Outdoor learning for school groups

Season

May to September

Location

Any

Additional information

Exploring habitats and collecting invertebrates. Children will learn how to treat animals with respect and care, as well as how to use:

• a key,
• a magnifier to identify the creatures, and
• identifications charts.

Season

Any (May to September preferable)

Location

Any

Additional information

Becoming woodland detectives to discover what lives in the park, children will search for animal signs, like tracks, feathers, food and holes in trees.

Children can learn about the park’s animals, like squirrels, moles and birds and discover why they live in their habitat.

Season

Any

Location

Roath Park Conservatory

Additional information

A tour of the conservatory to discover rainforest plants and how indigenous people use them.

Season

Any

Location

Roath Park Conservatory

Additional information

A tour of the conservatory to discover the edible plants from all over the world, such as oranges, coffee and vanilla.

Season

April or May and September or October

Location

Forest Farm or Bute Park

Additional information

Learning to identify hedgerow and woodland plants and their use in modern cooking.

• Spring is a time for young shoots such as garlic, mustard and ramsons.
• Autumn is a time to harvest nuts and berries.

Season

May to September

Location

Roath Botanic or Bute Park

Additional information

Learning about some of our unusual trees, where they come from and what they are used for. Roath Botanic Garden and Bute Park are arboretums, or collections of significant trees.

Season

Any

Location

Any

Additional information

Exploring trees and answering questions like:

• What is a tree?
• What lives in trees?
• What is an arboretum?
• What makes a champion tree?
• Which trees are evergreen, and which are deciduous?

Children can take part in tree-related activities including:

• examining leaves,
• bark-rubbing, and
• estimating the age of some of the trees.

Season

Any

Location

Any (Bute Park, Forest Farm, Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve preferable)

Additional information

Identifying bird species, learning:

• why they live in the park, and
• how they survive.

Season

May to September

Location

• Forest Farm
• Bute Park
• Llanishen Park
• Cefn Onn Park
• Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve
• Roath Mill Gardens

Additional information

River dipping from a beach on the River Taff to look for creatures that live there.

Or, pond dipping to look for creatures living there.

Children can examine and identify what they find. They can record the type of creatures and number of each species to calculate how healthy the river or pond is.

Season

May to September

Location

Any park with meadows

Additional information

Studying plants to become botanists, children can:

• identify flowering plants, and
• start to investigate and understand a plant’s life cycle – from seed, to shoot to flower to fruit.

Season

March to June

Location

Any

Additional information

Searching for signs of spring such as:

• spring flowers,
• blossom, and
• new life or life cycles.

Season

Any

Location

Bute Park, Hailey Park

Additional information

Using teamwork to learn:

• what a map is,
• how to use a map and compass to navigate around a simple orienteering course, and
• how to follow instructions and collaborate.

Children can work together to solve the challenges and find the ‘treasure’ hidden in the park.

Season

Any

Location

Any

Additional information

Exploring the park through games and activities, children will use natural materials to:

• create a bark art gallery,
• put together a scavenger hunt, and
• complete the twig tower challenge.

An opportunity to work on communication and team building skills.

Season

Art

Location

Art

Additional information

Exploring the park looking for ideas to gather and use natural materials.

Children can also identify and explore colour, textures, shape, and patterns in nature through activities.

Season

May to September

Location

Bute Park

Additional information

Children can explore the park and search for the clues mentioned in the story to help find Gerry and his friends.

Playing games and developing geographical skills, children can also improve their knowledge of the local area.

They will need to be familiar with the book beforehand.

Season

May to September

Location

Any

Additional information

Discovering the world of pollinators and how they are important to the environment.

Children can discuss bees and answer questions like:

• What is the difference between honeybees, solitary bees and bumble bees?
• How do honeybees make honey?
• What do bees eat?