NewsSky's the limit - Join Outdoor Classroom Day
By Jake Wiid, Publisher · 5 Nov 2026
Outdoor learning doesn't always need to happen off site. Sometimes it just needs a door opening. Here is how any teacher can get pupils outside, and make the Outdoor Classroom Day Count.
Why give it a go?
When did your class last have a lesson under an open sky?
Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child's day. Twice a year, teachers take children outside to play and learn, and the community keeps campaigning for more time outdoors all year round. In the UK and Ireland, schools can join in on 5 November 2026, 20 May 2027 or 4 November 2027, so there is a date to suit your term.
And it seems to stick. According to the campaign's own teacher survey, two thirds of schools have increased playtime and outdoor learning since getting involved.
Whether you teach reception or Year 11, stepping outside can turn an ordinary lesson into something pupils remember. If you are new to outdoor learning, the day is a low-pressure way to try it. If you already head outdoors often, use it to celebrate what you do and inspire your colleagues!
What do you need to do?
No ticket. No special equipment. No set programme to follow. Outdoor Classroom Day simply asks you to take learning and play outdoors, in whatever way works for your pupils and your site.
The campaign asks you to:
- Join the community online
- Look through the resources, and share your own
- Take part in the day of action
- Share what you got up to
When you sign up, you can put your school on the Outdoor Classroom Day map , alongside schools around the world. You can register a single class or your whole school (just make sure you have permission first!).
"Two thirds of schools have increased playtime and outdoor learning since getting involved." Outdoor Classroom Day teacher survey
Top tips for teachers
- Take a lesson you have already planned outside. It does not need to be new or elaborate.
- The field, the playground, a quiet corner or a few trees all make a classroom.
- Measure in maths, write about what you can see, hunt for minibeasts in science or sketch in art, you can link this all to your curriculum.
- Look for hazards, agree boundaries and think about shade, wet ground and weather.
- the space accessible to all pupils? Do any children need extra support, medication or adjustments outdoors?
- Make sure there are enough staff, everyone knows their role and you can contact the school office if you need to.
- Going beyond the school gate? Treat it as a visit and talk to your EVC early, so it is planned and approved in the usual way.
- Review afterwards, look at what worked? What would you change? Share it with colleagues!
The Outdoor Classroom Day website has resources and inspiration, and teachers can share their own ideas too.
A note for EVCs
Staff will look to you for reassurance, so encourage them to tell you early if a plan leaves the school site and to check that existing risk assessments cover the activity. Learning outdoors, on site and locally, builds the confidence and habits that make bigger visits easier to plan.
Share your story
Did your school get outside? We would love to hear about it, and so would the wider educational visits community. Tell us what you tried, what you learned and what you would do next time. Case studies from schools like yours are exactly what makes this magazine useful! https://www.theevcmagazine.com/write-for-us
Find out more
Sign up and explore the resources at outdoorclassroomday.org.uk
Outdoor Classroom Day in the UK and Ireland is led by Learning through Landscapes: ltl.org.uk
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