outdoor learning

Outdoor Learning – Numeracy

We have been learning how to collect information/data using tally charts and how to display our data in bar graphs and pictograms.

P2 suggested our next survey be to gather data about the colour of cars coming down the Sound Brae. P2 really enjoyed this experience:

Pupil Voice:

“Silver was the most popular car, I have 34 tallies”

”Blue cars were the least, I only saw 4”

”I forgot to use a diagonal line for 5 so I have taken one off the end and put it diagonally… I have 9 red cars in total”.

P2 shared their data with each other, discussing the most frequent, least, any differences and some were counting in 5s to total their information. We added our data to bar graphs, using multiples of 2 as our number topic with Ms Mitchell is counting on 2s we were applying our skills from her maths into data handling.

We’re a moving on to chance and uncertainty as our next numeracy topic with Mrs Sjoberg.

Outdoor Learning – The pull of the tide!

Primary 2 had an exciting, hands-on learning experience at Sound Beach, where we explored the fascinating world of tides and the moon’s role in creating them. The visit combined science, fun, and a little bit of magic as the children measured tides, investigated rock pools, and enjoyed the wonders of the seaside.

Morning Mysteries: Investigating High Tide

We began our adventure in the morning, just as the tide was nearing its highest point. Armed with sticks and big imaginations, the children worked in groups to place their markers at the edge of the water. They were amazed to learn that the moon’s gravitational pull helps control the movement of the ocean!

“I wonder where the sticks will be when we come back”
” Do you think someone will steal them?”

After placing our markers, we had time to explore nearby rock pools, where we discovered tiny crabs, slippery seaweed, and even a few shiny shells that looked like treasures.

Afternoon Exploration: Low Tide Discoveries

When we returned to Sound Beach in the afternoon, the scene had completely changed! The water had pulled far back, exposing sandy stretches and more rock pools to explore. The children were thrilled to see how far their sticks were from the water now—it was a powerful visual of the tide’s movement.

“Wow!! Look how far away the water is”

“Look, our stick is still in the sand”

We measured the distance between the morning high tide and the afternoon low tide using footsteps, sparking lots of curiosity about how far the water travels and how the moon manages this incredible feat.

A Playful Finish

After all our hard work measuring and observing, it was time for some well-earned fun! The children jumped into rock pools, created sand angels, and even unearthed a few “hidden treasures” like shells and smooth pebbles.

What We Learned

Back in the classroom, we talked about how the moon’s gravity pulls on the Earth’s water, creating high and low tides.

Outdoor Learning – Positional Language

Primary 2 we’re using their knowledge of positional language words (on, under, next to, to the left) in the wildlife area. We took turns suggesting positional language and had to show it with our bodies.
We were using our focusing meta-skills to focus our attention to show positional language using the natural resources.
Pupil voice ‘Look I am on a tree!’ ‘I am on the right of the wall.’ ‘I am under the branch.’
‘look I am on the puddle but only for like a second and then I am in it!’
Our next steps are to use our positional language knowledge to instruct others where to go by writing directions.

Welcome back!

After our October break, we kicked off the new term with an amazing Halloween party alongside the next-door P2 class. It was a fantastic way to celebrate, get moving, and try a few new things together.

🎶 Musical Monster Bumps & Statues 🎶

First, we put on our dancing shoes (and a few funny costumes) to play Musical Monster Bumps and Statues! The music played, and everyone showed off their best dance moves until it suddenly stopped—then we had to freeze like statues. Some of us had serious concentration faces, and a few funny faces snuck in too! There was plenty of laughter as everyone gave their best poses.

🧠 Finding Sweets in the “Brain”

One of the biggest challenges of the day was searching for treats inside a pumpkin “brain” (filled with slimy spaghetti!). Each of us had to reach in, feel around, and find a hidden sweet. It felt strange and squishy, but everyone gave it a try. And yes—there were plenty of “ewws!” and giggles, but by the end, each of us found a little treat to enjoy.

🌲 2D and 3D Shape Hunt with Our Buddies! 🌲

After all the indoor fun, we got outside to work with our P6 buddies on a shape hunt around the wildlife area. Together, we searched for as many 2D and 3D shapes as we could find. We spotted circles in trees, rectangles on the wall, and even discovered a few spheres and cuboids hiding in plain sight. It was a perfect way to bring our learning about shapes to life and connect with our buddies at the same time.

Our class had a fantastic return to school, and we’re excited for more learning and new adventures this term. Until next time, we’ll be keeping our eyes open for even more shapes and challenges around us!

Warm wishes from P2! 🎉

We spent a lovely afternoon at the stoney beach our favourite place. Our intended learning was to revisit road safety, beach risky play particularly rock climbing and the sea depth.

We found some interesting treasures and we enjoyed a windy beach explore. Pupils were using descriptive words to describe rocks and shell patterns.

Pupil voice

‘I think being outside makes me in a happy mood’

‘This rock is stripy but in a circle kind of stripe’

’I found two fossils can you believe it, I know what kind of creature is in here!’

‘The sea is wild waves today, I wonder if the poor fish feel sea sick!’

‘I found a cave and when I put my hand on, I felt a creature inside it!’

Continue reading “Outdoor Learning”

Bigton Farm and St Ninians

What better way to spend the first international day of play than to be outdoors exploring all day. We started our day at Bigton Farm where Amy showed us farm life, we fed pigs and were up close with many animals. We then spent time at St Ninians beach before eating lunch at Dunrossness school and heading to the park on the way home. We are so grateful to our hosts at the Dunrossness school and Bigton Farm for bringing learning to life for Primary 1.

Outdoor Learning – Posting Letters

Primary 1 have been learning about the post, we had a visit from a postman and last week we wrote ourselves a letter about the visit. We addressed our envelopes and spoke about the postcode, house names/numbers and the location our post would be going.

Today we walked to Sound Service to buy stamps, on the way pupils pointed out different environmental print and other interesting places/things:

Pupils were excited to get into the bus stop and look at the bus timetable, we spoke about the time the bus would be coming and how to get the bus to stop. We got to use the traffic lights for the first time today too.

‘Look that sign means 20 in your car, you can’t go faster!’

‘That is new houses being built… that sign says only workers and you have to wear a hat… that word says i…n… in.’

‘There is a Shetland pony, and is the baby one called a ‘foal’?

Pupils asked the shop worker for 15 stamps, they chose 2nd class stamps and then on the way back we stopped to look at frozen nature. We enjoyed holding the frozen leaves while they melted and crushing them near our ear to hear the noises they make.

Look out in the post for your child’s letter – hope you enjoy reading it together.

Numeracy Week Outdoor Learning

This week is ‘numeracy week’ at Sound Primary School, today for outdoor learning the adults were encouraging learners to notice number and beyond number learning in the outdoors. The class enjoyed exploring and playing in the wildlife area and for our group time Mrs Sjoberg encouraged us to use ‘positional language’ – we were pointing out our right and left, sitting ‘on’ top of something, lying ‘next’ to something, going ‘under’ something, climbing ‘over’ something.

Children’s voice:

‘This puddle is making splashing sounds, and the mud is ‘squelching’. The child then told Mrs Sjoberg how to segment these words using their phonics knowledge. ‘S-P-L-A-SH’

‘This stick is longer than his stick… My stick is shorter, if I add this stick too with cellotape then it is longer than his’.

‘I am jumping in ‘muddy’ puddles, my boots have mud on them’… ‘I can spell mud, M-U-D’.

‘I feel safe because this part was slippery on the tree so I am moved to this bit.’

‘Look this tree still has – 1,2,3,4,5,6,7… leaves on it, I wonder if they will be there next week or falled off?’

‘This acorn baby looks like a ‘c’ (child then showed me the action for ‘c’ and sang the ‘c’ song).

WE LOVE OUTDOOR LEARNING! (Especially on a rainy day!)