Outdoor learning

What do children learn outdoors?

Outdoor learning is essential to child development and can be hard to come by – particularly in the city. All children at N spend time outside every day, taking part in a wide range of stimulating activities from water play and planting, to making dens and visiting the local fire station.

Physical health

Our outdoor spaces are designed just as imaginatively as our indoor ones, providing the perfect backdrop to inspire activities such as climbing, balancing, riding, playing ball games and completing obstacle courses. Children also learn key skills such as navigating uneven surfaces, running safely on their whole foot, squatting with steadiness, throwing and kicking balls, and even using tools and racing!

Environmentalism

We encourage our children from a young age to take a keen interest in the environment. Many of our outdoor areas include planting stations and vegetable patches, where children learn to care for their world, and even grow their own food.

The natural world is a core part of our learning and children regularly conduct scientific investigations into seasonal patterns, weather and the many changes that can be observed in the world around us. This is underpinned by our Forest School sessions, where we learn all about plants and other living creatures with activities such as building bug hotels and collecting natural materials, plus some key survival skills like cooking outdoors and den building.

As children grow in their understanding of the natural world, it gives them the opportunity to explore the ways that we can protect and preserve our environment. Children are introduced to the impact of climate change and encouraged to feel passionately about their global responsibility and the positive actions they can take to reduce their carbon footprint.

Community

As part of our cultural programme, the N passport, all children at N have the opportunity to experience some of the essential parts of life in the city. As well as theatre trips and tube rides, this also includes day-to-day experiences in the local community such as buying fruit from a local market or greengrocer, posting letters and visiting some friendly faces at the fire station.