Don’t Let Frightful Weather Scare You Indoors This Halloween!

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Don’t Let Frightful Weather Scare You Indoors This Halloween!

October brings pumpkins, falling leaves and plenty of Halloween fun, but it can also bring rain, wind and rapidly changing temperatures.

For schools that enjoy outdoor learning and play, unpredictable autumn weather can make it tempting to retreat indoors until conditions improve. But with a little preparation, the changing seasons don’t have to stop pupils from making the most of the outdoors.

Embrace Autumn

Autumn provides learning opportunities that simply aren’t available at other times of year.

Changing leaves, seeds, conkers and seasonal wildlife can all become part of lessons and activities. Even rainfall can provide opportunities for investigating puddles, drainage, measurement and the water cycle.

Rather than seeing autumn weather as something that interrupts outdoor learning, it can become part of the lesson itself.

Dress for the Weather

Suitable clothing can make a huge difference to how enjoyable outdoor activities are during autumn.

Encouraging pupils to bring waterproof coats and appropriate footwear means a little drizzle doesn’t necessarily need to bring an outdoor lesson to an end.

Schools should, of course, assess weather conditions and activities appropriately, particularly during strong winds or severe weather.

Create Somewhere to Retreat

Having access to a sheltered outdoor area can provide much greater flexibility.

A school canopy or covered outdoor classroom gives pupils somewhere to continue activities when showers arrive and provides a useful base for outdoor lessons, Forest School sessions, breaktimes and other activities.

It can also provide somewhere to examine natural objects, complete worksheets or discuss discoveries without immediately returning to the classroom.

Make Halloween an Outdoor Occasion

Halloween itself provides plenty of reasons to head outside.

Create a pumpkin trail, organise an autumn scavenger hunt, tell spooky stories beneath a covered outdoor area or challenge pupils to find some of nature’s own Halloween decorations, from spider webs to unusually shaped leaves.

Outdoor spaces can also provide additional room for school Halloween events and fundraising activities.

Keep Outdoor Spaces Working Beyond Summer

It’s easy to associate outdoor learning with warm summer days, but school grounds have plenty to offer throughout autumn and winter.

Permanent covered areas can help schools make better use of these spaces across the seasons, providing protection from rain and creating flexible additional areas for learning, play and socialising.

So, when the clouds gather this Halloween, don’t let a little frightful weather scare everyone back inside.

With the right preparation, outdoor learning can continue to be spooktacular whatever autumn has in store!

Able Canopies Ltd. design, manufacture and install canopies and shade structures at schools, nurseries and educational settings to enable year-round Free Flow Outdoor Play and Outdoor Learning.
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