With spring weather on its way, you may want to consider incorporating outdoor learning activities into your instruction. There’s just something about heading outdoors on a nice day instead of being cooped up inside. If you’re looking for exciting new ideas, check out the list of outdoor learning activities below.
Math & Literacy Jenga Review Game
20 Outdoor Learning Activities for Elementary Students
1. Nature Pictographs
Use nature’s elements to create a pictograph. To do this, you can have your students hunt for different colors of leaves or flowers. Then, graph out how many your students found using a chalk graph that represents the types of items and the number of items found. This is a great way to help your students practice graphing data using real-world elements.
2. Spelling Hopscotch
This spelling-themed twist on hopscotch allows you to incorporate movement as your students gain extra spelling practice. To play, create your usual hopscotch board and then have students toss a rock and hop their way to that spot. Have a spelling list ready with one vocabulary word listed for each number.
If your student lands on number 8, give them the spelling word listed beside the number 8 on your paper and ask them to spell it.
Another fun way to practice spelling outside is to create a grid on the sidewalk with 26 boxes featuring the letters of the alphabet. Have students hop on the letters to spell out each word.
3. Leap and Measure
Grab your students, some measuring tools, and some chalk, and then head outside. For this measurement activity, you’ll need to draw a line on the ground with chalk or find something to mark the starting point. Then, have each of your students leap as far as they can. Have your student grab a ruler, yardstick, or other measuring tool and take turns measuring how far each student jumped.
This is such a fun way to practice using measurement tools. Have your students record the distances in their notebooks and then work together to create a line plot with all of the student data using chalk.
4. Equation Relay Race
Line up students into two or three teams. Set up an obstacle course with bins labeled ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’ at the end of the course. Display an equation with multiple-choice answers for the students at the front of the line.
Students will need to quickly solve and run towards the correct letter bin to toss their beanbag. Make the race a bit more challenging (and fun) by adding hula hoops to jump through, cones to run around, and other obstacles before they reach the answer bin. Students will return to the back of the line and the new line leader will solve the following equation.
5. Nature Point of View Writing
There are so many exciting things in nature. Why not allow our students to write pretending to be them? Allow your students to choose things in nature such as a bird, a tree, or something else, and then write a paragraph from that thing’s point of view. This fun twist on point of view will allow your students to let their creativity shine.
After they finish, have your class read their writing to the class. Then, have the class guess what object each student wrote about.
6. Nature Figurative Language Poem
Many poets have written about nature. Now it’s your students’ turn to give it a shot. Have your students write a figurative language poem about the nature that exists all around them. Encourage them to include as many examples of figurative language in their poems as possible.
Consider providing an example so that your students have an idea of what to expect when writing their nature figurative language poem. You could also assign your students a specific type of poem or rhyme scheme to follow.
7. Figurative Language Photos
If your class has iPads, encourage them to become nature photographers. Take them on a walk around the school property and have them take photos of things they see in nature.
Afterward, have your students create a PowerPoint containing their photos. Underneath each photo, have your students write figurative language sentences. Allow them to present their slideshows to the class.
8. Outdoor Map
Similar to geocaching but on an elementary level, let your students create an outdoor map of how to find a hidden object. They’ll need to add compass directions to their map to help point the person looking in the right direction. Students can put their maps to the test by switching with another group and searching for the hidden object.
9. Outdoor Vocabulary Sort
Bring learning to the playground with this sorting activity. To play, give each team a set of colored index cards. Each index card will have a fill-in-the-blank sentence with a missing spot for the vocabulary word. Place a poster for each vocabulary word around the playground. Have students stick their cards onto the correct posters. (By giving each team a different colored set of index cards, you’ll know which team added cards to which poster.)
10. Leaf Equations
Have students create picture equations with leaves! They will use different shaped leaves to represent each number and record their equations on the sidewalk using chalk.
EX: Green Leaf + blue leaf = 6
6 – blue leaf = 4
What is the value of the green leaf?
Each group will walk around trying to solve each others’ equations.
11. Hula Hoop Venn Diagram
Your students will love creating a life-sized Venn Diagram using hula hoops. Print off similarities and differences between two topics (ideas: comparing characters, animals, etc.), and then have your students sort out the facts and place them in the correct place on the Venn Diagram.
12. Nature Journals
Think about the skills your students are working on each week and allow them to take time to write about nature using those skills. Spend 15 minutes outside with your class and give them a prompt involving that skill.
Here are some ideas on how you can incorporate grammar and literacy skills into your nature writing journals:
Write an adjective-rich paragraph about nature
Write 5 complex sentences about flowers
Describe how a bird flies using adverbs
Use character traits to write from a squirrel’s perspective
Write a story about nature using this week’s vocabulary words
List 10 compound words related to nature
Write a poem about trees using similes and metaphors
13. Body 2D Shape Formation
This activity provides shape practice with a twist! Have your students work in groups to create shapes by using their bodies. Have them try to make a quadrilateral, hexagon, octagon, and other shapes by lying in the grass and working together to form different shapes.
14. Giant Jenga Outdoor Game
This giant Jenga outdoor game is a fun twist on a kid favorite! With a giant set, you can set up outdoor Jenga on a flat area of grass or the sidewalk outside of your classroom.
This giant Jenga outdoor game is perfect not just for play but as a review tool too. I created these Jenga math and literacy review game cards for students to use while they play. Each card contains a question related to different math and literacy skills. On each student’s turn, they must draw a card and answer the question before they are allowed to move a block.
Math & Literacy Jenga Review Game
Make test prep/testing season FUN and hands-on for your 3rd-4th grade students with a Jenga Review game! This bundle includes Math and Grammar task cards.
15. Reading Picnic
Grab some blankets and books and head outside for a reading picnic. You could even do a class read aloud outside. Either way, reading outside is a fun way to soak up the sunshine while encouraging positive reading habits.
16. Chalk Spelling
Chalk is a fun way to take spelling practice outdoors. Call out spelling words and have your students write them on the pavement with chalk. Walk around while students are writing to offer tips and suggestions or take note of which students may need more practice.
17. Sidewalk Scoot
Grab your chalk again and write a few different equations around the area where your class will be working. Assign each student (or pair) an equation and have them scoot their way around to each problem. Have them answer each equation in their notebook. Once you’ve returned to the classroom, you can review the equations.
18. Find the Product
Using chalk, draw a box on the sidewalk. Inside of the box list several products of multiplication problems. For example, 16, 21, 25, 32, 40, etc. Then, call out a multiplication equation. Have your students jump to the correct product inside of the box. Draw a few different boxes and put students into groups and allow them to take turns.
19. Parts of Speech Circle
Have your students stand in a circle. Choose a part of speech you want to focus on (noun, adjective, etc.) related to the outdoors. Have each student go around the circle and share a word that fits that part of speech. If a student cannot think of a word to share, have them sit down. The last student standing is the winner.
20. Beach Ball Vocabulary
Grab a beach ball and write some of the vocabulary words that you’re practicing on the ball. Have your students toss the ball back and forth. Whatever word their right thumb lands on is the word they have to define or use in a sentence. You can also use this to practice prefixes and suffixes, parts of speech, and other literacy skills.
I hope that you love these outdoor learning games and activities for your elementary students. I know that your students will enjoy soaking up the sunshine while they practice math, literacy, and writing skills in exciting ways. What outdoor learning games do your students already love? Share in the comments!
Looking for quick and easy Earth Day activities? You’ll love just how engaging and hands-on these Earth Day activities are! Check out these blogs and grab a freebie below.
Picture Books about Earth Day
Earth Day Resources
Earth Day Writing Freebie
This Earth-themed craftivity allows your students to write about ways that they can help the Earth. It’s the perfect Earth Day writing activity to display on your bulletin boards!
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