Outdoor learning plays an integral part of a student’s education at CIS. No matter the age or subject, we aim to extend lessons into the outdoors whenever there is the opportunity for students to learn in a purposeful manner. On 18 May, we invited friends from the wider CIS community to come and experience first hand our renowned approach during Outdoor Classroom Day at our Tanjong Campus.

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global initiative designed to inspire and celebrate outdoor learning and play. Throughout the morning on 18 May, our kindergarten and primary school students together with thousands of other schools around the world, participated in a wide variety of engaging outdoor educational activities.

Classes for our youngest learners took place in our enchanted outdoor discovery centre. They included learning to paint like Michelangelo along the roof and sides of the tunnel, creating different art forms using natural materials found in nature, and exploring math concepts like volume, weight and size in our mud kitchen.

Meanwhile our older students learnt about math fractions using nature (eg create a plant where ¾ of the leaves are green), plant biology (such as stem and leaves) through drawing and observation, and energy and its importance via experiments like designing small boats and testing them on water using wind energy.

The benefits our students gained from these outdoor learning experiences were tremendous. Amongst other things, outdoor learning sharpens brain development, creativity, teamwork and social and gross motor skills. It also helps generate a greater awareness of the environment and create memorable and authentic learning experiences (if you think back to your most memorable childhood experiences, I bet most of them were outside!).

Unfortunately however, modern day distractions and limited exposure to natural environments in residential areas especially here in Singapore, mean many children lose out on these huge learning opportunities. At CIS we are committed to turning the trend around; we have designed our programme so that all our students from kindergarten right through to grade 12, have every chance to enjoy the benefits.

The length and focus of our outdoor learning programmes varies depending on the age group. In Kindergarten, outdoor learning is inquiry and play-based and takes place in our outdoor discovery centre. In the older grades, it involves lessons in our outdoor discovery centre, amphitheatre as well as field trips, excursion week and Open Minds - hands-on learning experiences in settings, such as Fort Canning, Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve and the Eco Garden at the Science Centre.

Participating in Outdoor Classroom Day was a great way to show our friends that outdoor learning at CIS is a fundamental part of the school’s approach to providing students with a balanced education. It isn’t just something we put together once a year, but instead what we try to do every day.