Outdoor Learning Day: Spring 2025 Edition!
Outdoor Learning Day: Spring 2025 Edition!
Jennifer Wallace
To celebrate Globeducate Outdoor Learning day, five year groups at ICS Côte d'Azur headed into the playground and beyond to take their learning into the natural world.
Globeducate Outdoor Learning Day is a biannual event celebrated across Globeducate's network of over 60 international schools in 11 countries. It is part of the broader Outdoor Learning Community initiative, which emphasises the educational, social, and emotional benefits of learning in natural environments. These days typically occur in November and May, aligning with global movements like World Outdoor Classroom Day.
On the French Riviera, our students benefit from year-round sunshine, allowing outdoor learning to be a natural and regular part of our bilingual programme. However, taking part in Globeducate Outdoor Learning Day is something truly special. By joining schools across the entire Globeducate network on the same day, we become part of a shared experience that transcends borders. It’s a powerful reminder that we’re contributing to a larger story—one that celebrates the value of outdoor education and connects our students to a global community of learners.
Here are some examples of our student's activities on the day:
- The KG1 students (nursery) collected wooden sticks to build wooden houses, after reading the story “Three Little Pigs”.
- The KG2 students (pre-kindergarten) used straws to blow on paint, which turned into “crazy hair” on their drawn character’s head.
- The PY1 students (kindergarten) observed how shadows’ position and size change depending on the sun and traced small figurines’ shadows. They also buried a time capsule with their wishes for the planet which they will dig up next year!
- The PY2 students (grade 1) went on a bug scavenger hunt with a checklist and a magnifying glass to find all the insects they had been studying in class.
- The PY3 students (grade 2) weighed items found in nature on different types of scales – they had to find items that weighed about 10g, 100g, 1kg and 5kg.
These events also support Globeducate's commitment to sustainability and global citizenship, often incorporating themes related to environmental awareness and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. By taking learning outdoors, students are encouraged to connect more deeply with their environment and develop a lifelong appreciation for nature.
