What else do we do outdoors?

Not much maths outside lately, due to poor weather.  So I thought I'd blog about other things we get up to outdoors.  Recently we investigated magnets and on day one we stayed indoors and I let the children try out everything in the magnet box for a bit of self discovery.  The next day though we were focusing on what materials magnets are attracted to, so I gave every pupil a horseshoe magnet and sent them onto the playground.  Before they went out they told me what things they predicted would be magnetic.  It was great, they ran about testing everything!  After they came in and wrote down what they had found out.  One child even said maybe there are some metals that are not magnetic.  So a great child led investigation, where I supplied no answers, just the opportunities and much more fun than staying indoors!

More Ideas for a hundred square

Back to school tomorrow!  It's been a rainy half term, but we have made the most of it.

Hundred Square Games

Hundred race:  start on the 1 and give each child a giant dice and they add to the number they are standing on, first child to get to 100 wins.

Rounding:  give a number card to a child and have them stand on it, then each child goes to the correct rounded tens number.

Do you have a hundred square on your playground?  Leave me a comment if you do or even if you don't.

Inset Day Outdoor Learning Cards

We had a great inset day!  It was based around the Outdoor Learning Cards produced by the OEAP.  We had to do some bouldering, orienteering, journeying and problem solving/team building.  It gave me some great ideas to use with the children.  We also did Raccoon Circles, more information can be found here http://www.teamworkandteamplay.com/resources/raccooncircles.pdf these are a good idea for circle time!  So I'm off to buy some climbing webbing.

Position and Direction -mazes

This week we have been doing position and direction.  We took out the skipping ropes and made mazes, then the children gave each other verbal instructions to a blindfolded child on how to navigate the maze.  I also stuck Left and Right post-it notes onto them.

Telling the Time

Today a group went outside to use our giant clock on the playground.  They laid inside the clock to show half past and o'clock times.  I think I will get another group to use it tomorrow and make them run one revolution of the clock to show an hour more etc.  So if you don't have one on your playground, break out the sidewalk chalk! And it would a good way to teach angles to older children.

Rain rain go away...

Sorry I haven't posted much lately, but the rain has been torrential lately!  We haven't been getting outside.  I don't mind going out in a misty rain but not in sideways rain.

Measurement -Length

Now that spring has finally sprung, it's a great chance to get outdoors and measure anything!  You can give the children multi-link cubes, who can find a plant that is smaller or larger?  How many cubes long?  Incorporate some ICT and give the children some cameras to photograph their plants etc. If you are using standard units this is a good chance to use tape measures instead of rulers.