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Outdoor Spring Activities From Your Recycling Box

Outdoor Spring Activities From Your Recycling Box

With the arrival of spring, outdoor learning becomes even more engaging. Longer days, milder weather, and new life emerging all provide the perfect opportunity for children to explore, investigate, and learn beyond the classroom. From discovering minibeasts to growing simple plants, spring offers endless educational possibilities.

One of the most effective ways to enhance outdoor learning is by getting creative with everyday recycled materials. Not only is this a cost-effective approach, but it also encourages sustainability and teaches children the importance of reusing items responsibly. Below are several simple and practical outdoor spring activities from your recycling box that can be enjoyed in schools, nurseries, or at home.

1. Yoghurt Pot Cress Growing

Cress is an excellent introduction to plant growth, making it ideal for younger learners. Ask children to bring in clean, empty yogurt pots from home or collect them from your school kitchen. Once thoroughly washed, add a child’s name to each pot and line the base with a few layers of kitchen towel.

Sprinkle cress seeds evenly on top, lightly water them, and place the pots in a suitable outdoor location. Because the pots are lightweight and reusable, they can easily be moved around the site — whether that’s the playground, field, forest school area, or beneath a school canopy for weather protection.

Children will enjoy watering their cress daily and observing changes as it grows. This activity supports learning around plant life cycles, responsibility, and patience. Once the cress is ready, it can even be used to make simple sandwiches, helping children understand the full journey from seed to plate.

2. Jam Jar Minibeast Safari

A minibeast safari is a fantastic way to introduce children to local wildlife and encourage curiosity about the natural world. Ask pupils to bring in a clean, used jam jar from home. These can be used temporarily to observe insects found in outdoor areas such as grass, logs, or forest school zones.

Children can gently collect items like leaves, small sticks, or soil to recreate a natural habitat inside the jar. Woodlice, for example, are commonly found under damp wood and are ideal for short-term observation.

Encourage children to work in small groups to avoid collecting too many insects and to promote teamwork. This activity opens up discussions around habitats, biodiversity, and caring for living creatures. It is important to remind children that insects should only be observed briefly before being safely returned to their natural environment.

3. Junk Maths Using Recycled Packaging

Outdoor learning can be easily incorporated into math lessons by using recycled cardboard packaging instead of traditional counting cubes. Ask parents to donate clean cardboard boxes and packaging, then seal any open ends with tape to create sturdy counting blocks.

Set up simple sums on a whiteboard or chalkboard outdoors and ask children to use the recycled boxes to solve them. By physically moving, stacking, and grouping the boxes, children benefit from hands-on learning while staying active and engaged.

This activity encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and movement, making maths lessons more interactive and enjoyable.

Conclusion

There are countless ways to create meaningful learning experiences using recycled materials. These outdoor spring activities from your recycling box not only reduce costs and waste but also support creativity, sustainability, and active learning. By rethinking everyday items, outdoor education can be both practical and inspiring.

What outdoor recycling activities do you enjoy doing with your pupils?

For more ideas on maximising outdoor learning spaces, download our How to Get the Most Out of Your Canopy Guide and discover how sheltered areas can support year-round education.

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.
For more information please contact us

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