Although the national Curriculum for Key Stages 1&2 does not give direct links to outdoor play, learning outside the classroom is encouraged to provide a broader curriculum.

A carefully designed play space will provide ample opportunity to take the curriculum out of the indoor classroom and engage the children in a different way. The range of possibilities appears endless but here are a few ideas to kick off:

Science

• Forces and motion
• Measurement of larger objects – logs, climbing frames, slides
• Experiments with toys/ play equipment to illustrate the effect of force and motion, using push/pull or varying gradients.
• Habitats
• Planters located in different sites around the school to give different light levels, temperature and rainfall. Children choose suitable plants for different conditions
• Create a formicarium or wormery and observe.
• Hunt for mini-beasts under logs and stones or in the purpose designed 'Mini Beast Motel.'
• The plants and animals found in areas of the play space or the rest of the school environment can be used to enhance the Life Processes part of the curriculum.
• Sound
• Devise a constant loudness source and explore the effect of distance. What happens as children move away from the source? How far can they go before they can’t hear the noise?
• Senses
• Create a touch trail eg to find something smooth, rough, furry, slimy, soft and hard.

English

• Reading
• reate a written trail around the school and the play area for children to follow signs and symbols or a set of written instructions. Collect or record evidence as proof of the journey.
• Poetry
• Write a poem about a favourite item in the play area and how it makes you feel.
• Descriptive words
• Choose contrasting playground activities and make a list of as many words as possible to describe them.
• Questionnaire
• Help children design a questionnaire to determine what they like about the school grounds/ play spaces / play equipment.

Mathematics

• Plan
• Draw a plan of the play area to a suitable scale and plot the positions of the equipment.
• Angles
• Use a clinometer to measure the heights of the slide, climbing frame etc.
• Maths Trail
• Use a trim trail to carry out a number of mathematical activities, e.g. measuring, timing, etc.
• Counting
• Count the number of users on each piece of equipment at break. Draw a bar chart to show which is the most popular.