We love teaching and making resources to promote enjoyment, motivation, and understanding for children and teachers with a particular passion for learning outside the classroom.
We love teaching and making resources to promote enjoyment, motivation, and understanding for children and teachers with a particular passion for learning outside the classroom.
This camouflage worm activity is great to teach your students the importance of camouflage in nature. It’s a very simple yet effective activity that clearly shows how animals are colored to suite their environment.
Teaching Guide:
Before the lesson cut lots of different colored wool into 10cm lengths. Hide the wool around your outdoor space.
Discuss what the word camouflage means and explain that they are going to look into what it is and why it’s important.
Tell the students that for the next 15 minutes (approx.) they are going to be birds on the hunt for some yummy woollen worms! Let them go outside and hunt as many of the woollen strips as possible.
Once you’re back in the class get the students to discuss what they discovered when trying to find the wool. Which colors were hard to find? What can this tell us about the color of animals which may live in that area?
If appropriate, get students to complete the question sheet to encourage them to think about what camouflage is and why it’s so important in nature.
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Dinosaurs and math. What’s not to love! For this activity your students will walk like dinosaurs as they draw different species footprints onto card using their scaling and measuring skills before cutting the footprints out, strapping it to their own feet, and walk like the dinosaurs.
This outdoor math activity is great if you’re looking at measuring, scaling up, and ratio.
Teaching structure:
Explain that they will be investigation the size of dinosaurs feet. Go through the Google Slides to help to introduce the activity.
Assign each student (or pair) a foot to go off and draw to scale either on card or on the playground using chalk (if you choose chalk on the playground you obviously can’t strap it to their feet!).
Give the students time to look at each others dinosaur feet and compare them.
This activity has two levels of differentiation.
Diff. 1: Students simply read the measurements and draw the foot.
Diff. 2: Students must first work out the true size by using the scale.
There is an extension sheet where they will figure out the body and leg length based on the size of footprint.
Enjoy outdoor learning? Check out our outdoor home learning pack!
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This activity gets students thinking about the materials used to build different items that you will find in your outdoor space. They will consider what material has been used and why that material is appropriate for the intended use as well as what other material could also be suitable to use. This investigation is perfect for your materials and their properties science unit. This pack contains two levels of differentiation.
Diff. 1: They will draw a picture, write what the item is used for and what material has been used.
Diff 2: They will draw a picture, write what the item is used for, the material is it made from, and the properties it needs to have. They will then consider other materials which would also be appropriate for the job.
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For this outdoor science investigation your students will become weather forecasters using only the clouds! Different kinds of clouds can give us a very good indication as to what weather is likely to follow. Your students will keep a record of the cloud types as well as the weather which follows for a few days / week before analysing their data to see if they can spot any patterns between the cloud types and the type of weather which follows.
This investigation is great if you’re looking at weather, forecasting, pattern spotting, and investigation skills. Before you start the investigation, explain that before modern weather forecasts many people would depend on their knowledge of the clouds to predict the weather and help to keep them safe.
Get the students to complete the table, recording the cloud types and the weather in the following days.
Once they’ve done this for a good amount of time (9 or 10 days) they can then look at their data and see if they can spot any relationships between the cloud types and the weather which followed.
Once they’ve analysed their data they can complete the investigation evaluation questions.
Extension - Get them to complete the research sheet to see if their results were correct.
Before you get the students to do their diary, it’s worth looking at the weather forecast to try and choose a period with varied weather.
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Woodland tracker is a great way to investigate which animals are sneaking around in your outdoor space or local woodland. It’s a great activity if you’re looking at observation skills or habitats and can be differentiated for all age ranges. For this practical science investigation students will mark out an area using sand or fine soil and leave it overnight before returning to see if they can spot and identify any animal tracks that have been left behind.
This can be done as a one off investigation or as an ongoing project where you could introduce different variables such as location, season or food.
Contents:
Teacher’s Guide
2 x Match The Tracks activity sheet and answers(US & British animals)
2 x Investigation Method worksheets
3 x Results Table
4 x Investigation Question Cards
2 x Evaluation Question Sheets
To further differentiate this activity, get students to carry it out multiple times choosing something to change. They can complete the investigation method sheet and questions to help guide them through this.
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This is a great outdoor experiment that demonstrates how the earth is kept warm enough for life (as well as global warming) through the greenhouse effect.
They will carry out an experiment comparing the difference in temperature between the air in a glass jar compared to the air outside of the jar. This demonstrates the effect the greenhouse gases have on the Earth.
They will go onto think about what happens when we add to the greenhouse gases and the effect this has on the Earth’s temperature.
**Equipment needed: **tall jar, 2 x thermometers, 2 x pieces of white card, timer, sunshine & an activity pack.
Teaching Structure:
Ask the students how they think the Earth is kept warm. Explain that there are gases in the atmosphere that trap the warming radiation in and keep the Earth warm.
Explain that they are going to demonstrate this process by looking how the air warms up in a glass compared to the air outside of the glass.
Get the students to complete the method sheet.
Place 2 pieces of white card on the floor in a sunny spot (to keep the floor variable the same).
Put the jar with a thermometer in on one piece of card and put the lid on (if the lid is opaque put the jar upside down). Place the other thermometer on the other bit of card.
Record the temperature of both thermometers at the decided intervals and record the results in the table.
Complete the discussion questions and evaluation sheet.
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This resource contains a whole years worth of outdoor homework challenges with one activity per school week. The challenges are cross-curricular and contain loads of fun and practical activities from art to geography. It’s a great way to encourage students and parents to enjoy the outdoor space.
All of these activities are designed so that they can be done in a garden or small outdoor space using equipment you’ll find around the home.
Check out our Outdoor Science Bundle
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Have you ever wondered what lurks beneath the soil? With this science investigation you’re about to find out as your students become geologists to investigate what is underneath a patch of land. They will look into classifying what they find before creating their very own soil explorer museum. It’s a great resource if you’re looking at rocks and soil, geological skills, history, as well as the classification of materials and animals.
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This outdoor science investigation teaches your students about the properties of materials as they plan, investigate, record, and evaluate the rate in which different items melt.
This investigation is perfect for that hot summers afternoon where you simply need to get outside on. Students compare items that melt and investigate if these items have a different melting rate. It’s perfect if you’re looking at states of matter or materials and their properties.
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This is a great cross curricular activity where students will create a video tour on the nature around your outdoor area. It’s perfect if you’re looking at script writing, living things (habitats, animals, etc.) and video making. This activity is best done in pairs or small groups.
Teaching Structure:
Explain to the students that they’re going to create a virtual video tour for nature around your outdoor space. Get them to complete the ideas sheet that encourages them to think about what they may want to include and how they will create the video. It can be good for them to walk around the outdoor space while doing this to help them get ideas.
Examples of things they could talk about: different habitats, trees, plants, animals, etc.
After this they will complete the script where they’ll write exactly what they are going to say and what video will be played during the audio. Once they’ve completed their script it’s time to film, record the audio, and edit it all together. These videos can be used in loads of different ways. You can create them into QR codes and put them up in your outdoor space, put them online, or simply share them with friends, family or other students.
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This activity looks at how plants and trees survive by dispersing their seeds which is a key aspect of the life cycle of plants. Your class will collect seeds and classify them based on the key dispersal definitions.
Teaching Structure:
Discuss what a seed is and why it’s important that they are dispersed. Explain that plants and trees have different seed dispersal tactics.
Go outside and collect as many different seeds as you can. This can either be done during the school day (it can make a great trip!) or set as a home learning challenge.
Put the class into small groups and give each group a set of the definitions. - Get the children to sort the seeds into the correct seed dispersal classifications. You can then take a photo or get them to draw the seeds onto the activity sheet and answer the questions.
As an extension, get them to design their own seeds with a chosen dispersal method.
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The space map is a great cross-curricular activity to get children to think about the size of the planets in relation to each other as well as the distances between them. Get children to create a line of planets using the planet sizes table by drawing them on chalk on the playground. If space is limited it is good to do the sun as a whole class due to the massive size! As an extension you can get the children to write in between each planet the distance it is away from the sun as well as any fun facts they can think of or find out.
This pack contains two planet sizes sheet; one with decimals and one without.
Equipment needed:
Resource pack
Chalk
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This video comprehension takes a look at water pollution and the impacts it has on the environment. Your students will watch a video where they will learn about what the water pollution is, what causes it, the environmental impact, as well as what we can do to help stop water pollution.
This pack contains 3 levels of differentiation as well as an extension activity where they will carry out further research to find 5 interesting facts about water pollution.
What is video comprehension?
Our video comprehension series is designed to facilitate the learning of those students who find reading tricky. It allows them to access the same level of learning without the need to read large amounts of information as they will watch a video on the topic rather than reading large amounts of text. We have found it especially helpful with our SEN students.
Each set is differentiated three times. With the first level of differentiation requiring them to simply circle the correct answers.
These worksheets work best if each student has their own device as they can re-watch parts of the video to find the correct answers. However if you don’t have one device per students or pair we have done this with great success by having the video on repeat on the board / tv at the front of the classroom.
These activities are also perfect for home and distance learning.
We are constantly expanding our range of video comprehension worksheets so be sure to check back frequently for new resources.
Check out our other video comprehension packs:
- Compost
- Ozone Depletion
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This video comprehension takes a look at the ozone layer and its depletion. Your students will watch a video where they will learn about what the ozone layer is as well as what is damaging it and the issues that this has on life on Earth before answering a set of questions about what they’ve just seen.
This pack contains 3 levels of differentiation as well as an extension activity where they will draw a diagram to show how the ozone layer works.
What is video comprehension?
Our video comprehension series is designed to facilitate the learning of those students who find reading tricky. It allows them to access the same level of learning without the need to read large amounts of information as they will watch a video on the topic rather than reading large amounts of text. We have found it especially helpful with our SEN students.
Each set is differentiated three times. With the first level of differentiation requiring them to simply circle the correct answers.
These worksheets work best if each student has their own device as they can re-watch parts of the video to find the correct answers. However if you don’t have one device per students or pair we have done this with great success by having the video on repeat on the board / tv at the front of the classroom.
These activities are also perfect for home and distance learning.
We are constantly expanding our range of video comprehension worksheets so be sure to check back frequently for new resources.
Check out our other video comprehension packs:
- Compost
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 video comprehension is all about the wonderful world of compost. Your students will learn what compost is and how it works, the importance of composting, as well as what we can and can’t compost.
This pack contains 3 levels of differentiation as well as an extension activity where they must write a persuasive letter.
What is video comprehension?
Our video comprehension series is designed to facilitate the learning of those students who find reading tricky. It allows them to access the same level of learning without the need to read large amounts of information. We have found it especially helpful with our SEN students.
Each set is differentiated three times. With the first level of differentiation requiring them to simply circle the correct answers.
These worksheets work best if each student has their own device as they can re-watch parts of the video to find the correct answers. However if you don’t have one device per students or pair we have done this with great success by having the video on repeat on the board / tv at the front of the classroom.
These activities are also perfect for home and distance learning.
We are constantly expanding our range of video comprehension worksheets so be sure to check back frequently for new resources.
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!
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?
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This Easter themed activity focuses on how animals have adapted to hide themselves in the wild. It looks at the importance of camouflage through a fun and practical activity.
Children will think of an outside location to hide their Easter themed picture before designing and shading the picture to make it as camouflaged as possible. Once they’ve finished they can go and hide their Easter themed picture and see if a friend can find their picture.
After the activity it’s a great opportunity to talk about the importance of camouflage and see if they can think of any animals that are really well camouflaged in the environment they live in. You could show some videos as examples.
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These dinosaur themed worksheets are designed to get children thinking about how animals camouflage themselves in the wild. It is a perfect topic starter or extension activity that your class are sure to love! I know mine did!
The children must color in the bugs to camouflage them against the background.
British and US spellings.
Have fun!
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This camouflage and mimicry word search is a great way to reinforce or introduce your topics key vocabulary. It’s great for morning work, filling activities, or early finishers as well as distance learning that you can set online! Your class will learn the key terms in no time.
Key Vocabulary:
Adaptation
Appearance
Behavior
Camouflage
Mimicry
Predator
Prey
Spots
Stripes
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This is a fantastic topic or project with links to living things, maths, art, and business. Your class will create their very own business selling seed bombs where they’ll need to create their business before making, advertising, and selling their seed bombs. It’s great if you can also find some space for them to test and use the seed bombs themselves.
This project is fantastic for developing team skills as well as making their learning relevant and meaningful.
**Teaching Structure: **
Read through the instruction sheet explaining that they are going to make a business selling seed bombs. Encourage them to think about the importance of local flowers and the benefits they have on the local wildlife.
Put the students into teams of 4 or 5 and get them to mind map their business ideas (name, who they’ll sell to, how they’ll advertise them etc.).
The following activities and worksheets can be taught in an order which suites you and your class best. Below we have split them into subject areas which best relate to the activities.
**Art / Design: **
Design a logo
Packaging design
**Science: **
Which Flowers: Research which native flowers would be good to include (you can collect or order seeds online).
Make the seed bombs by following the instructions.
Optional: Design their own seed bombs by changing or adding to the ingredients used. They can then re-write the instructions on how to make their own seed bombs. You could go a step further and get them to create a TV advert for their seed bombs.
**Literacy: **
Seed bomb instructions: Highlight the key features of the instructions.
My Seed Bomb instructions: Re-write the seed bomb instructions with their own unique ideas.
Advertisement: Students will create a poster for their seed bombs.
**Math: **
Cost and profits / sale prices: For these activity sheets students will work out how much it costs to produce the seed bombs, decide how much they will sell them for, and figure out their profits.
Sales Report: Students will keep a record of their sales, recording their profits on here.
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