How to Create Science and Maths opportunities in your playground
Recent years have seen a growing interest from schools and educators in building a strong, creative approach to Science and Maths which can be applied across the curriculum. This comes with an increased focus on exploration, problem solving, and practical activities to bring more depth of understanding to the learning achieved in lessons teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) subjects.
These playground STEM ideas not only deepen learning but can make it more accessible to children of different ages, abilities and backgrounds. Additionally, they can build cross-curricular skills including questioning, creative thinking and problem solving.
Playtime gives children many outdoor learning opportunities to self-initiate STEM activities and independently explore questions which interest them. The playground can also give children the opportunity to think about how the concepts they’ve explored in class can be applied to real life.
Many children are innately drawn to explore their surroundings. However, providing the right surroundings and materials in a school playground can encourage children to connect this exploration to their wider knowledge or take their own questioning a step further.
Growing Plants and Flowers
Many primary teachers encourage their students to grow and observe plants as part of their science curriculum. However, varied planters can open opportunities for more ambitious projects to explore plants in the long term.
This could be achieved through growing fruit and vegetables, observing seasonal changes, seeing pollination in action, or finding where and in what conditions different types of plants grow best.
Playground Markings
Educational playground markings have long been used as a way to secure children’s knowledge of science and incorporate outdoor maths games. In infant playgrounds, this is most often seen through number snakes, hopscotch, and hundred squares.
In Junior school playgrounds, you might see representations of the solar system, clocks, multiplication grids and multiplication squares.
Many of these, along with more interactive features like giant snakes and ladders, are classic playground features for a reason. However, thinking outside the box can also create some amazing opportunities for children to explore STEM subjects.
Marking out measurements can help children internalise commonly used language like metres and half miles. It can also spark activities such as finding out how far different children can jump or run in given times or racing paper aeroplanes.
The more open-ended the line markings the more cross-curricular opportunities that can come from them. A blank Venn Diagram or chart with X and Y axis can provide the perfect template to build upon, using chalk children can sort different materials, record results from activities and have great discussions surrounding collecting data.
Science-based play equipment
Equipment such as sand and water play, giant ball runs, and water walls all fall under this category. However, they’re not always recognised as an example of STEM outdoor activities in primary schools.
These pieces of equipment are wonderful for developing early engineering skills and problem solving in EYFS, KS1 KS2, as well as observing different forces at work like sinking, floating, and gravity as well as what can be done to affect them.
Additionally, they’re often used as a small group activity which can help children to stretch their team building and communication skills - learning how to collaborate effectively.
Building and Engineering
Building and construction can be an exciting addition to your playground equipment. These resources can help nurture natural curiosity and problem solving as children apply trial and error to find out what makes a strong and stable structure. It encourages them to build bases or props to use in creative play - imagining a real-world use for their creation.
These can come in a variety of forms. From light-weight connecting tubes and building blocks, to giant polydrons, to scrap materials such as recycled pallets, tires, and guttering.
Mud Kitchens
Whether they’re mixing mud pies, mashing up leaves, or stirring potions, children love all the mess and creativity that comes with a mud kitchen. They’re often used alongside forest school and Early Years as part of the curriculum to help children engage in nature and hands on exploration. Not only are they great for growing fine motor skills and creativity, but they can help bring STEM learning in to the main primary school playground too, whatever the age and ability of the children they are always lots of fun and well enjoyed.
Jugs and cups in your mud kitchen help provide real life opportunities for numeracy, supporting with growing familiar with measuring, volume and capacity. As part of science children can enjoy mixing different natural materials and textures together exploring their qualities as they play. If you can include planting in the area for making mud pies, children will enjoy dissecting plants to add to their recipes which can help build knowledge of parts of leaves and flowers too.
Bug Hotels
Bug hotels and Mini Beast Habitats are another way to get children up close and personal with the natural world. These are a collection of materials which are perfect for insects to make their homes in. They encourage more wildlife and pollination in your playground, bringing more nature right to your children’s doorsteps.
Sturdier structures can be bought like the mini beast habitat, but they’re also easy to make yourself with bricks, dead wood, or bamboo.
Insect hotels are excellent for learning about habitats. Children can observe how different insects require different homes and foods. By looking at the occupied “rooms” in the hotel, children may also be able to identify which bugs they’ve attracted. They will enjoy playing detective looking for leaves that have been munched through or wood shavings that have been burrowed into.
Music and Sound
Music can bring an extra sensory element to the outdoors. Children love large, interactive instruments they can chime, hit, or rattle. Being able to physically feel the vibrations from these can help cement ideas about how sound works.
Having outdoor music for free play can additionally help them to learn about pitch, tempo, and how to generate different sounds with the same instrument.
Summary
Creating STEM playground opportunities doesn’t have to be a large monetary investment, but it can make a real difference to how students view and interact with science and maths in the ‘real world’. It can additionally make a statement about how these subjects are valued in your school.
At Phoenix Play, we believe children learn best through play, and strive to create valuable educational opportunities in every playground we design. Our uniquely designed playgrounds are a lot of fun, individually created to support your school and children to maximise learning and achieve their developmental goal. If you would like to discuss maximising your outdoor learning potential get in touch to arrange a free on site consultation with one of our incredible outdoor learning consultants.
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