This is a great challenge to set as home learning, use for distance learning, or as a home holiday project. It will get your students outdoors and exploring and enjoying the nature around them. For this activity students must try to complete the photo challenge by getting a photo of all the things specified on the worksheet. This is a free version of a bigger resource. For more photo challenges and the digital version check out the other resource in our store. Check out our full photo challenge pack here.

This activity gets students thinking about the changes that happen between day and night. They will walk around your outdoor space drawing or writing things they can see in the day time. They will then think about what would be different at night. Is there anything they won’t be able to see? What new things do they think they’ll be able to see. They can complete the next section just through discussion, or find a time to go outside at night to complete the section. This could be done as a home learning project or on an overnight camp. This activity is great to get your little ones thinking about the different animals and their behaviors as well as beginning to understand how the earth moves around the sun. It’s also an excellent way to at develop their observation and comparison skills. Check out our ‘Day and Night’ cut and stick worksheet. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

For this activity students are challenged to make the same object both sink and float, encouraging them to think about why objects either sink or float, and then how it is possible that the same object can be made to both sink and float. This resource has two differentiated results sheets and questions: Diff. 1 – A simple question about the properties of items that sunk. **Diff. 2 – **A question to encourage critical thinking about how it is possible the same object can be made to both sink and float. A great follow up activity is to get your class to design and build a paper boat, seeing which boat is able to carry the most cargo without sinking. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also, be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

In this activity your class will go on a hunt to find and classify living things by simple criteria, for example, an animal with wings. They will record their observations by drawing the living thing on their record sheet. This is a great activity if you’re looking at animals and plants, or just as a fun way to get your little ones outside observing nature. This pack contains two levels of differentiation: Diff. 1: Students draw what they have found with simple criteria. Diff. 2: Students draw and write what they have found with slightly more complicated criteria. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

For this activity students will look at what makes something living or not. They will complete the table by going outside and drawing living things in the left column and non-living things in the right column. This pack has three differentiated levels. Diff. 1 – Drawing items in the table **Diff. 2 **– Drawing items in the table with an extension activity where they must circle the living things. Diff. 3 – Drawing items in the table with the extension question ‘What makes something living?’. This activity works well both individually or in pairs. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

This activity looks at the decomposition rate of both natural and man made objects. Students will give their predictions before placing the objects onto a large outdoor timeline. Teaching Structure: Draw a 0 - 1000 year timeline on the playground using chalk. Check students understand what decomposition is. Get students to collect a variety of natural and man made items from your outdoor space (this is also a great way to give your outdoor space a little tidy!). If there is not much rubbish, it’s useful to add the items from the list. Get students to share what they’ve collected and predict how long it will take each item to decompose. If wanted, they can complete their tables while doing this. Once they’ve made their predictions share the correct decomposition rates, get them to complete their table and place their objects in the correct place on the timeline. If you’d rather, you can use our item cards instead of the students collecting their own items. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also, be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

It’s time for your class to put their detective’s hats on and go on a mission to figure out who eats what. This resource is split into three differentiated activities, each of which involve your class finding animals and trying to figure out what it is through observation, any clues in the area, and prior knowledge. Contents: Teacher’s guide 3 x differentiated resource sheets Please don’t forget to rate this product and provide feedback if you enjoyed it. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

For this investigation students will take a close look at soil and the different properties of three samples that they will collect. They will investigate and compare / contrast how each soil sample reacts when it is covered in water, thinking of reasons as to why the water acts differently for each sample (structure, particle size, etc.). Your class will first go to collect three different soil samples in their jars and bring them back to the classroom to take a closer look and complete the sample sheet. They will then pour an agreed amount of water onto each sample (one at a time) and observe what happens, recording their observations on the experiment sheet. This experiment is best done in pairs or small groups. Each pair / group will need: Resource sheets 3 jars Shovel / trowel Measuring jug Water Magnifying glass / microscope (optional) Please don’t forget to rate this resource if you enjoyed it. Also, be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

The smell hunt is a great activity to get students exploring the wonderful smells nature has to offer. It’s perfect if you’re looking at our senses as part of the human body topic or descriptive writing and adjectives. Students will find and crush the leaves of plants or trees before letting their partner smell the leaves without letting them see them. Their partner must then see if they can find the same leaves based on what they smelt. For higher grade levels you can use small pots for them to collect and store the leaves in as well as completing the record sheet before swapping sheets with their partner. This resource contains optional differentiated activities sheets that can be used to support this activity and provide good curricular links. **Record sheet: **These sheets can be used for students to record the leaves they’ve collected and think of some adjectives to describe the different smells. Evaluation: These sheets get students to think of the science behind smells, diving deeper into how we smell the crushed leaves and why things have particular smells. The smell hunt is a great starter for our potion making resource. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

Develop your class’ report writing by getting them to observe nature in the world around them. They will head outside to find an animal to produce a report on, gathering their information through close observation and research. Once they have decided on their animal, they need to begin their research through observation, books, and the internet, recording their findings on the sheets. It is best if your students have access to magnifying glasses for this activity. When the research is complete, they can then write their report using the templates, or create their own unique design. It is good for students to go outside and capture their own photos to use within the report. Resources needed: Research sheets Differentiated template sheet Magnifying glasses Books / technology for research (optional) This resource can work well in pairs where students are able to support one another. Please don’t forget to rate this resource if you enjoyed it. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

This is a great activity around Halloween, if you’re looking at living things, or just as a fun team building / problem solving outdoor activity. Your students will hunt out and take a close look at a spider’s web before working as a team to create their own human web using string or wool. First, get your class to find a spider’s web (ideally with a magnifying glass) and draw a picture of it on the sheet, looking carefully at the small details. Once they have completed the sheet, give each group (of 3 or 4) some string / rope and scissors and ask them to go find two trees or posts that are close to each other. They will use the trees / posts to create their human webs, thinking carefully about the design of the spider’s web they looked at. Once they have finished they can draw their web or take a picture and stick it on the sheet. It can be useful to give your class a lesson on simple knots before doing this activity. Equipment: 2 x human web sheets Magnifying glasses String / rope Scissors Camera (optional) **Check out our other outdoor Halloween resources: ** My Magical Potion Magical Masks Please don’t forget to rate this resource if you enjoyed it. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

This animal observation record is designed to be used either outdoors or when looking at live webcams. Students will look closely at both the physical and behavioral characteristics of the animas over a period of 3 or 5 days and record what they see on the observation sheets. It fits in really we if you’re looking at adaptations or camouflage and mimicry. This is also a great science investigation or fun home earning project for students. This resource contains three different levels of challenge. If doing this activity outside it’s important to choose an animal that’ll still be there when they return for the other observations. Good animals to observe outside: Birds with a nest Spiders in webs Ant Nests Animals in ponds Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store Saving The Teachers and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

Bird hunts are great fun and easy to do. Print out the sheet for your students to take into your outdoor space and mark off the birds as they find them. It’s great if you can provide binoculars so they can spot the birds from a distance. This resource contains sheets for both American and European birds. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

This activity is all about students exploring different textures in the world around them. Don’t be afraid for students to get muddy for this activity! Explain to your class what the word ‘texture’ means and that they will be exploring all sorts of different textures in your outdoor space. Give them the table and go through each texture, giving them a chance to check they know the meaning of each one. Once they are ready, wearing clothes that can get a bit wet and muddy, get them to go outside and try to find each of the textures in the table, drawing or writing down their findings. Diff. 1 – Textures are already filled in on the table. Diff. 2 – To give students more of a challenge, they can fill in different textures they can think of before heading outside. For students who need more support, this activity can be done in small groups with adult support. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

Exploring what hides in the depths of the trees is a great way to look at habitats, classification and living things as well improving observation skills and sparking their interest in science and the world around them. Get a large white cloth or tarpaulin and lay it out underneath a tree with branches you can reach. Shake the branches for several seconds. Students can now find and observe the different mini-beasts that have fallen from the tree. It’s great if you’re able to provide microscopes and magnifying glasses to take a closer look. The students can keep a simple record of what they’ve discovered on the record sheets. Extension activities: Older students could do some report writing on one of the mini-beasts they found. Equipment needed: Large white cloth / tarpaulin Record sheets Magnifying glasses (optional) Microscopes (optional) Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also, be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

For this activity students will head outside and explore the natural colors around them. They will use natural objects to color the Christmas themed pictures by rubbing them onto the paper. Encourage students to experiment with different items. It can be more effective if the students crush the natural items before doing the rubbing. This is a lovely activity for the end of term and can make a great Christmas themed display for your classroom. You could also make their rubbings into Christmas cards to send home. Check out our Christmas Literacy Challenge here. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store Saving The Teachers and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

Get your students involved with this drawing scavenger hunt where they’ll head outside to see if they can find and draw all the items on the sheet. It’s great if you’re looking at your local area, wildlife, and observation skills. You can also use this activity to help introduce habitats. This resource contains a few different activity sheets that allow you to differentiate based on the things they are required to find. It’s great if you can have a discussion about the scavenger hunt after they’ve completed it. What did they enjoy drawing the most? What did they find exciting to see? What were they surprised they saw? Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

For this cross-curricular (science and math) activity your students will create a map of where to find different plant species in a chosen area. In order to draw the map, your class will use appropriate equipment to measure the different features of the area, working out the perimeter and area of each feature. They will then use technology and books to identify the plants they can spot and mark it on their maps. In order to provide enough resources, this activity is best done in pairs or small groups. Resources needed per group or pair: Activity pack Trundle wheel (or equivalent) iPads or tablets (for a plant identification App) Plant identification books or posters Please don’t forget to rate this resource if you enjoyed it. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

A guide for birds commonly found in the North American woodlands & gardens. Laminate these sheets and take them with you when heading outside or keep a set accessible for students to use as they wish. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!

The sound map is a great way to get students listening to the sounds around them as they investigate this fascinating topic with good links to measuring, compass work and estimation. They will choose a spot in your outdoor area to sit then mark on the sounds they can hear in relation to them (with them being in the middle of the sheet) by drawing or writing on the activity sheet. Encourage students to think carefully about how far away they think the sounds are and mark them on the sheet accordingly. You can also look at bearings by getting students to mark on the estimated distances on their map. You can even give each child a compass so they can also mark on the bearings of each sound. Please don’t forget to rate this resource to let us know what you think. Also be sure to visit my store Saving The Teachers and FOLLOW ME to see my new products and hear about upcoming sales!