Utilising the natural environment and its resources is a wonderful way to explore personal and group learning themes.

By having a desired outcome in mind that has been stimulated through learning, group desire, corporate thinking models etc experiences within nature can be a wonderfully resourceful space to stimulate creative thinking, take risks, try new experiences and offer new skills.

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Education

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Curriculum learning and nature engagement supports learners to have hands-on and real life experiences that support connected learning. Whilst thinking-through-learning works for some learners, more and more we are seeing that learning can be best utilised through a more ‘whole-learning’ approach.

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Having purposeful and meaningful learning opportunities not only engages learners more fully, but provides them with tangible and real outcomes that can be experienced in real time and real environment, then reflected upon and taken back into the classroom to develop further.

Creative outdoor education supports everyone; it supports learners into having opportunities to show skills outside of the classroom, it supports Teachers and facilitators to think creatively; and supports health and wellbeing by its very nature of being outdoors.

 

Private; 1;1 and Small Groups

 

Individuals and groups can greatly benefit from being outdoors.

Working with individual needs as the preface for outdoor experiences is greatly rewarding and can provide a very rich canvas for new experiences. Here anything is possible when thinking creatively and being able to tailor towards specifics.

Through a base assessment of needs, the beginnings of a map can be created to stimulate a variety of skills and experiences that are tailored for the individual.

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As a one-off session, co-creating a rewarding experience is greatly advised to ensure that facilitators/family members/support workers etc are there for transition into and out of the session. Relationship and trust is key within this template and quite possibly a new environment, and this can take time to establish independently.

 

Building rapport, trust and relationship over time, infinitely adds to the recipe for what can be achieved through exposure to new experiences and new environments, and in my experience, this can take time and space to achieve.

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I would recommend a minimum of 6-8 weeks commitment be required to support opportunities to develop deeper learning skills and where needed; a more therapeutically informed space.

Ideas for engagement;

1;1 outdoor support for individual learning and development needs

Utilising EHCP funding to access a bespoke learning experience

Small groups; developing peer support, engagement and learning

 

Corporate/Business Groups

 

Taking teams outdoors can be greatly rewarding and enjoyable.

Team building, creative thinking and peer relationships can all be supported with nature as the backdrop within which to explore new ideas, tackle current issues and take time out together to restore, connect, and have fun outside of usual working environments.

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Stepping away from devices and paperwork and coming together in lighting a fire and sometimes sharing food, are age-old practices that naturally bring people back into an equally shared space with one another.

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Utilising natural resources and exploring practical outdoor skills are great ways for opening up to new ways of thinking, taking risks, sharing ideas and shifting perspectives that have the potential to support the team's current process.

 

With a clear ‘arrow of Intent’ as to how an outdoor day can serve you best, this will be the starting point for creating a day where teams can restore their shared sense of purpose whilst being supported by the natural world.