Looking for simple outdoor learning ideas you can use with children straight away? Our free Outdoor Learning Magazine is packed with seasonal activities, outdoor play ideas, curriculum-linked inspiration and practical ways to take learning outside without stress, expensive resources or hours of planning. New to Outdoor Learning? Read the Beginners Guide to an Outdoor Curriculum.
Whether you are an EYFS practitioner, primary teacher, SEND teacher, childminder, home educator or parent, this free magazine helps you bring more movement, curiosity, communication and calm into children’s learning.
Sign up for your free outdoor learning magazine.
New to outdoor learning? Start here
Outdoor learning does not have to be complicated. You do not need a forest, a huge budget or a perfectly designed outdoor area. You can start with a playground, garden, path, puddle, patch of grass, handful of leaves or a few natural objects.
The Muddy Puddle Teacher approach helps educators and families see the outdoors as a teaching tool, not a treat. It is about using simple outdoor play and real experiences to support language, literacy, maths, science, SEND, wellbeing and imagination.
Our free Outdoor Learning Magazine gives you a gentle way in, with easy ideas you can try straight away and seasonal inspiration to keep children active, engaged and learning.
Sign up for your free outdoor learning magazine.
Make a start now and download Junes edition – Outdoor learning and the heat wave edition
Try this tomorrow
Take a five-minute walk outside and ask children to find something that makes them think of a story. It could be a stick, stone, leaf, feather, flower, puddle or shadow. Ask, “Who could this belong to?”, “Where has it come from?”, “What might happen next?” or “Can you make up a sentence about it?”
This simple outdoor activity supports communication, vocabulary, imagination, storytelling and early writing. It also works beautifully for children who find sitting still, writing or talking indoors more difficult.
That is the power of outdoor learning. It gives children another way in.
What is inside the free Outdoor Learning Magazine?
Each edition of our free Outdoor Learning Magazine includes practical outdoor learning ideas linked to the season, topical themes and child-led play. You will find inspiration for early years, primary, SEND, forest school-style activities, home learning and family outdoor play.
The ideas are designed to be simple, low-prep and realistic. No perfect tuff spots, no expensive equipment, no pressure to create Instagram-style activities. Just meaningful ways to help children move, talk, explore, notice, create, regulate and learn.
You may find ideas for outdoor phonics, storytelling, nature maths, messy play, sensory regulation, minibeasts, weather, art, science, wellbeing, outdoor games and simple family adventures.
Sign up for your free outdoor learning magazine.
Outdoor learning for teachers
For teachers, outdoor learning can help make the curriculum feel more active, inclusive and memorable. It gives children real experiences before writing, practical maths before recording, movement before focus and connection before behaviour management.
The free Outdoor Learning Magazine is a lovely starting point if you want to take more of your curriculum outside but do not know where to begin. It gives you small, achievable ideas that can fit into the school day without adding more workload. Make a start now and download – Top 100 Outdoor Learning Ideas.
Sign up for your free outdoor learning magazine.
Outdoor play ideas for parents
For parents, the magazine is full of simple reminders that childhood does not have to be expensive to be magical. A walk, puddle, stick, den, garden game, nature hunt or story outside can give children language, confidence, movement and joy.
Our outdoor play ideas are designed to help families spend more time outside, reduce screen time, support wellbeing and make everyday moments feel more playful.
Outdoor learning and SEND
Outdoor learning can be especially powerful for SEND children because it gives them more space, more movement, more sensory input and more ways to show what they know.
Some children communicate more freely outside, some regulate more easily outside, some engage more deeply when learning is active, practical and linked to something real. The Muddy Puddle Teacher approach supports inclusive teaching by helping adults think differently about where and how learning can happen.
Sign up for your free outdoor learning magazine.
Want ready-to-use outdoor learning resources?
If you enjoy the free magazine and want more support, you can also join The Muddy Puddle Teacher Club and take a 60-day free trial.
Inside the club, you will find ready-to-use outdoor learning resources, curriculum-linked planning, EYFS and primary activities, SEND support, outdoor phonics, maths, literacy, science, seasonal ideas and more.
You can start today with the free magazine, then take your next step with the 60-day free trial when you are ready for more.
Sign up for your free outdoor learning magazine.
Sign up for the free Outdoor Learning Magazine
Sign up to receive our free Outdoor Learning Magazine and get simple, seasonal outdoor learning ideas sent straight to you.
It is a lovely way to feel inspired, try something new and bring more fresh air, movement, imagination and joy into children’s learning.
Sign up for your free outdoor learning magazine.
FAQs
What is the Free Outdoor Learning Magazine?
The Free Outdoor Learning Magazine is a seasonal magazine from The Muddy Puddle Teacher, filled with simple outdoor learning and outdoor play ideas for educators, parents, childminders and home educators.
Who is the Outdoor Learning Magazine for?
It is for EYFS practitioners, primary teachers, SEND teachers, teaching assistants, childminders, home educators and parents who want easy, practical ideas for taking learning outside.
Do I need lots of outdoor space?
No. You can use a playground, garden, path, field, park, school grounds or even a small outdoor area. Outdoor learning is about using what you have, not creating a perfect space.
Is the magazine free?
Yes, the Outdoor Learning Magazine is free to sign up for. You can also choose to take a 60-day free trial of The Muddy Puddle Teacher Club if you would like access to more resources and planning.
Does outdoor learning link to the curriculum?
Yes. Outdoor learning can support phonics, literacy, maths, science, art, geography, history, wellbeing, communication and SEND. The Muddy Puddle Teacher approach helps adults take learning outside in a simple, purposeful and curriculum-linked way.
Can outdoor learning support SEND children?
Yes. Outdoor learning can support regulation, communication, confidence, sensory needs, movement, social skills and engagement. It gives children more ways to access learning and show what they know.
How do I start outdoor learning?
Start small. Try one five-minute outdoor activity, one nature-based discussion, one outdoor story idea or one practical maths activity. The free magazine gives you ideas you can try straight away.
