Outdoor & Forest School
Outdoor & Forest School for 2nd
Practical resources for outdoor and Forest School-style learning — seasonal lesson plans, scavenger hunts, nature journals, outdoor maths, risk assessments, bushcraft progression. Built for schools with woodland access AND those with just a playground.
All resources
Autumn Outdoor Learning — Activity Pack
Six autumn outdoor activities for EYFS, KS1 and lower KS2. Leaf hunt, conker maths, weather diary, autumn sound map, fungi spotter, harvest sorting. Print, take outside, do.
Forest School Practitioner's Bookshelf
A curated reading list for primary teachers wanting to take outdoor learning more seriously — foundational books, practical activity guides, and the wider thinking on childhood and risk.
Forest School Without Woods — Playground & Field Adaptations
How to run Forest School-style sessions when your school has only a playground, a field, or a small green corner. Practical adaptations covering activities, kit and routines.
Nature Journal — Printable Templates
Five ready-to-print nature journal templates — one big drawing page, observation grid, weather diary, year-long tracker, and 'today I noticed' reflection page.
Outdoor Learning Risk Assessment — Pre-Session Checklist
A pre-session checklist for outdoor learning sessions — site, weather, participants, equipment, supervision and emergencies. Adapt and sign off before going out.
Outdoor Learning Skills — Progression Tracker (EYFS to Y6)
Year-by-year progression of outdoor learning skills — from EYFS gross motor through to Y6 fire safety and independent project work. For schools building a coherent outdoor curriculum.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Cards (6 themed sets)
Six themed scavenger hunts — find-by-colour, find-by-texture, find-by-shape, autumn hunt, minibeast hunt, urban-school hunt. Print, cut, give to pairs.
Spring Outdoor Learning — Activity Pack
Six spring outdoor activities — minibeast hunt, blossom counting, plant growth diary, birdsong listening, puddle survey, bud watch. EYFS to lower KS2.
Summer Outdoor Learning — Activity Pack
Six summer outdoor activities — pollinator survey, sun shadow clock, pond-dip basics, grass meadow zoning, water cycle in action, leaf shapes. EYFS to Y5.
Winter Outdoor Learning — Activity Pack
Six winter outdoor activities — frost detective, bare tree ID, tracks in snow, winter bird watch, shadow tracking, bark rubbings. Designed for cold-weather sessions of 20–40 minutes.
Bug Hunt & Minibeasts Identification Activity
A printable field guide for identifying common UK minibeasts found in school grounds — ants, woodlice, centipedes, earwigs, beetles, worms, slugs, and spiders. Includes tally chart, habitat log, and observational drawing sheets.
Outdoor Maths — Activity Cards
Eight outdoor maths activities — measure a tree, count seeds, perimeter of the playground, symmetry hunt, angle spotting, estimation walk, time-and-distance, leaf fractions.
Nature Journal Pages — Outdoor Learning Craft
Six printable nature journal pages for outdoor learning: leaf observation, minibeasts, weather, bird spotting, tree bark rubbings, and a free nature sketch page. Designed for KS1/KS2 forest school or science walks.
Nature Walk Observation Cards
32 observation prompt cards for guided outdoor learning walks — from noticing shadows and textures to identifying tree types and bird calls. Laminate and use outdoors all year. Cross-curricular: science, geography, art, and literacy.
Outdoor Maths Trails Pack — KS1 and KS2
Two sets of outdoor maths trail cards — one for KS1 and one for KS2. Children follow clues around the school grounds, solving maths problems they encounter along the way.
Seasonal Nature Journal Template
A four-season nature journal with drawing and writing prompts for each visit outside. Pupils record what they observe, hear, find, and notice changing across autumn, winter, spring, and summer.
Sounds of Our School — Outdoor Sound Walk Activity
A science and music outdoor activity — children go on a guided sound walk, categorising sounds as natural or man-made, close or distant, regular or irregular, and creating a soundscape map of the school grounds.
Cloud Spotting & Weather Prediction Outdoor Activity
A printable cloud identification guide and outdoor activity — naming cloud types, predicting weather from observations, and connecting meteorology to the science curriculum.
Outdoor Map-Making Activity — School Grounds
A guide for children to create their own maps of the school grounds — includes map keys, compass rose, scale estimation, and aerial view drawing. Develops map skills practically and builds spatial awareness.
Soil & Earthworms Outdoor Investigation
A complete outdoor science investigation into soil types and earthworm habitats — testing drainage, observing soil layers, counting earthworms per metre squared, and connecting findings to the science curriculum.
Symmetry & Patterns in Nature — Outdoor Maths & Art Activity
An outdoor maths and art crossover activity — children find examples of symmetry, tessellation, spirals, and repeating patterns in the natural environment and record them through sketching and photography.
Weather Observation Outdoor Learning Pack
A complete outdoor weather observation activity — recording sheets for temperature, wind direction, cloud types, and precipitation. Includes a class weather diary template and a guide to Beaufort scale wind observation.