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School children at an outdoor learning session in Milton Keynes park
Celebrating Outdoor Classroom Day

Published: 04/12/2024

On 7th November, Outdoor Classroom Day is celebrated - a global movement that helps create opportunities and encourages children to take their learning outside. So, why not take some time out of the day and educate your children, whether it's a young family member or friend you know, or if you're a teacher running a class?

For schools, there are lots of opportunities to build outdoor learning into the curriculum - from using features of your school building and playground to teach students about shape and space, to using items from nature to inspire descriptive and creative writing.

If you want to get your students exploring their local area, The Parks Trust grants free licenses to run your own learning activities in your local park. On top of that, we also offer a range of bookable sessions that can be arranged to take place in your local park. Did you know that most schools in Milton Keynes are within a 20-minute walk from one of our parks? You could even make outdoor learning a regular part of your school timetable!

The Outdoor Learning community has created a bank of resources that you can access for free on the Outdoor Classroom Day website and we have created our own free teaching resources that relate to the work we do at The Parks Trust.

As adults, we know that being outside makes us feel happier and healthier. Nowadays, children are spending less time outdoors so Outdoor Classroom Day provides a great opportunity to combine learning with looking after your well-being and reconnecting your students and children to the great outdoors.

Key Stage 1

Check out our range of curriculum based sessions for KS1.

View all Primary School sessions
White pyramid sculpture at the top of Campbell Park in Milton Keynes
Art in the Park

This session allows your students to discover the public art in Campbell Park.
A light brown dormouse is curled up in a grassy nest. Its tail is covering the top of its head.
Cosy Critters

Learn everything you ever wanted to know about hibernating animals in this exclusive seasonal session. 
Two young children are stood in a pile of fallen leaves. One is holding a litter picker, putting some litter into the blue plastic bag that the other child is holding.
Environmental Heroes

This interactive session is based around the 3 main principles of the Countryside Code: Respect, protect and enjoy.
Two young boys stare inquisitively into a small plastic container which has a small insect inside. They are stood outside in a field with tall trees in the background.
Marvellous Minibeasts and Habitats

Zoom in on micro-habitats and learn what life needs to flourish in these miniature ecosystems.
A red fox staring almost directly into the camera, looking over its right shoulder. Just its head and neck are in the frame. Its fur is vibrant and appears soft. Its eyes are slightly narrowed, in a friendly manner, and it almost appears to have a slight smile on its face.
Nocturnal Animals

Discover all about animals that roam in the evenings, and how they are adapted to life in the dark. 
A child is crouched down on some decking looking into a plastic tray that contains some water, small pond creatures and debris. They are holding a plastic spoon in the water and are surrounded by identification guides.
Pond Dipping and Adaptations

Take a close look at the wildlife that lives in our waterbodies and find out about how animals have adapted to this environment. 
A patch of native British bluebells. The flowers are tall, a vibrant blueish-purple in colour, with bright green stems. Some of the flower heads droop downwards like a bell.
Seasonal Walks

Join us for an interactive, activity-based guided walk around your local parks to learn about seasonal changes and how wildlife adapts. 
A young boy wearing a red summer hat using some binoculars in a sunny woodland
Seasons and Senses

Discover the natural world around you using all of our wonderful senses.
A young girl sitting in a sunny field of long dried grass, holding some in her hand. She has long blonde hair in plaited ponytails and is wearing a red baseball cap and blue chequered school dress.
Wild Wellbeing

Designed to create a peaceful and mindful environment, this sessions' activities will encourage play, exploration and reflection.
A lady in medieval costume is talking to a group of school students. They are sat on the grass out the front of an old building. A firepit and baskets of food are seen in the background.
Change Through Time

Watch as history unfolds before your eyes to reveal the inhabitants of Great Linford Manor Park.
Key Stage 2

Check out our range of curriculum based sessions for KS2.

View all Primary School sessions
White pyramid sculpture at the top of Campbell Park in Milton Keynes
Art in the Park

This session allows your students to discover the public art in Campbell Park.
Two young children are stood in a pile of fallen leaves. One is holding a litter picker, putting some litter into the blue plastic bag that the other child is holding.
Environmental Heroes

This interactive session is based around the 3 main principles of the Countryside Code: Respect, protect and enjoy.
A great crested newt floating in the water. There are pond weeds in the background. The newt is dark brown in colour with a bright orange stripe on the underside of its large tail, and orange tips on its fingers and toes.
Endangered Species and Their Habitats

Discover the threatened species that call Milton Keynes home, and the pressures that local wildlife are facing. 
A child in a bright orange t-shirt and blue summer hat is holding a large rock in her hand. She is holding the rock up to her face and smiling.
Geology Rocks

Check out our Primary School session which allows your students to get up close and personal with ancient rocks and fossils, many of which have been found in Milton Keynes.

Some children and a leader stand in long grass looking for insects. The leader is pointing at something in the grass, the children are looking with curious and excited faces..
The Life of Plants

Get to grips with the complicated lives of plants and trees with topics such as identification, reproduction and global importance. 
A young child is look at a metal compass that they are holding in their hand.
Maps and More

Explore Campbell Park through the wonderful world of maps and orienteering. 
Two young boys stare inquisitively into a small plastic container which has a small insect inside. They are stood outside in a field with tall trees in the background.
Marvellous Minibeasts and Habitats

Zoom in on micro-habitats and learn what life needs to flourish in these miniature ecosystems.
A red fox staring almost directly into the camera, looking over its right shoulder. Just its head and neck are in the frame. Its fur is vibrant and appears soft. Its eyes are slightly narrowed, in a friendly manner, and it almost appears to have a slight smile on its face.
Nocturnal Animals

Discover all about animals that roam in the evenings, and how they are adapted to life in the dark. 
A child is crouched down on some decking looking into a plastic tray that contains some water, small pond creatures and debris. They are holding a plastic spoon in the water and are surrounded by identification guides.
Pond Dipping and Adaptations

Take a close look at the wildlife that lives in our waterbodies and find out about how animals have adapted to this environment. 
A river running through a countryside scene. The grass and trees are green, sun is shining and the sky is blue and clear.
River Explorers

Discover the fascinating and ever-changing geography or rivers as they continue to create their own paths in our landscapes. 
Secondary School Sessions

Check out our range of curriculum based sessions for Key Stages 3, 4 and 5.

View all sessions
A group of teenagers stood in the woodland smiling at the camera
Park Rangers

Increase your student's understanding of their local environment through an interactive walk to discover the impact that people and wildlife have on our parks.

A footpath winding through grass and woodland
Environmental Awareness

This interactive session is based around the three main principles of the countryside code: respect, protect and enjoy.
The Milton Keynes Rose pillars
Cultures and Communites

Explore the rich cultural diversity of Milton Keynes in this guided walk which includes key sites such as MK Rose, the Tree Cathedral and Peace Pagoda.
A female teenager looking closely at a plant in a hedgerow
Tracks and Traps

Let your students be wildlife detectives as they investigate the evidence left behind by the birds and mammals that have made their habitats within our parks.

Inspiring Ecosystems

Let your students explore different habitats and get to grips with surveying techniques used by scientists monitoring biodiversity.

A female teenager inspecting a plant with a hand lens
Environmental Science

Give your students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local environment in this A level specific session.
Two teenagers looking out from a bird hide with backs to the camera
All about the Birds

Let your students get closer to wildlife as they compare different bird species in this interactive session exploring adaptation and evolution.
Children in the rain building shelters between tree trunks with camouflage tarpaulin
Without a Trace

Students learn survival skills through this bushcraft-themed session with an environmental message.
A river with boulders
Rivers and Flood Defences

Students explore the features of a river to understand the process of river formation, features of the river course and wildlife found along the riverbank.
Children in the rain building shelters between tree trunks with camouflage tarpaulin
Without a Trace

Students learn survival skills through this bushcraft-themed session with an environmental message.