BASIC KIT:

 

One kit for every student (recommended)

• personal water-proof Kit bag to store personal equipment in, (a small knapsack, extra large zip-lock back, small garbage bag)
• regular pencil and/or pen (for notetaking)
• fat primary pencil (for drawing)
• personal journal (unlined is best) inside its own zip-lock bag
• Pack of coloured pencils
• Large bandana (for blindfold games and in case of spills or accidents)
• clipboard (instructions on how to make one below)
• a waterproof 'wedgie-pad' (instructions on how to make one below)

 

There are many activities that your class can do with the Basic Outdoor Studies kit.

Keeping a diary of changes in the seasons, sketches and illustrations, recording sounds, observing insects and identifying plants are only some of the many activities students can enjoy outdoors.

Having the comfort of a soft cushion, a hard surface to write on and a waterproof container to store their materials in will help to ensure that their time outdoors is enjoyable and productive.

 

Other types of activities require different types of equipment. The following supplementary kits can be used for a variety of specialized activities. It may not be necessary to provide each student with a full supplementary kit - two or three students per kit is usually enough.

NATURE STUDIES KIT:

 

one kit per 2-3 students

• 1 or 2 transparent jars or boxes for collecting small insects and spiders
• Several small plastic bags for collecting plants, fungus, rocks
• String - small roll
• Hand lens or jeweler's loop (one per student is ideal)
• Assorted Field guides (Birds, Trees, Plants, Insects, Mushrooms)
• 1 Pooter jar (a special jar with two straws to facilitate collecting small insects)
• 1 meter measuring tape (sewing tapes work great, or students can make their own from string)
• Water Quality Kit (pH test, Dissolved Oxygen, test beakers, aquatic invertebrate field guide)

LANDSCAPE KIT:

 

one kit per 3 - 5 students

• Magnetic compasses (one per 2 students)
• Long tape-measure (15 meters) or trundle wheel (2 or 3 per class is sufficient)
• Spools of coloured string
• Coloured flagging tape
• Graph paper (various sizes)
• Base maps (cadastral) of school grounds and community

WEATHER KIT:

 

one kit per class

• Weather instruments (thermometers, rain gauge, barometer, wind gauges)
• Stop watch
• Cloud charts

GARDEN KIT:

 

one kit per class

• Gardening tools
• Gardening resource books
• Field plans
• Large plastic bin (worm composting)
• Soil testing kit (pH test, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium test beakers, aquatic invertebrate field guide)

How to make your own outdoor 'Wedgie' pad

 

Also known as a 'sit-upon', a Wedgie pad is a waterproof cushion for protecting the student's 'derriere' when sitting outside. A Wedgie pad helps children stay comfortable while writing in their journals, drawing, listening and during snack and rest times. There are many designs of wedgie pads, but the simplest is made of one section of the daily newspaper, folded in half, tightly wrapped with a large plastic bag and taped shut. Another option is to use a piece of soft cushion foam inside a plastic bag instead of newspaper. Cushions should be made small enough to fit neatly into the student's Basic Kit bag.

Make an inexpensive, water-resistant clipboard

 

An inexpensive, lightweight and durable clipboard can be made from rigid Styrofoam poster backing board. This rigid foam board is easy to cut with a sharp utility knife.

Cut boards to 9" x 12" size - large enough to comfortably hold a standard piece of notebook paper. Styrofoam board is relatively water-resistant, will not break-down when wet, weighs very little and is excellent to write on.

Use butterfly clips to clamp papers onto the board.

Store the clipboard inside an extra large zip-lock bag - big enough for working outside in damp and wet weather.