Outdoor Classroom Day

We always look forward to Outdoor Classroom Day in Willow Lodge and this year was no exception. On Friday, 16 May, children and staff celebrated the day in true Willow Lodge style by taking all lessons and lunch outside!

The season’s mixed weather continued but that didn’t stop our intrepid outdoor learners. From Spanish on the playground to building dens and digging for dinosaur bones in Forest School, pupils embraced every experience. They even ventured beyond Willow Lodge to pick up litter around the school site; luckily, the rubbish bags weren’t too full when they returned!

A delicious barbecue lunch was a big hit with the children who enjoyed the novelty of a picnic style lunch under the canopy of trees in Forest School.

The mixed Forest School session was a particular highlight of the day when Infant 2 and Reception children played and worked together to build dens, hunt for bugs, dig in the garden and climb the tree ladder. 

Deputy Head of Willow Lodge, Hannah Gardiner, explained why Outdoor Classroom Day is so important. 

She said: “Our children spend time outdoors every day, whether that’s for Forest School, PE or running around the playground at breaktime but there is something particularly special about Outdoor Classroom Day when the whole school spends all day outside and we turn our fantastic grounds into our classroom for the day. 

“We see on a daily basis how spending time outdoors helps children develop new skills, grow in confidence and care for their surroundings and all of those things were evident in abundance today.”

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to inspire and celebrate outdoor play and learning. It aims to enhance engagement with learning, improve physical and mental health, and give children a better understanding of the environment.