Outdoor Learning Practitioner Award OLP Unit: Outcome 2: Understand the learning opportunities available in outdoor learning 2.2: Describe how outdoor learning can benefit individuals

The benefits of outdoor learning  Cover curriculum subjects in engaging & novel ways  Increase physical activity of all participants  Improve specific skills and give opportunity to develop life long learning interests  Introduce new areas of learning not previously experienced  Engage children in a positive way with local natural environments

Benefits also include…..  New opportunities to succeed within peer group  Builds new practical skills including appropriate risk taking (its fun and enjoyable!)  Is often purposeful, outcome related & rewarding  Promotes social skills  Builds resilience, creativity & problem solving skills

Nature needs children Less than 10% of children regularly play in natural spaces (Natural England 2009) Poverty places limits upon children’s opportunity to access outdoor spaces (Thomas Thompson 2004) Environmental memory cannot be formed without environmental experience (RSPB 2011) People who feel connected to their local natural environments are more likely to change their behaviour out of concern for the environment (Mayer and Frantz 2004)

Outdoor Learning Practitioner Course What are we going to be doing? Being active learners Learning new / improving our practical skills in the outdoors Improving our skills base for using OL in delivering the curriculum Learning how to start developing grounds to provide a rich resource for OL Learning about our natural environment Getting new ideas, being creative, making achievable plans. Putting ideas into practice Having fun! Networking with other like minded professionals Using the expertise of the tutors to get advice for your setting