Our Outdoor STEAM Day was a fantastic opportunity for girls in Years 3 to 6 to explore science, technology, engineering, art and maths through hands-on activities across the school grounds. The focus of the day was curiosity, encouraging the girls to ask questions, experiment and learn through discovery.
Each girl had her own individual timetable and was mixed with girls from different year groups in each activity. This created a lovely sense of collaboration, with the girls working together, sharing ideas and supporting one another throughout the challenges.
We were lucky with the weather in the morning, which meant everyone could enjoy being outside. One of the engineering highlights was the Giant Marble Run Challenge, where the girls worked together to build marble runs using lengths of guttering, experimenting with angles and height to keep the marble moving.
Another exciting challenge was the Egg Drop Investigation, where the girls used a range of materials to design protective structures to stop their egg from breaking when dropped. It was wonderful to see their creativity and problem-solving in action, though unfortunately only a few of the eggs survived.
In Explore with Micro:bits, the girls investigated simple coding and technology outdoors, experimenting with how these small devices can be programmed to respond to inputs and solve problems.
Many activities focused on the natural world. The girls measured trees using trundle wheels and protractors, built bird nests from natural materials and made seed bombs to help encourage plant growth. They also made simple thermometers and wind gauges, learning how scientists measure weather conditions. It was exciting when our thermometers actually worked to show the changes in temperature.
The creative side of STEAM was celebrated through Botanical Interactive Art and Leaf Watercolour Painting, where pupils closely observed nature and used natural materials and patterns as inspiration for their artwork. These activities encouraged the girls to slow down, notice details in the environment and express their creativity.
The girls also enjoyed orienteering around the school grounds, using maps and clues to find different checkpoints. This activity encouraged teamwork, navigation skills and careful observation.
One of the highlights of the day was nature journalling. We went outside and spent time carefully observing our surroundings, thinking about the prompts “I notice, I wonder, It reminds me of”. The girls recorded their thoughts and sketches in their journals, which are now being kept in school so that they can continue using them during long breaks.
Although the rain arrived in the afternoon, it did not dampen spirits. The girls carried on with great enthusiasm, showing determination and a wonderful sense of teamwork.
