10 Engaging Outdoor Science Lessons for SEN/EYFS

Outdoor Learning: Teaching Science Concepts with Nature’s Elements – Lesson Plans Aligned to the EYFS Framework

Outdoor Science based learning offers young children a dynamic and engaging environment to explore scientific concepts. By utilising nature’s elements—air, water, earth, and sunlight—we can create impactful, hands-on experiences that align with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. This article includes a series of innovative lesson plans designed to integrate the EYFS learning areas and objectives seamlessly into outdoor science activities.

EYFS Connections to Science

Science isn’t a specific area/lesson for Early /years in the UK. However the outdoor Science lesson plans below have been written to align with the prime areas and specific areas of the EYFS framework:

• Communication and Language: Encouraging children to describe observations and share ideas.
• Physical Development: Promoting gross and fine motor skills through movement and tactile experiences.
• Understanding the World: Guiding children to explore, observe, and question their environment.
• Expressive Arts and Design: Inspiring creativity through interaction with natural materials.

10 EYFS Lesson Plans Using Natural Resources and Outdoor Learning

Lesson 1: Exploring Wind Power

Objective: Teach children how air moves and interacts with objects while developing observation skills.

Activity: DIY Windmills

Resources: Paper, straws, tape, pinwheels, lightweight objects (leaves, feathers).

Steps:

1. Introduction: Discuss what wind is and ask children to describe times they’ve felt it (Communication and Language).

2. Making Windmills: Help children create paper windmills using simple templates (Free download).

3. Experimentation: Take the windmills outside. Encourage children to run or use their breath to make them spin. Discuss what happens when the windmill is held still or moved.

4. Observation: Provide lightweight objects and let children experiment with how the wind moves them.

EYFS Links:

• Understanding the World: Observing wind’s effect on objects.

• Physical Development: Developing coordination through running and crafting.

Lesson 2: The Water Cycle in Action

Objective: Introduce the water cycle through evaporation and condensation.

Activity: Puddle Tracking

Resources: Chalk, water, clear jars, small plants or leaves.

Steps:

1. Observation: Find or create a puddle. Ask children to outline its edges with chalk.

2. Hypothesis: Ask, “What do you think will happen to the puddle over time?”

3. Daily Check-Ins: Revisit the puddle over several hours or days, redrawing its edges to track changes.

4. Mini Water Cycle: Place a small plant or leaf in a jar with a little water, seal it, and leave it in the sun. Watch as condensation forms.

EYFS Links:

• Understanding the World: Exploring natural processes like evaporation.

• Literacy: Recording observations through drawings or simple descriptions.

Lesson 3: Soil Scientists

Objective: Understand the properties of soil and its role in supporting plant life.

Activity: Soil Exploration

Resources: Various soil samples (sand, clay, garden soil), magnifying glasses, water, seeds.

Steps:

1. Observation: Let children touch and smell each soil type. Discuss texture and appearance.

2. Experimentation: Mix water into each soil type. Talk about which absorbs water best.

3. Planting Seeds: Let children plant seeds in different soil types. Observe and compare growth over time.

EYFS Links:

• Understanding the World: Investigating soil properties and plant needs.

• Physical Development: Fine motor skills through handling soil and planting seeds.

Lesson 4: Sunlight and Shadows

Objective: Teach children about how sunlight interacts with objects to create shadows.

Activity: Shadow Play

Resources: Chalk, toys, and natural objects like leaves and branches.

Steps:

1. Discussion: Talk about the sun’s role in creating light and shadows.

2. Tracing Shadows: Place objects on the ground and trace their shadows with chalk.

3. Observation: Revisit the shadows throughout the day to observe changes in shape and direction.

EYFS Links:

• Mathematics: Understanding spatial relationships and patterns.

• Expressive Arts and Design: Creating art through shadow tracing.

Lesson 5: Mini Ecosystem Discovery

Objective: Explore the interdependence of living things in a small ecosystem.

Activity: Bug Hunt

Resources: Magnifying glasses, small containers, identification cards or pictures of common bugs.

Steps:

1. Exploration: Guide children to a natural area with soil, grass, or trees. Encourage them to look for insects and other small creatures.

2. Observation: Let children use magnifying glasses to examine the bugs. Ask questions like, “What do you think this bug eats?”

3. Discussion: Talk about how bugs help plants and soil, introducing the idea of ecosystems.

EYFS Links:

• Understanding the World: Observing living things and their habitats.

• Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: Encouraging care for living things.

Here are five additional lessons to enhance your article, each aligned with the EYFS framework and designed to inspire curiosity while developing foundational skills.

Lesson 6: Floating and Sinking

Objective: Teach children about buoyancy and materials that float or sink.

Activity: Natural Objects in Water

Resources: A large container of water, natural materials like leaves, sticks, stones, flowers, and shells.

Steps:

1. Prediction: Show the children the objects and ask, “Do you think this will float or sink?”

2. Experimentation: Drop the objects into the water and observe.

3. Sorting: Separate floating and sinking items into two groups. Discuss why some float while others don’t.

4. Follow-Up: Encourage children to test other objects they find in the outdoor environment.

EYFS Links:

• Understanding the World: Exploring physical properties of materials.

• Mathematics: Sorting and categorising objects.

• Communication and Language: Developing descriptive vocabulary, e.g., “heavy,” “light,” “floating.”

Lesson 7: Seasonal Changes

Objective: Observe how seasons affect the environment, introducing children to cyclical changes in nature. (You may also like our Autumn Forest Sensory Story)

Activity: Nature Walk with Seasonal Collecting

Resources: Baskets for collecting, clipboards with simple seasonal checklists (e.g., autumn leaves, spring blossoms), magnifying glasses.

Steps:

1. Exploration: Go on a nature walk to collect seasonal items. In autumn, look for colourful leaves; in spring, search for flowers or budding trees.

2. Discussion: Encourage children to talk about the differences they see in nature (e.g., “What colours do you see now compared to summer?”).

3. Sorting and Display: Back in the classroom, create a seasonal display board with collected items.

EYFS Links:

• Understanding the World: Observing seasonal changes and natural cycles.

• Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: Collaborating on a group display.

• Expressive Arts and Design: Using natural materials for creative projects.

Lesson 8: The Sound of Nature

Objective: Explore and identify natural sounds, building auditory discrimination and environmental awareness.

Activity: Sound Scavenger Hunt

Resources: A checklist of sounds (e.g., birds chirping, leaves rustling, water flowing), clipboards, and crayons.

Steps:

1. Listening: Take the children outside and ask them to close their eyes and focus on the sounds around them.

2. Identification: Use the checklist to identify the sounds they hear.

3. Creative Extension: Provide simple percussion instruments (or make shakers from natural materials) and encourage children to mimic the sounds they heard.

EYFS Links:

• Communication and Language: Developing listening and comprehension skills.

• Expressive Arts and Design: Replicating sounds through music and rhythm.

• Understanding the World: Building awareness of natural soundscapes.

Lesson 9: Colours in Nature

Objective: Encourage children to observe and categorise colours found in the natural environment.

Activity: Colour Hunt

Resources: Colour cards (e.g., green, yellow, brown), clipboards with colour templates, and crayons.

Steps:

1. Matching: Show the children the colour cards and challenge them to find natural items that match each colour.

2. Recording: Let them draw or stick the items they find onto a colour chart.

3. Discussion: Discuss why certain colours are more common in specific seasons (e.g., green in spring, orange in autumn).

EYFS Links:

• Mathematics: Categorising and matching items by colour.

• Understanding the World: Observing colours in nature and their seasonal variations.

• Expressive Arts and Design: Creating a colourful nature collage.

Lesson 10: Investigating Mini-Beasts

Objective: Discover and explore the habitats and behaviours of insects and small creatures.

Activity: Bug Habitat Exploration

Resources: Magnifying glasses, small containers, bug identification cards or posters.

Steps:

1. Search and Discover: Guide children to areas where bugs are likely to live (under rocks, in soil, on leaves).

2. Examine: Let them carefully observe the bugs using magnifying glasses. Encourage questions like, “What do you think this bug eats?”

3. Create Habitats: Back in the classroom, use soil, leaves, and twigs to build a mini habitat in a clear container. Observe the bugs’ behaviours for a short time before releasing them.

EYFS Links:

• Understanding the World: Learning about living things and their environments.

• Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: Encouraging respect for living creatures.

• Communication and Language: Describing observations and discussing findings.

Outdoor Science: Expanding on the EYFS Framework for SEN Learners

Prime Areas

Communication and Language: Encourage children to describe their findings, expanding their vocabulary with words like “evaporate,” “absorb,” and “ecosystem.”

Physical Development: Hands-on activities like digging soil, drawing shadows, and running with windmills promote both fine and gross motor skills.

Specific Areas

• Literacy: Encourage children to draw or write simple observations in journals, integrating early writing skills.
• Mathematics: Incorporate counting and measuring, such as tracking shadow lengths or counting bugs.
• Understanding the World: Build foundational scientific knowledge through real-world observation.
• Expressive Arts and Design: Inspire creativity with shadow art, bug drawings, or soil collages.

Partnering with Families

Encourage families to extend these lessons at home – See our post on Boosting Emotional Wellbeing Through Outdoor Learning.

Conclusion

Outdoor Science learning is not just an educational tool—it’s a gateway to wonder, connection, and discovery. By embracing nature’s elements as our teaching partners, we can inspire children to see the world as a place of endless possibilities. Science comes alive in the rustle of leaves, the trickle of water, and the warmth of sunlight. These are not abstract concepts confined to textbooks; they are real, tangible experiences that children can feel, see, and understand in their own way.

Each outdoor science lesson is a chance to nurture curiosity, ignite creativity, and foster a deep respect for the natural world. We are not just teaching science; we are empowering children to ask questions, solve problems, and see themselves as part of a larger, interconnected environment.

In a time when screens often dominate young lives, the need for outdoor exploration is more critical than ever. Let’s create opportunities for children to jump in puddles, feel the wind on their faces, and watch seeds grow under their care. Through these simple, joyful acts, we lay the foundation for a lifelong love of learning and a profound appreciation for the world around them.

Teaching science outdoors isn’t just good practice—it’s transformative. It’s about creating a classroom without walls where every child can thrive, explore, and grow. Let’s step outside and give them the world.