steps from the activity.

A wonderful example of learning through play, nature, and curiosity—even on a rainy day!