Naturally Teaching Elementary: A Podcast for Teachers and Homeschool Families
Aug 24, 2026 · 10 min · 10 segments
With school upon us, the stress levels are high for you and your learners. So let's help calm the nerves with some activities that can help you practice your outdoor learning routines and…
Victoria ZablockiHostThe first activity I wanna talk about is practicing routines and procedures for outdoor learning.
I know we all do this at the beginning of the year, but if you're planning on integrating outdoor learning into your pedagogy, you'll want to practice your outdoor expectations with your learners at the beginning of the year, just like you do your indoor expectations.
This includes getting ready to go outside and reaching your meeting location.
Some things to keep in mind and to plan and practice include going to the bathroom before your learners get ready, having your learners get ready and line up inside the classroom or in the hallway when they're ready to head out.
Consider where your outdoor meeting location will be and how will your learners get there.
Will they walk in a line, or will they run ahead of you? If you haven't thought through your outdoor classroom routines and procedures, make sure to go back and listen to episode two, Outdoor Learning Environment: Three Things to Plan for Back to School, to plan before taking your students outside.
Something to keep in mind this first week you're going outside is that your lessons will likely be shorter than your projected lessons later in the year.
You'll want to start out with shorter outdoor lessons that focus on practicing your routines and procedures and gradually elongate your time outside as students get the hang of the expectations.
It'll also take you longer at the beginning of the school year to get everyone used to going to the bathroom, getting dressed to go outside, and lining up when they're ready.
As they get used to those routines and procedures, you'll gradually be able to add that prep time to your outdoor lessons.
And although this suggestion isn't necessarily an activity type, you can use the activity suggestions in episode fourteen, Outdoor Classroom Routines and Procedures: Five Easy Activities for Your First Week Outside, to get a more specific activity that would help your learners practice your outdoor routines and procedures.
The first activity I wanna talk about is practicing routines and procedures for outdoor learning.
I know we all do this at the beginning of the year, but if you're planning on integrating outdoor learning into your pedagogy, you'll want to practice your outdoor expectations with your learners at the beginning of the year, just like you do your indoor expectations.
This includes getting ready to go outside and reaching your meeting location.
Some things to keep in mind and to plan and practice include going to the bathroom before your learners get ready, having your learners get ready and line up inside the classroom or in the hallway when they're ready to head out.
Consider where your outdoor meeting location will be and how will your learners get there.
Will they walk in a line, or will they run ahead of you? If you haven't thought through your outdoor classroom routines and procedures, make sure to go back and listen to episode two, Outdoor Learning Environment: Three Things to Plan for Back to School, to plan before taking your students outside.
Something to keep in mind this first week you're going outside is that your lessons will likely be shorter than your projected lessons later in the year.
You'll want to start out with shorter outdoor lessons that focus on practicing your routines and procedures and gradually elongate your time outside as students get the hang of the expectations.
It'll also take you longer at the beginning of the school year to get everyone used to going to the bathroom, getting dressed to go outside, and lining up when they're ready.
As they get used to those routines and procedures, you'll gradually be able to add that prep time to your outdoor lessons.
And although this suggestion isn't necessarily an activity type, you can use the activity suggestions in episode fourteen, Outdoor Classroom Routines and Procedures: Five Easy Activities for Your First Week Outside, to get a more specific activity that would help your learners practice your outdoor routines and procedures.
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