Want to move towards a plastic-free teaching career? The Muddy Puddle Teacher Approach approach is moving fast.
We are constantly evolving while always keeping focused on our three Muddy M’s to better help indoor education through the outdoors.
- Muddy Mental Strength.
- Muddy Movers.
- Muddy Mother Nature.
One area we did not expect was how connected with our teaching approach the teachers soon became, so much so, they started to take this once outside-approach, inside the classroom too.
One of our most recent questionnaires about their outdoor learning and indoor education discovered:
Muddy Mental Strength – Teachers started to see how grouping children and busy inside spaces could be damaging to confidence. Choosing to be more discreet about work given and giving blanket rewards, toning down displays to make them more neutral and calming.
Muddy Movers – The teachers started to focus on more active and engaging lessons. Moving tables aside and looking at ways to make games of tasks.
Muddy Mother Nature – Teachers were opting to use more natural items instead of plastics such as hessian to back displays and sticks to replace plastic counting devices and sticks to read with.
We also discovered our outdoor learning teachers we’re blending this approach in with others. It sat alongside other approaches comfortably and because we trained teachers to personalise it, adapt it and to make it fit them it worked and made all other approaches eco-friendlier and wellbeing focused. Moving towards a plastic-free teaching career. It also was sustaining, becoming less of a fad and more of a money-saving fab, due to the reduction of plastics. Teachers reported they were ordering fewer glue sticks and whiteboard pens and thought differently about the need for additional math resources.
We had always seemed The Muddy Puddle Approach was for outdoor learning but why stop out teachers there? So as of today, we will now be incorporating ways the outside can support the inside too. Taking more of an environmentally plastic-free teaching approach. Providing teacher training and resources that both encourage the teacher to use the Muddy Puddle Teacher Approach outside and inside too!
Like our Muddy ideas?
Spread the word and check out our ideas in action on our YouTube channel!
Follow on Twitter @MuddyTeachers
Chat with others on our Facebook Group Muddy Puddle Group
Follow our Facebook Page to see newly launched products The Muddy Puddle Teacher
Get tips and Ideas on Instagram @the_muddy_puddle_teacher
The Muddy Puddle Teacher ®
The new way to do Outdoor Learning
EYFS | KS1 | KS2
Here are 3 top outdoor learning ideas to get you started :
- Make sure the children have the right clothing – bring a muddy bag in or dress for mud that day!
- Make it messy and muddy – why not you are outside!
- Stick to natural resources – less clearing up for you and more kind to the environment.
Our muddy resources support all curriculums and we use only natural resources so any school, anywhere can use our approach. Including Early Years Framework, NC, CfE, American Curriculums.
Looking for a group subscription? We offer big reductions for schools and nurseries that book in groups. The more staff the more the discount per person. Click here for a quote.
Outdoor learning in primary schools is an essential way to bring wellbeing to the classroom.
Here are some muddy top tips to make a start in each key stage.
- Outdoor Learning KS2 – Try taking 10-minute slots or brain breaks in between sessions. Do the Muddy Walk and Talk and just use it for general discussion or chat.
- Outdoor Learning KS1 – Try taking phonics games outside. Choose a sound and use leaves
- Outdoor Learning EYFS – If you can make sure there is an outside space that is accessible and start to reduce the plastic and have more natural objects. Such as leaves they can write on, stones to do art with. Strip back the made plastic objects and keep natural for optimum imagination and creative skills to be used.
- Outdoor Learning KS2 – Try taking 10-minute slots or brain breaks in between sessions. Do the Muddy Walk and Talk and just use it for general discussion or chat.
- Outdoor Learning KS1 – Try taking phonics games outside. Choose a sound and use leaves
- Outdoor Learning EYFS – If you can make sure there is an outside space that is accessible and start to reduce the plastic and have more natural objects. Such as leaves they can write on, stones to do art with. Strip back the made plastic objects and keep natural for optimum imagination and creative skills to be used.
For more outdoor learning ideas for primary schools, sign up for FREE! If it is active learning you are looking for try GoNoodle a great way to get kids moving inside the class.
Watch the MPT safety videos to help you practice the best outdoor learning methods. These videos are also useful for those practising forest school.
Search for more outdoor learning resources : Babies (0-2) | Tots (2-4) | EYFS (4-5) | KS1(5-7) | LKS2( 7-9) | UKS2 (9-11) | Special Needs
For Training head to: Accredited Training | Short Certificate Courses
Have you also checked: Outdoor Ebooks | Assembly Packs | Home Learning Packs | Safety Support | Special Outdoor Events
- Support Outdoor Learning charities and head to Learning through Landscapes who can help with free outdoor learning ideas.
- Institute for Outdoor Learning are also a fabulous charity to refer to if you want to gather ideas for outdoor learning training and organisations.
- Look out for Green Flag Award to promote outdoor learning in primary schools through the muddy puddles approach.
