An Outdoor Classroom Suited to You

Outdoor classrooms are becoming increasingly popular amongst primary and secondary schools. The benefits of teaching outdoors are obvious. For one, students get to be outside where they are exposed to fresh air and maybe even sunshine. This can help clear their heads and inspire different kinds of creativity. And of course, by being outside students are exposed to the outdoor environment, which can be ideal for teaching subjects like biology.

Some schools choose to install a gazebo, others set up a large canopy, under which there are seats for students to sit on. But all that you actually need is some outdoor space. Students could literally sit on the ground and teachers can keep their lesson plans down to a simple lecture.

Another option is to set up a canopy on the side of the school with chairs and tables. There students aren't far from their indoor classrooms and all of the resources that they keep inside, but can be outdoors and are protected from the rain and/or the harmful effects of the sun.

A cool setting for an outdoor classroom, if it can be accommodated, is a tree house. Not only are students outdoors when they're in a tree house, but they are right there in the centre of a little ecosystem, within arms reach of a different kinds of leaves, flowers, maybe even birds, squirrels and more.

To capture and contain a little ecosystem, you might put a glass dome over top of it. That will help keep pests and the effects of poor weather out, while also letting sunshine in through the clear glass. Like a greenhouse, this is the perfect place in which to grow and observe vegetables and various kinds of plants.

An excellent thing to do when setting up an outdoor classroom is to get students involved. This is especially true for spaces that are little more than wooden desks and chairs. And of course when working outside, students should be involved in the planting, nurturing and care of the property they are working in.

There are so many options of what to do with an outdoor classroom. It's best to consider first, where your school is located. If it is in a rural area there will be far more options than an urban school. Second, consider the age group of the students you're teaching as well as their interests. If it's primary school you might want to get them to do lots of planting and record everything that they observe. If it's secondary school theatre students, your space will be used less for planting and more for performing. Once you review these major points, you'll be well on your way to planning and building your perfect outdoor classroom.


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Fabric Architecture Ltd has been specialising in the design,
engineering, manufacture and installation of tensile fabric structures
since 1984. Learn more about Outdoor classroom at
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