A practical guide to developing mathematical concepts in the outdoors
The outdoors is often the most underdeveloped and underused aspect of our practice and yet it yields additional and important elements to a child’s learning by contextualising concepts through first hand experiences.
Messy Maths explores the use of the outdoors to develop mathematical concepts and has been developed from the tutors first hand experiences of International pedagogical practice from across Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden & Finland), where the inspiration for the Foundation Phase was gained.
Aims:
To explore the potential of the outdoor environment to develop mathematical concepts. To understand the importance of movement and thinking as linked functions. Explore ways to promote higher-order, child-initiated opportunities for mathematical learning through Child Centred and Experiential Learning. We will discuss the adult role in supporting children’s mathematical knowledge and understanding effectively in an outdoor environment. Explore ways to provide open ended natural resources to support cognitive development and mathematical reasoning. We shall explore the outdoors as a learning rich environment in the context of play.
Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:
Review your current mathematical and numeracy practice and implement an action plan to enhance school mathematical practice.
Identify how the outdoor environment can be used as an additional classroom to enhance foundation phase numeracy development.
Identify new resources and contexts to stimulate mathematical learning in your setting. Confidence to implement outdoor learning as a core part of your numeracy practice.
Upcoming Courses
March 2025
Date: March 14th 2025 (Mud Pi Day)
Time: 9:30am-3pm
Location: Dare Valley Community Woodland, Aberdare, South Wales