A multi-sensory approach to learning can be useful for all learners and writing outdoors can be just that!  This multi sensory approach can help learners to retain the concepts and, of course, have fun!

Resources required: natural materials, different objects – cans, bottles, bottle tops, string, wool, chalk

To create natural letters and numbers, collect a variety of natural materials that you can find in your garden or on a short walk outside.  These could be sticks, stones, twigs, leaves, pine cones – the list goes on.  Use these materials to create the shapes of letters or numbers in your outdoor space.  If you don’t have access to lots of natural materials, you could use larger objects from indoors – tin cans, bottles etc, or your could use string or wool to make the shapes of letters.

Chalk can be used to support learners to create the shapes of letters, like tracing.  Write, or support your learner to write the letter or number on the ground and then cover it with your materials.

You could also use the chalk to write on different surfaces around your outdoors space – walls, fences and the ground all make fantastic places to write. Or, if you have sand or gravel, use your finger to write letters and create different shapes. Can you write your name or your age?