Imagine a window the length of your classroom with a view to a grassy hill traipsing down to a lake with mountains in the background. That was the view in my classroom, and that was where we experienced the best outdoor learning activities for classroom community building.
Outdoor learning activities are “in fashion’ in many districts, and for good reason. There are so many benefits, and today I will focus on the power of going outside for classroom community building.
What is Meant by a Classroom Community?
Classroom community building requires creating a sense of belonging.
What is Community Building in the Classroom?
Community building is, simply put, about creating expectations about how everyone in your class is to treat each other. And then being intentional about selecting and incorporating activities that allow for students to interact with each other in positive and engaging ways.
The purpose of community building is not to make everyone into best friends and have every birthday celebrated with a whole class party. The purpose is to teach your students that they can be appropriate and respectful with even those people who are not their best friends.
How can teachers build a positive classroom community?
To build a positive classroom community, consider activities where students can connect on a personal level to feel more integrated into the classroom community.
Outdoor learning activities are a good example of how to do this because they create a more inclusive and engaging environment than a traditional classroom because of the absence of physical barriers. Every student feels valued and a part of the group which makes them more likely to contribute to classroom community building.
Classroom Community Building with Outdoor Learning Activities
Outdoor learning activities typically mean students are working together to reach their goals. This may mean building shelters, going on a scavenger hunt, or, as we did in my class, simulate the daily activities of people in Africa who had to carry their water in from a distance.
For students to be successful in these activities they do need to communicate, strategize and support each other towards their common goals which make them ideal for classroom community building.
Working collaboratively in a natural environment allows students to learn to appreciate the strengths and contributions of their peers. This can create a sense of mutual respect and interdependence.
What is an example of community building?
There are so many examples to choose from when using outdoor learning activities:
- Group hikes
- Gardening projects
- Outdoor art activities
- Sidewalk chalk and sight words
- Write the “Room” activities (using the playground or school fence)
- Quiet reading time
- Active games for P.E.
- Counting Collections
- Content Area Games
- Data collection for Math (counting petals on different types of flowers)
- Sorting and patterns
These activities allow for more informal interactions, and they allow students to connect on a personal level which, hopefully, makes them feel more integrated into the classroom community.
Outdoor learning activities can enhance the sense of belonging and community your students feel, and reduce their feelings of isolation.
Strengthening Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) for Stronger Classroom Community
Outdoor learning activities are the perfect opportunity for students to strengthen their SEL competencies. These may include:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Social awareness
- Relationship skills
- Responsible decision-making
This is partly because being in nature helps us to:
- Manage stress
- Build resilience
- Gain confidence
In fact, nature journaling, which I mentioned earlier, is a reflective exercise which can boost self-awareness and emotional regulation, all of which is necessary for healthy classroom community building.
The CASEL Guide to Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs identifies that both emotional well-being and academic performance can be significantly improved when SEL is incorporated in outdoor settings.
Because outdoor learning activities are so often focused on group success rather than individual achievement, it can create a classroom culture that prioritizes collaboration, empathy, and positive interactions.
With clear classroom expectations and rules in place, teachers can then transfer this to the outdoor learning experience and reinforce the value of working together.
These structured outdoor learning activities enhance sharing, helping and cooperation and other prosocial choices among students which all contribute to classroom community building.
Meaningful Learning Experiences
Experiential learning is what outdoor learning activities are all about. These are experiences that students can engage deeply with to explore a subject mattter and build relationships with depth as they explore together.
These lessons are more dynamic and memorable and students need to apply their learning in a practical, real-world context. This context promotes group participation and joint problem-solving which promotes classroom community building.
Together these benefits support academic success.
How Do You Build a Learning Community?
My favourite outdoor classroom community building activities were, probably, doing laps and taking our sketch pads outside. Doing laps may not seem like much of an “activity” but the rewards of doing laps daily are powerful.
I loved them because they were easily and frequently accessible. Teachers often feel the pressure to incorporate “meaningful” instruction every second. These activities felt like one of the ways I could incorporate “play” more often and justify it easily.
These simple outdoor learning activities may not be your cup of tea, or they may simply not be suitable to your context.
But they are good examples of how simple it can be to get your kiddos outside, and how easy it can be to fit the natural world into your curriculum.
How can teachers build a positive classroom community?
Not all intensively collaborative, but they are simple enough to get you started. Before you get started, practice classroom expectations to set your students up for success.
1) Nature Sketching
The first day I took my students outside for sketching I just gave them a pencil and paper and told them to sketch. However, they loved it so much we didn’t stop there. I shared the tools from the site Nature Sketch by the Robert Bateman Foundation.
2) Laps
This activity is a super simple outdoor learning activity. Just go outside and walk laps around the school. Yes, truly.
Kids will grumble initially, but they will all come to love it. Yes, all. And I hope you will too.
The benefits are outstanding. Our school was so safe that the children were allowed to run ahead or walk behind. They were safe even when not directly in my view.
I believe your students will love it even if they all have to walk within your sight line. I know that in addition to the benefits that movement brings, the opportunity to socialize first thing each day supported classroom community building.
3) Math Activities
So many outdoor learning activities are simply better outside:
- Counting collections (we just counted the pebbles from the playground
- Scavenger hunt for shapes
- Write the “Room”
- Data collection:
- Coniferous vs deciduous trees
- license plates
- types of vehicle
- colours of vehicles
- windows vs. doors . . .
- Measurement
Taking these activities outside is some work the first few times. However, once you have developed routines and procedures they are quick and easy to get up and running.
The positive associations from these opportunities are a part of classroom community building.
4) Sight Words and Sidewalk Chalk
Going outside with sidewalk chalk for spelling practice was a rotation in my centers. Context, of course, means everything as to whether or not this is wise for you to do with your students. But it is still a great example of something simple to do. I always had students work in pairs to support classroom community building.
5) Buddy Reading
There is not much need for an explanation for this activity. What a lovely quiet way to accomplish classroom community building student engagement with reading.
6) Writing
With a clipboard and a pencil you can get the kiddos outside for writing. I tended to use writing prompts for when it was an outdoor learning activity. But taking children outside for an exercise to practice incorporating the 5 senses into their writing is powerful.
Or they could be sitting in the grass or under a tree writing a story about the woods.
Perhaps they are using the natural materials they find to creating a 3D picture that goes wtih their story.
So many possibilities. For some more great ideas check out the website teachoutdoors.ca,You will even find a link to her Year Long Outdoor Activity Calendar.
Classroom Community Building with Outdoor Learning Activities
There is great power in the simplest of activities when you take them outside.
Outside time is non-existent for too many children today. Teachers sometimes feel that they are responsible for incorporating all of the things that are simply not a part of their students’ lives.
Outdoor learning activities are powerful for classroom community building because they:
- Creates a culture of cooperation
- Supports SEL
- Create a sense of belonging
- Encourages positive classroom behaviours
- Provide meaningful learning opportunities which enhance prosocial choices
Start with simple classroom community building activities,with outdoor learning activities once or twice a week, and then build as you grow in confidence. You’ve got this!
