Bring history to life with nature-based learning!
This downloadable resource offers 10 Outdoor VE Ideas – KS1 designed to help Key Stage 1 children explore and celebrate VE Day in an engaging and age-appropriate way.
Using The Muddy Puddle Teacher approach, each activity connects history with nature, play, and creativity—perfect for teachers who want to make the most of their outdoor space while covering meaningful curriculum content.
🌱 What’s included?
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10 ready-to-use outdoor learning ideas
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Linked to history, PSHE, literacy, and expressive arts
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Supports teamwork, reflection, and wellbeing
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Accessible activities suitable for all abilities
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Minimal resources required—use what nature provides!
From building mini Anderson shelters to planting victory gardens and celebrating peace with nature-based art, this resource makes VE Day learning memorable, active, and inclusive.
📥 Digital download | KS1 | Perfect for outdoor classrooms or school grounds
🇬🇧 Why Nursery and Primary Children Should Join in VE Day Activities
Connecting young learners to the past through play, nature, and reflection
Each year on May 8th, we mark VE Day (Victory in Europe Day)—a moment in history when peace was declared across Europe in 1945, ending years of conflict and hardship during World War II. While the events of that time may feel distant to young children, early involvement in VE Day activities helps nurture empathy, historical awareness, and a deeper appreciation for peace and community.
At The Muddy Puddle Teacher, we believe that children in nursery and primary should be a part of these commemorations—and we’re here to show how it can be done in age-appropriate, joyful, and meaningful ways through outdoor learning.
🌱 1. Making History Relatable Through Play
Young children don’t need to memorise facts to learn history—they need to feel it, experience it, and play with it.
VE Day activities such as nature-based street parties, peace-themed art, and victory garden planting allow children to connect with historical themes through hands-on, sensory experiences.
👉 Try these:
🧠 2. Building Historical Awareness from a Young Age
Teaching history early doesn’t mean diving into trauma or conflict—it means helping children understand values like resilience, community, and peace.
VE Day is the perfect moment to explore these values in a positive way. Children can join in activities such as:
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Creating thank you trees for people who bring peace and safety today
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Listening to simplified stories of hope and courage
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Reenacting celebrations with music and nature-based decorations
🔗 Explore how the Imperial War Museums suggest teaching VE Day to younger children
🤝 3. Fostering a Sense of Belonging and Gratitude
Joining national days of remembrance and celebration gives children a sense of belonging and identity.
They learn they are part of something bigger—a community that remembers, reflects, and values peace.
Creating shared experiences outdoors, like parades, role play, or singing wartime songs, allows children to bond with peers while honouring a day rooted in unity.
🌿 4. Outdoor Learning Brings It All Together
Children are more engaged, calm, and reflective in natural spaces. That’s why we take VE Day learning outside.
Our Muddy Puddle Teacher resources combine the power of nature with curriculum-linked outcomes:
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Supports communication and language
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Boosts physical development
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Fosters curiosity about the world
💡 Browse our full range of VE Day and History Outdoor Learning Resources
