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Winter Nature Study in the Schoolyard

Welcome, educators, to the Outdoor Learning Hub, your go-to resource for turning every season into a learning adventure! As winter wraps its chilly embrace around us, it’s time to take your teaching outdoors and dive into the wonders of a Winter Nature Study. In this blog post, we’ll not only explore the benefits of outdoor […]

Quick-Growing Plants in your Classroom

Help!  What are some quick-growing plants in your classroom?  I get this question a lot and I can see why.  Sometimes we need something to grow quickly so that we can have immediate results.  You will not find avocado on this list, that’s for sure! Here are a few seeds that you can plant and […]

Watering Your Garden the Climate-Friendly Way

watering your garden

Watering your garden the climate-friendly way is important – whether there is a drought or not. You can conserve water and keep growing in your own garden or your outdoor classroom garden if you use the following tips for watering your garden in a climate-friendly way. Being climate-friendly Means Starting with the Right Soil Pretty […]

5 Quick Outdoor Activities for Kids

five quick outdoor activities

5 Quick Outdoor Activities for Kids   Whether you have a fun day of outdoor activities planned or simply need quick ideas for outdoor activities, here are 5 things you can easily do with a group of students while outdoors or in, no matter what age of students you teach. Play a Collaborative large-group Game […]

Building Tolerance for Outdoor Learning

https://youtu.be/HDh3PgHbx7U Building Tolerance for Outdoor Learning Building tolerance for weather and desire for being outdoors can be a huge challenge.  Are you trying to compete with video games and other online forms of entertainment?  One of the most common reasons I hear educators and parents say that outdoor learning is not for them is intolerable […]

Yay! It’s here – The EngagED to Learn Conference

engaged to learn conference title

Engaged to Learn Conference 2021 is something that I am excited to share with you! This is something that Sabah of Fantastic Mrs. Primary has put together for upper educators all over the world.  So if you teach grades 3 to 6, there will surely be a workshop that fits your needs.  The Engaged to […]

Best Sellers on Amazon for Outdoor Learning

best sellers on Amazon typing

Do you ever wonder what best sellers are on Amazon that would be perfect for outdoor learning?   Here in Ontario, we are in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the main place to buy things is Amazon.  We can visit our local grocery stores for the basics – food, toiletries and cleaning products.  […]

9 Plant-Based Tips for your Outdoor Learning Garden

An outdoor learning garden is an amazing teaching tool for many ages. Gardening with children is becoming more and more popular.  If you’re not sure where to start or what to plant, keep reading because I have 9 great tips to help you get started! What you plant in your outdoor learning garden depends on […]

Climate-Friendly Gardening for Kids

climate-friendly gardening

Climate-friendly gardening is a fantastic way to introduce the topic of climate change to children.  Learning about climate-friendly practices in the garden can impact students and help them discover the need for change in our environmental practices. Climate is the long-term pattern of weather conditions in places such as your home town, your community, your […]

Earth Day Activities for the Busy Teacher

Earth Day is an ideal time to introduce important concepts  to your students to develop their environmental literacy skills.  Earth day activities such as nature walks, recycling campaigns, reuseable art pieces, planting trees and learning to compost are excellent ways to educate students on the value of protecting our earth. Wondering what easy Earth Day […]

Books About Snowmen for Kids!

books on snowmen

Reading and listening to books about snowmen are almost as fun as building a snowman….almost!   Building snowman is a classic childhood activity when you grow up in Ontario, Canada.  As a mom and teacher, it’s also important to me that my children and the kids in my life get to have the same experience. […]

Ice Sculptures and Ottawa’s Winterlude

ice sculpture heart

Are you a fan of ice sculptures?  Me too!   This year marks the 43rd Winterlude in my hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  This is an incredible winter tradition that usually showcases an ice sculpture carving competition, live concerts, figure skater performances, Canadian winter traditions, and of course a steaming cup of hot chocolate and […]

Recycled Books: Environmentally-Friendly Art Process

“Recycled books are the perfect medium to create art,” I said to my book-loving husband. This is the story about how I won’t be using any of our books to create sculpture anytime soon but why I think YOU should. This past summer my family moved all of our precious belongings from one house to […]

Holiday Gift Guides for Teachers, Kids and More!

Holiday gift guides, toy catalogs, and children’s wish lists! We are just weeks away from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and I am starting to see holiday gift guides pop up here and there on social media. I would love to share some inspiration for giving gifts that are friendly to the […]

Best Read Aloud books for the Beginning of the year

best read aloud books

The beginning of the year is such an overwhelming and exciting time of year for students and teachers. Choosing the best read aloud books can be a great way to start conversations with your new students and get to know them. Also, building community is important in every classroom. When you read aloud books to […]

Take the Quiz: What kind of outdoor teacher are you?

**SORRY, THE QUIZ IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE** What kind of outdoor teacher are you? Now that we are starting a new school year and you are potentially spending more time on the school yard teaching imaginative lessons and telling eloquent stories, have you been thinking about what kind of outdoor teacher you are? I know, […]

My Favourite Nature Picture Books for Third Grade

Hey Teacher Friends! Creating outdoor lesson plans, collecting nature picture books and getting a sweet teacher planner – these are things that Augusts are made of. For teachers anyways, right? August is a month for furious planning and this year is no different. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been gathering book recommendations to use […]

Social Distancing Tips for Teachers!

social distancing tips

With school starting up in the fall, teachers have been thinking about ways to keep themselves and students safe. Read more to find out about social distancing tips for teachers and students. #socialdistancing #distancelearning #outdoorclassroom

Mindfulness in the Outdoor Classroom – Getting Started

mindfulness in the outdoor classroom

Mindfulness in the outdoor classroom?  Say what now?  Mindfulness. Nature.  THAT’s on our radars.  It’s a way of being that our brains know could be good for us and our hearts know we need. Now, Ontario has recently released a new Mathematics curriculum.  A BIG part that is new is a strand of Social-Emotional Learning […]