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Hapazome - mini outdoor learning festival 

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Hapazome - mini outdoor learning festival 

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Delegates got the chance to explore the Japanese art of hapazome (using a hammer to print onto textiles or paper using plants, leaves, flowers). Hapazome helps to develop motor skills as well as utilising art and design principles and helping children to become familiar with their local flora and fauna (biodiversity).

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Book Nook at Mini Outdoor Learning Festival 

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Book Nook at Mini Outdoor Learning Festival 

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Collegiate discussion and a chance to look at great books for outdoor learning - both children's books and books to support our practice

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Fire and tools chat at Mini Outdoor Learning Festival 

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Fire and tools chat at Mini Outdoor Learning Festival 

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The Scottish Fire Service determined that it was too hot and dry to ignite a fire, sadly, but delegates discussed all things fire - benefits, benefit/risk assessment, books to use with children around fire safety. And some had a look at tools to take to the woods and how we might use them safely with children, developing their own risk assessment skills and real-life skills, too

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Nature Crafts at Mini Outdoor Learning Festival 

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Nature Crafts at Mini Outdoor Learning Festival 

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Enjoying some weaving in the woods - fine motor skills and concentration

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All you need is a couple of trays, a small bucket or container and a net to explore the biodiversity of your local pond (Sciences - Planet Earth - Biodiversity & Interdependence) plus lots of opportunities for language development and literacy - reading both fiction and non-fiction

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High Quality Outdoor Learning 2025 by Institute for Outdoor Learning

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Taking Learning Outdoors - Partnerships for Excellence 

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Taking Learning Outdoors - Partnerships for Excellence 

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Tips and ideas for Beyond the Gate experiences

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Share outdoor practice from your setting or ideas from training events here!

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Outdoor Spaces - links to further reading 

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Outdoor Spaces - links to further reading 

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Spaces Outdoors – further reading – Early Level Portal

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Key Policies - Learning through Landscapes 

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Key Policies - Learning through Landscapes 

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Scottish policies for outdoor learning and play in education

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A list of Scottish policies for outdoor learning and play in education. This page is updated regularly when new policy is adopted.

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Risk/Benefit - Learning through Landscapes

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Risk/Benefit - Learning through Landscapes

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The benefits of outdoor learning and play are far too important to forfeit, and by far outweigh the risks of an accident occurring.

Outdoor learning risk management

As an organisation, Learning through Landscapes is committed to children being able to experience challenging play and learning activities in the day-to-day environment of their school or nursery grounds.

We balance the benefits of any activity against the risks associated with that activity. We want to enable schools and nurseries to make careful and considered judgements that will allow children to develop the skills that they need for a fulfilling adult life.

Balancing immediate risk with long-term benefits is a skill every teacher and educator already has - consider the different response you would make if a child runs past in the corridor, or if a child runs past on sports day. If you would like advice and training, please visit our Risk Management in Schools training page.

We believe strongly in the benefits of managed risk for children and we are proud to have endorsed the International School Grounds Alliance Risk Declaration.

"When planning and providing learning opportunities, the goal is not to eliminate risk, but to weigh up risks and benefits. No child will learn about risk if they are wrapped in cotton wool"

Health & Safety Executive, 2012

Risk and Challenge as learning opportunities

Our view that risk and challenge is a positive learning opportunity is confirmed by many national organisations, including the UK Government, and the curriculum in Wales and Scotland.

The output of this work is a practical approach to risk management in schools and early years settings that seeks to be 'as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible'.

Below are the Risk Benefit Assessments that we use. They are intended to cover our activities - including play and outdoor learning in schools and early years settings.

Our Risk Benefit Assessments are designed to 'stack' - any given activity may require a Generic Location, a Generic Activity and possibly a Specific Activity. Specific Activities are ones that pose increased risk potential and require an increased level of control measures, group engagement and staff skills.

The implementation of these is supported by our well qualified and experienced staff, our monitoring by LtL Management and an all staff feedback system. This leads to continual improvement and a high level of engagement by all staff, something we value deeply alongside the paperwork side of risk management.

Your outdoor learning risk assessment benefits

Before making any changes to your risk assessments, you should satisfy yourself that it still meets any requirements that your Local Authority or Organisation has as policy. Do please call us for informal advice, or consider booking Risk Benefit training with us.

Generic location risk benefit assessments

Outdoor Activity (routine and expected) Risk Benefit Assessments

Specific Outdoor Activity Risk Benefit Assessments

Other related documents

Forest School Risk Assessment

We 'stack' our Risk Assessments. This means that for activities that fall under a formal 'Forest School' approach we would include the woodland risk assessment for venue, the loose parts play risk assessment and then specific risk assessments such as fire and cooking or tool use.

If you are looking for Forest School Risk Assessment, or Forest School Risk Benefit Assessment, please use the downloads above.

We can also offer specific advice on your site and setting, as well as introduce you to people and organisations who can advise more.

If you'd like to get involved or want to stay up to date with our projects, sign up to our free newsletter today.

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Outdoor Learning and Play - Risk Benefit Assessments

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The benefits of outdoor learning and play are far too important to forfeit, and by far outweigh the risks of an accident occurring. As an organisation, Learning through Landscapes is committed to children being able to experience challenging play and learning activities in the day-to-day environment of their school or nursery grounds.

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Curriculum linked practical ideas to enhance science learning outdoors

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Click this link then scroll down the portal page to a see list of audits including Literacy Outdoors and Numeracy Outdoors

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“We ensure that high-quality learning through play is the central focus of our improvement planning. All of our plans and actions are directed at improving experiences and outcomes for children. We can evidence clearly the link between self-evaluation and improved approaches to how young children learn within our setting.” (How Good Is Our Early Learning & Childcare, Education Scotland, 2016, p. 12)

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Spaces Beyond the Gates – Early Level Portal

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“There is a reason parents take their babies and toddlers outdoors to play, and children and adults of all ages continue to seek out local greenspaces, the countryside, seashores and wildland – it satisfies a deep need within us and is fundamental to our wellbeing. Scotland’s progressive approach to outdoor play and nursery provision, especially if developed through further provision informal education, will bring lasting dividends in health, wellbeing and learning, and even our national identity.”

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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Children from anywhere have play themes in common.

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Nature pedagogy has no age limits, and a sense of being one with nature transcends curriculum levels.

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Successful Approaches to Learning Outdoors

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Successful Approaches to Learning Outdoors

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Scotland's  National Outdoor Play & Learning Position Statement

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Scotland's  National Outdoor Play & Learning Position Statement