We’re now just days away from Outdoor Classroom Day on Thursday 17 May when globally more than 1.2 million children and young people will be spending the day learning and playing outdoors. In the UK and Ireland more than 250,000 (and counting) children will be participating. While most will be enjoying day-long outdoor activities and benefiting from time spent outside, some Year 6 pupils in England will be taking the SATs Mathematics paper 3.

At times like these, when children (and their teachers) can feel under pressure to perform at their best; we believe it is more important than ever to prioritise time outdoors for playing, learning and relaxation.

So, if you’re a teacher or parent preparing children and young people for SATs, GCSEs or other challenging experiences, remember that the benefits of outdoor learning and play on children’s mental health and wellbeing are well documented, and supported by research from around the world.

To help, we’re launching a series of stress-busting outdoor activity ideas which promote positive mental health and wellbeing. Most can be completed in less than 15 minutes so are ideal for encouraging mindfulness and concentration before a test.

Visit the Resources section of the website and look for the Stress Buster activities. We’ll be adding and sharing one-a-day until the BIG day!

We wish your pupils luck in their tests and hope you join us for Outdoor Classroom Day.