Start the School Year Outdoors: Easy Outdoor Learning Activities for the First Week of School
The first week of school is full of excitement, new beginnings, and the opportunity to build a strong classroom community. Starting the year with outdoor learning activities is one of the best ways to create an engaging, welcoming, and memorable experience for your students.
Whether you’re an experienced outdoor educator or new to nature-based learning, heading outside helps ease first-week nerves, foster relationships, and set a positive tone for the year ahead.
Why Start the School Year with Outdoor Learning?
Bringing your class outside during the first week offers many proven benefits:
- Build stronger relationships: Outdoor activities create a relaxed and open environment where students and teachers can connect more authentically (Waite, 2011; Becker et al., 2017).
- Establish routines and expectations early: Introducing outdoor learning from the start helps make it a natural and regular part of your schedule
- Spark curiosity and wonder: Being in nature promotes curiosity, creative thinking, and inquiry-based learning (Louv, 2008; Chawla, 2015).
- Ease transitions and reduce stress: Outdoor environments support emotional regulation, help reduce anxiety, and improve mood, which is especially important during the transition back to school (Dettweiler et al., 2017; Li & Sullivan, 2016).
By starting your year outdoors, you not only build relationships with your students, but you also set the foundation for building relationships with nature for your students. You can set the tone for an engaged and curious classroom.
Tips for a Successful Outdoor Start
Starting the school year outside doesn’t have to be complicated! Even if you don’t consider youself to be outdoorsy, there are ways that you can easily take learning outside. Here are a few tips:
- Choose a simple, safe space: Your schoolyard, a nearby park, or a small garden area all work beautifully.
- Set clear expectations: Discuss boundaries, safety guidelines, and respectful behavior before going outside.
- Keep it simple and connection-focused: Early activities should emphasize building relationships rather than content-heavy lessons.
- Prepare a “go bag”: Include essentials like a first aid kit, clipboards or sit-upons, sunscreen, water, and simple materials to make transitions smooth.
Easy Outdoor Learning Activities for the First Week of School
Here are a few fun, low-prep outdoor learning activities to try in your first week. Remember to take things slow and allow your students to ease into outdoor learning. They are new to this just like you are!:
🌿 Get-to-Know-You Nature Walk
Pair students or form small groups and invite them to walk and talk using prompts like:
- What’s your favorite thing to do outside?
- If you could be any animal, what would you be?
- What was a special moment from your summer?
Optional twist: Ask students to find a small natural object that represents something about themselves and share it with the class.
✏️ Sit Spot Journaling
Guide students to find a quiet “sit spot” outdoors. Encourage them to observe their surroundings using all their senses and write or draw what they notice.
Research shows that mindfulness practices like sit spots help students improve focus, emotional regulation, and connection to place (Green Schoolyards America, 2020).
🌼 Nature Name Game
Have each student pick an adjective and a nature word to describe themselves, such as “Joyful Juniper” or “Curious Cardinal.” This fun game helps everyone learn names while inspiring creativity.
🔎 Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Create a simple scavenger hunt list, such as:
- Something smooth
- Something tiny
- Something that makes a sound
- Something with a strong smell
Students can work in pairs or small groups to find and share their discoveries.
🌀 Outdoor Circle Sharing
Gather your students in a circle and invite each to share something they noticed or enjoyed. Sharing reflections builds community and encourages students to listen and support each other.
Reflect and Connect Indoors
When you return inside, guide students in reflecting on their experiences. You might ask:
- What did you enjoy most about being outside?
- What was challenging?
- Did anything surprise you?
You can extend this by integrating their observations into writing prompts, art activities, or science explorations — turning outdoor experiences into deeper learning.
Why Outdoor Learning Matters
Outdoor learning is more than just a fun break — it supports cognitive, social, and emotional development. Studies show that students who spend time learning outdoors have increased motivation, improved behavior, and higher academic achievement (Gill, 2014; Becker et al., 2017).
By starting the year outside, you help your students see nature as an extension of their classroom — a space for exploration, connection, and growth.
🌟 Free Get Started With Outdoor Learning Checklist
Looking for some guidance in getting started with outdoor learning? Check out this free checklist with tips on how to take the first step towards getting outdoors with your students.
[👉 Download the Free Guide Here]
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References
- Becker, C., Lauterbach, G., Spengler, S., Dettweiler, U., & Mess, F. (2017). Effects of regular classes in outdoor education settings: A systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health, 5, 205. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00205
- Chawla, L. (2015). Benefits of nature contact for children. Journal of Planning Literature, 30(4), 433–452.
- Dettweiler, U., Ünlü, A., Lauterbach, G., Becker, C., & Gschrey, B. (2017). Investigating the motivational behavior of students during outdoor science teaching within self-determination theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2235. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02235
- Gill, T. (2014). The benefits of children’s engagement with nature: A systematic literature review. Children, Youth and Environments, 24(2), 10–34.
- Green Schoolyards America. (2020). The benefits of outdoor learning. Retrieved from https://www.greenschoolyards.org/benefits
- Li, D., & Sullivan, W. C. (2016). Impact of views to school landscapes on recovery from stress and mental fatigue. Landscape and Urban Planning, 148, 149–158.
- Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books.
- Waite, S. (2011). Teaching and learning outside the classroom: personal values, alternative pedagogies and standards. Education 3-13, 39(1), 65–82.
