Outdoor Spaces

Getting outdoors may sound like a great idea but sometimes we get stuck thinking about what we can’t do in our location, rather than what we can.

Maybe you get stuck thinking about your available space because there is no permanent, or even temporary seating options or furniture.

Maybe you get stuck because “What if someone has to use the bathroom?”, “What if something goes wrong?”, “We don’t really have green space.”, “Our space isn’t beautiful”, “We don’t really have a thought out space”….the list goes on right?

Your space doesn’t look like the google mages or pinterest suggestions that pop up when you search online.

I am here to tell you a few things that I hope will help you on your journey.

Any type of space works.

Students use binoculars and a tree surrounded by paved surfaces for outdoor learning.

Do they each have unique challenges? Absolutely. But they all work.

The beautiful, colorful, perfect spaces you find on an internet search are not always realistic, and they probably do not show them actually being used by an engaged group of learners. We are all in education, we know that it’s messy, learners are messy, dirt is messy, things break, shoes get messy, wind, rain, snow, sleet, hail happen — and those are not the photos you see being promoted in your internet search. My point is, whether your space is a fully loaded outdoor center or bare-bones, literally no formal setup — it works.

Students create obstacle courses with sidewalk chalk and pavement.

In this blog post, I would like to explore and show you some ideas when it comes to commonly needed (wanted) items for outdoor education.

Seating

Tree stump stools, towels, cutting boards, overturned buckets, overturned milk or storage crates, deck boxes, and the ground are commonly used items, in my experience when no formal seating is already provided or available. They are also very affordable and somewhat mobile, you can move them where you want. The exception here being some tree stump stools. At my school, I was able to partner with a local tree removal service that donated 20 large oak stump stools that they cut to 18" height. These double as stools and desks, depending on learner need and preference. In the event of early morning dew or precipitation, my learners use cutting boards (the flexible ones that are also conveniently colorful) to place on top of the stools to keep their bottoms dry. These cutting boards also double as lap desks when needed. I prefer to have seating that can double as stool or desk so that we do not need to have double the furniture, but this greatly depends on your community, your learners.

Students use towels for seating in an open grassy area to participate in music class outdoors.

Work surfaces

Commonly used items are folding tables, clipboards, sturdy notebooks, stools that double as a flat surface, the ground, window ledges, wooden or composite structures. These all, similarly to the seating, can be used in many different ways. One of the keys to outdoor education and equipment in my experience is the flexibility of use. If I or my learners can use an item in more than one way, it makes it easier with fewer items. Many schools opt for convertible items; stools that convert to tables and vice versa. For me, if there are moving parts, I know to expect them to break…and working with younger learners, they will break sooner rather than later which is why I tend to prefer very simple items that can be used (without moving parts) for multiple purposes.

Becky Schnekser (yellow hat) sits with students in a tree, using clipboards as their work surface.

What questions do you have? What challenges are in your space? Leave a comment or send us a message on social media — we would love to help brainstorm or provide examples of similar situations to help you on your journey to learning outdoors!