Science under the sky: why learning outdoors is good for you

Doing experiments outside makes science fun as well as educational — far better than being cooped up in a stuffy classroom! Plus the weather isn’t just a pretty backdrop — it can become part of the experiment. MetMatters asked Penny Fletcher and Sai Pathmanathan, authors of A Creative Approach to Teaching Science Outdoors, about the benefits of learning outside and their favourite weather-related activities.

First up – can you tell me a little bit about your book?

A Creative Approach to Teaching Science Outdoors (ACATTSO for short!) is a practical guide to teach physics, chemistry and biology outside the classroom. We wanted to provide an accessible range of activities that help children to meaningfully engage with the natural world as a way to nurture their scientific thinking, knowledge, and creativity. The book is aimed at primary educators and includes a curriculum map covering all UK curricula. We wanted ACATTSO to be different to other outdoor learning books, in that while it is all about science it’s about so much more than just wildlife and ecology. So we have included a wide range of outdoor science games and experiments covering physics, chemistry and biology curriculum topics.

Why do you think learning outdoors is better for children?

Spending time outdoors is good for all of us and there’s so much evidence that it has a positive effect on children’s learning and also on their mood and behaviour. Running simple and fun science activities and experiments outdoors offers children opportunities to explore and develop their investigative skills far more than when they’re sitting writing at a desk. It helps them engage and connect with their local environment and to understand that science is truly ‘everywhere’. 

How can different types of weather make outdoor science experiments more exciting or challenging? Have you had any memorable weather-related moments?

Weather and its effects are such a big part of experiencing and observing the outdoors. There are lots of activities in our book that are linked to weather, and all of them have the potential to be made more exciting (or indeed challenging) by the weather. 

Penny - I remember running a worm-charming challenge during an extra dry summer with some year 2s. They were using their feet and musical instruments to make lots of noise on some bare (and very dry and dusty) soil to ‘charm’ the worms out by pretending to be rain. The children marched around bashing instruments for ages and didn’t see one worm! The worms were too smart I think and stayed where the moisture was…

Sai - One thing comes to mind: when I take year 1s outside to do activities with water, inevitably there are always a few children that spill water onto their uniform. They do stare at the wet patch on their clothes for a bit like "woe is me", "this is going to be wet forever", which leads quite nicely onto teaching them about evaporation and even the water cycle...might be early for them to learn about it, but it fits in. And it's a chance to discuss why they feel cool as the water evaporates. On a warm day, they're dry really quickly and soon forget all about it!

Our book also features Poohsticks — it always seems to rain whenever we run that activity — just when you need the water to be still and calm! It’s challenging for us but the kids love it, they look up and "taste" the rain!

What are some fun and simple weather-related experiments from your book that children (and adults) can try outside?

Our Rainsavers activity is a simple and fun activity that encourages some healthy competition while also highlighting how much water we all use and how we can harvest rain to use instead of tap water. And our Ice to see you activity is a simulation of sea ice melting and sea levels rising as climate change affects global temperatures. It can be run as a class demonstration that leads into a discussion and other activities on climate change, changing weather patterns, and the impact on life on planet Earth.

You can download Penny and Sai's Rainsavers and Ice to see you activities on the link below. Perfect for half-term or holidays!

Sample activities from A Creative Approach to Teaching Science Outdoors