Outdoor Learning Disclaimer

Outdoor areas provide great opportunities for play and learning, but always check for any environmental risks
before taking part in outdoor activities, and only proceed if it is safe to do so. Ensure children always wash their
hands after being outside. Please be respectful of nature and take care of animals and plants. We will not be
held responsible for the health and safety of those participating in activities and cannot accept any liability. By
organizing or participating in any activity described, you acknowledge that it is the responsibility of supervising
adults to ensure the safety of children in their care.

Physical Activity
Resource Disclaimer
The physical activity contained within this resource may not fit your specific situation. It is your responsibility to
decide whether to carry out the activity and, if you do, to ensure that the activity is safe for those participating. You
are responsible for carrying out proper risk assessments on the activities and for providing appropriate supervision,
including changing the activities as appropriate. We are not responsible for the health and safety of your group or
environment, and we cannot accept liability for any loss suffered by anyone undertaking any activity referred to or
described in this resource. It is also your responsibility to ensure that you or the organization you are organizing it
for has the relevant insurance to carry out the physical activity. If you are unsure in any way, we recommend that
you take guidance from a suitably qualified professional. By using this resource, you acknowledge that it is the
responsibility of supervising adults to ensure the safety of children in their care.

Sensory Resource Disclaimer

Sensory activities can engage children in their play and learning, but supervising adults should check for allergens
and assess any potential risks (such as the risk of choking from small objects) before the activity and only proceed
if it is safe to do so. We cannot be held responsible for the health and safety of those participating and cannot
accept any liability. By using this resource, you acknowledge that it is the responsibility of supervising adults to
ensure the safety of children in their care.

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 Painting With Water

Materials:

• Paintbrushes in different sizes.

• Water.

Directions:

This art activity is a simple exploration

invitation. Provide the paintbrushes
and a water source, and let them
explore painting with water. In this
activity, there is no final product. They
can paint rocks, trees, leaves, etc.,
and then reflect on what happens
when they paint.

Reflections Questions
1. What things change color with water?
2. Which things don’t change color with water?
3. Talk about how long the watermarks stay.
4. What might this be useful for in the forest?
5. What is this not useful for in the forest?

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 Pattern Making With Natural Materials

Materials:

• Loose forest materials.

• Photos of nature patterns (optional).

Directions:
This activity can be as simple or as complicated as
you need it to be for your children. The simplest version
is to collect loose materials from the forest, find a flat,
clear place and create patterns with the materials.
Starting with simple lines of patterns and moving up to
circles and more intricate designs. This activity pairs well
with a study of nature artists or transient art styles. This
activity works well as an independent practice or group
or partner time. It is very flexible based on what you
need for your children. This is also a great time to talk
about the meaning of transient or nonpermanent art.

Reflections Questions
1. How might you feel differently about the world after creating these patterns?
2. What do you notice about the patterns you made and the patterns you observe
around you?
3. Which part of this activity was the most interesting to you?
4. Describe how you felt about this activity.
5. How would you extend this activity?

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 Rock Towers and Structures

Materials:

• Stones of different shapes and sizes.

• Pieces of wood or sticks in different sizes and shapes.
• Timer.

Directions:
For this activity, children can collect rocks and sticks before they begin. During this activity,
it is fun to experiment with different versions.
Consider making the activity silent and adding a timer to help set boundaries. Also, consider
independence vs. working in pairs.
1. Start with a simple rock/cairn building. Ask the children to see how many rocks they can
stack. The adult may choose an example or let them explore and interpret the instructions.
Encourage children to work independently and silently to build a cairn.
2. Next, ask them to make a more specific carin with one rock stacked on the other.
3. Now that they have had some independent practice, ask them to work in pairs to build
their cairn.
4. For the final version, have them continue to work in pairs or small groups. Ask them to build a
structure with “floors” or “bridges.” Now, they can use sticks, bark, or other found materials to
accomplish their natural structure. It is a wonderful lesson in team-building and helps children
practice self-restraint and control.

Reflections Questions
1. How does size affect the balance?
2. Which parts were challenging?
3. How could you use this in the forest?
4. What did you observe during this activity?
5. Which version of this activity did you enjoy the most? Why?

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 Drawing In Dirt

Materials:

• Various sticks.
• Dirt or soil.

Directions:
Have the children collect sticks and other forest
objects; and use them for mark-making. Each child will
need three to five different objects. Show the children
how to clear a space on the ground. Next, encourage
the children to make drawings using their objects.
This activity is perfect for independent, open-ended
experimentation. In addition, use it to practice writing
or drawing techniques.

Reflections Questions
1. How did the different objects make different types of marks?
2. Which of the found objects was your favorite to use? Why?
3. What might happen if you used this in the woods to send a message?
4. Why do you think different objects leave different kinds of marks?
5. What is different about drawing in the dirt vs. drawing on other surfaces,
like paper or whiteboards?

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 Texture Rubbings

Materials:

• Paper.
• Tape (optional).
• Crayons (rectangular or thick ones are best).
• Nature.

Directions:
Explore nature and take rubbings of different things. To make a rubbing, lay the paper
over something, for example, a leaf, and rub the crayon over the paper to reveal the
shape and entails of the object below. Children can do rubbings of bark, leaves, flowers,
rocks, and anything else they find. Different textures, shapes, and sizes can make this
activity more interesting. They can also experiment with layering different rubbings
on top of each other on the same piece of paper. These artworks create a beautiful
display or work well as journal covers.

Reflections Questions
1. Which rubbing was your favorite?
2. Describe how different textures appeared on the rubbings.
3. What are two things that you noticed about the rubbings?
4. Compare two rubbings of different objects.
5. What surprised you about this activity?

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 Nature Self-Portrait Activity

Materials:

A selection from the following list:

• Sticks and twigs.
• Stones of different sizes and shapes.
• Leaves of different colors, shapes, sizes, and textures.
• Flowers or petals.
• Conkers, chestnuts, or acorns.

Directions:
Begin by collecting the different materials. The adults can tell the children why and how
they will be using the materials, or they can ask to select a wide variety of materials. It
can be helpful to have a basket for this activity so children can contain their collected
objects. Next, clear a flat space for their creation. Now, ask the children to create a
self-portrait using their collections. Remind the children that this activity is fun and the
portraits will not be perfect. After everyone has completed their portrait, encourage
the children to look at the other portraits.

Reflections Questions
1. What is similar or different about the other portraits?
2. What did you find challenging about this activity?
3. How do the material’s shapes, sizes, and textures help create the details?
4. Explain why you chose particular objects for specific parts of your portrait.
5. Describe how you went about creating your portrait.

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Magical Creatures Art and Storytelling

Materials:

• Found natural objects.

• A flat, clear space.
• Imagination.
• Timer.

Directions:
Children should collect natural objects in their learning environment for this activity.
Ask them to find a flat, clear spot on the ground. Prompt them to create a magical
creature out of the materials they found. Use a timer for this portion to help set an
ending point. After all the magical creatures are complete, have each child tell a short
story about their magical creation. For the final step, come together as a group and tell
a collaborative story incorporating all the different creations.
Bonus: Take pictures of the magical creatures and make a classroom book with the
different stories.

Reflections Questions
1. What were you thinking about as you created your art piece?
2. How did you decide which materials to use for the different parts?
3. Compare and contrast telling a story individually and as a group.
Which did you prefer?
4. Describe one of the other magical creatures. What made it unique?
5. Think about your favorite creature and your favorite story from this activity.
Are the two the same? What makes them your favorite?

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 Clay Faces

Materials:

• Clay.
• Collected natural objects.
• Trees.

Directions:
This art prompt is a simple open-ended art idea that
only requires one extra material besides collected objects.
Give each child some clay to experiment with. Demonstrate
how to press it into a tree so that it creates the face of
the sculpture. Next, children can add different objects to
make a face. Have the students walk around and see each
other’s different creations. Try this with naturally dug clay/
mud combinations if the outdoor area has that available.
Using these natural materials for this project also makes it
temporary. It might wash away with rain.

Reflections Questions
1. How would you feel seeing one of these faces in the woods?
2. What do these faces remind you of? Compare two different faces.
3. What did you like about this activity? What did you find challenging about this activity?
4. How do you feel knowing this artwork might wash away?
5. Think about and reflect on how people hundreds of years ago used these materials.

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 Nature Walk Bracelet

Materials:

• Sticky paper.
• Collected natural objects.
• Tape or stapler.

Examples:

• Color walk: Find objects of one color.

• Texture walk: Find objects that are
a specific texture.

Directions:
This activity can be as simple or as complex as it needs to be for your group. Children
can use a strip of sticky paper to make a bracelet. Secure the paper with tape or staples.
Collect objects as the group takes a nature walk. Add each thing they find to the sticky
paper around their wrist. To make the activity more complex, pair it with specific directions.

Reflections Questions
1. Which object stayed easily on the bracelet?
2. Which objects did not stick?
3. Do you prefer this activity to be open-ended, or do you prefer it to have a specific
type of object to collect?
4. How did it feel to wear natural objects?
5. Which of the different found objects is your favorite? Describe the object using color,
texture, and size.

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 Make a Rainbow

Materials:

• Natural materials in different colors.

Directions:
This activity works exceptionally well in
autumn. Have children gather natural
materials in different colors. See if everyone
can work together to create a rainbow using
different materials. Try this activity individually,
with partners, or in groups. This is a great
activity to practice cooperation. Try making
it a silent activity and see how the children
work together without talking.

Reflections Questions
1. How did it feel to do this activity independently vs. with a partner?
2. Did you enjoy collecting the materials? How might this activity be different
in a different season?
3. How did you feel about not being able to speak during this exploration?
4. What other things could you create with the materials you gathered?
5. What surprised you about the materials you used?

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