Outdoor learning kit

Connect to nature, let ourselves be still, let ourselves feel alive.
Tūhono ki te taiao, e tau ai te mauri, e ora ai te mauri.

Create a nature frame, treasure container or a nature journal. These tools with your students to help you teach outside and your students to learn in nature.

Outdoor learning kit activity card (PDF, 1,095K)

Nature frames

Nature frames help focus our attention. They are a simple way of shifting the way we see things.

Create a class set of frames using:

• recycled card, boxes, scrap paper
• wool or string
• materials from nature (eg harakeke and sticks)
• old picture frames (and decorate them)
• your hands to make a ‘finger frame’.

Take your frames outside and frame nature.

• You could make a 1 m x 1 m frame on the ground out of string and do this activity as a group, or a 5 m x 5 m frame and get the whole class involved.

Frames can also be used to frame drawings or photos of your findings and experiences, for the class walls or gifts for whānau.

Treasure containers

Collect treasures you find while out exploring in nature.

To create treasure containers you could:

• reuse old shoe boxes, paper bags, containers (you can decorate them with drawings or pressed leaves and PVA)
• make a paper funnel/cone
• make a paper origami box
• work with experts to sew or weave a bag or kete/basket.

Make a nature journal

A class set of nature journals provides a great tool to record your discoveries, or tune in, focus and be mindful.

Materials needed

• Cardboard (eg recycle a box from the supermarket) cut into a size slightly bigger than A4.
• Selection of A4 paper – try out different colours or re-use/recycle paper from the school printer.
• Elastic band, string or ribbon to hold it together. Or needle and thread to sew the spine.
• Envelope (A5 or smaller) or make one from an A4 sheet.
• Glue or stapler.
• Pens, pencils, crayons.

Make your journal:

1. Fold the cardboard and A4 pages in half to make a book.
2. Secure with a rubber band or string or sew it.
3. Staple or glue the envelope inside the back cover – a handy pocket for pencils or treasure.
4. Personalise or decorate.

Hangaia he kete tūhono taiao

‘Tūhono ki te taiao, e tau ai te mauri, e ora ai te mauri’

Anei ngā taputapu hei tautoko i ngā akoranga o ngā kāri mahi. Hangaia ēnei taputapu me āu ākoanga hei rauemi tautoko i ngā akoranga i te taiao.

Hangaia he kete tūhono taiao (PDF, 1,087K)

Taipapa Taiao

Mā te taitapa taiao e arotahi ai. E māmā ai te āta tirotiro i ngā mea katoa.

Hangaia he taitapa taiao mā tāu akomanga mā ngā;

• Pouaka, kāri, pepa hangarua.
• Wūru, taura rānei.
• Taputapu o te taiao (he harakeke, he rākau).
• Taitapa tawhito (ka whakarākei ake).
• Āu matimati hei hanga ‘taitapa matimati’.

Haria āu taitapa ki waho ka taitapa i te taiao;

• Ka taea te hangaia he taitapa 1 m x 1 m ki runga i te papa mā te tauira, ka noho ā-rōpu.

Whakamahia hoki ngā taitapa hei taitapa mō āu mahinga toi, whakaahua o ngā whēako o te rā. He pai ēnei hei whakairi ki ngā pakitara o te akomanga, hei taonga ki te whanau hoki.

Pouaka Kaimanawa

Kohikohi he taonga i a koe e mātirotiro ana i te taiao.

• Hangaia he pouaka kaimanawa.
• Whakamahia he pouaka hū tawhito, he pāhi pepa, he ipu rānei. Ka whakarākei mā ētahi toi, rau hoki. Whakapiri mā te pia me te whakapiripiri.
• Hangaia he kōeko mā te pepa.
• Hangaia he pouaka mā te pōkaikai pepa.
• Noho tahi me ngā tohunga raranga ki te whatu me te raranga kete.

Hangaia He Pukapuka Taiao

He kohinga pukapuka taiao hei rauemi tautoko i ngā tirohanga o te taiao, e arotahi ai, e noho tau ai ngā kohikohinga.

Ngā taputapu

• He kāri pepa (tīkina he pouaka hangarua mai i ngā toa hokomaha) tapahia kia nui ake i te A4 pepa te rahi.
• Whakamahia he pepa A4, he rerekē ngā tae, rānei he pepa kua hangaruatia e te kura.
• Whakamahia he taura rapa, he taura, he rīpene, he miro, he nīra hei tuitui, hei herehere i āu whārangi.
• He kōpaki A5, hangaia mā tētahi pepa A4.
• He tēpara hei whakapiripiri i ngā whārangi.
• He pene, he penerākau, he pene whītau hoki.

Hangaia tāu pukapuka

1. Pōkai i ngā kāri me ngā whārangi A4 kia haurua, e puta ai he pukapuka.
2. Mā te taura rapa, te tauira, mā te tuitui rānei e tūhono.
3. Mā te tēpara, mā te pia rānei hei hono i te kōpaki ki te uhi o-roto hei pūkoro mō ngā pene me ētahi atu taputapu.
4. Whakarākeitia.