We have been working with Year 4 children at Woodlands Primary and have had a fantastic time alongside the teachers and children exploring ways to take learning outdoors. Children have created a story called The Birthday Wish (that you can download for FREE here) that has inspired a series of potential designs by them for installations and sculpture that will inspire creative outdoor learning. They really engaged in the process and this video gives you a brief glimpse into the great fun, the learning and smiles that we all shared over recent weeks.
Project Summary
We are building an Eco Lodge at Woodlands Primary as a base for Forest School and outdoor learning activities. The centre will enable teachers and children to enjoy a wide range of learning experiences that enrich all aspects of the curriculum.
As part of the project we have been consulting with Year 4 about how we can link the Lodge, which is located at the front of the main school building with the rear of the school site, which is the vista enjoyed by most of the classrooms.
We started by exploring the values and ethos of the school and what skills and attributes are needed to become a successful 21st Century Learner. The children participated in lots of creative learning exercises (including Circus Skills as brain gym and Tai Chi and Reflexology as confidence and team building) and as a result started to make a story inspired by the school mascot (an Owl) that reflected the values of the school they considered the most important.
The characters from the story inspired 2 & 3D modelling and a collection of designs that could become the sculptural installations that are the focus of the outdoor learning. We introduced and used a variety of digital creativity tools such as filmmaking, green screen, animation, podcasting to support the consultation and learning process. The children explored and selected site locations and shared ideas for social and learning spaces that would be inspirational for children of all ages, teachers and parents.
The next steps will see the completion of the foundations and Eco Lodge enter its on site construction phase. We will also produce a series of final designs for the outdoor learning installations for the consideration of the school community and timeline this work for completion after the Easter break. Exciting times are ahead!