Outdoor Learning
At Coggeshall Road Therapeutic Provision, we are passionate about promoting a deep connection between learners and the natural world. Our outdoor learning program offers a wide range of inspirational outdoor experiences designed to foster holistic growth, confidence, and self-esteem through regular engagement with nature.
Commitment to Outdoor Learning
We are committed to outdoor learning as a powerful tool for holistic development. Our outdoor learning sessions provide opportunities for learners to grow socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and intellectually. By creating a safe and non-judgmental environment, we encourage learners to explore, take risks, and learn from their experiences. This approach helps them understand that risks are a natural part of life and that overcoming them leads to personal growth.
Building Confidence and Resilience
Outdoor learning is more than just outdoor education; it inspires a deep and meaningful connection to the natural world and helps learners understand their place within it. Through hands-on activities and problem-solving, learners build self-belief and resilience, gaining the skills to tackle real-world challenges. This approach supports the development of healthy, resilient, creative, and independent individuals.
Outdoor Learning Activities
The natural world offers countless opportunities for learning, and our activities are designed to cultivate creativity, teamwork, and a love for the environment. Here are some examples of outdoor learning activities linked to the outdoor learning approach:
- Cooking on an open fire
- Creating woodland nests for birds
- Building dens, shelters, bridges, and sculptures
- Collecting colors from nature
- Engaging in mark-making exercises using natural materials
- Designing a woodland assault course for squirrels
- Hunting for minibeasts in trees, bushes, and deadwood
- Creating bug hotels
- Planting trees, laying hedges, and maintaining ponds
- Climbing trees and building fires
- Listening to the heartbeat of trees (sap-rising)
- Examining the shape, scent, sound, and surface of various trees
- Creating nature art
- Participating in a forest scavenger hunt
- Using a range of different tools for various tasks
These activities are not only fun but also educational, helping learners develop a deep appreciation for the environment while building essential life skills.