Skip to content
Nature Class
Sign in
Nature Class
Sign in

For principals and school leaders

Outdoor learning for your whole school.

Prepared lessons every teacher can lead on your own grounds, with guidance for staff new to teaching outside.

View a lesson Talk to us about your school

Free for teachers. No child accounts.

A woven branch circle with painted log seats in a school garden

What your school gets

  • Prepared lessons

    Objectives, background notes, materials and a lesson preview.

  • Help while teaching

    Pictures, spoken prompts and printable resources.

  • Safety guidance

    Practical points to review for your site, conditions and children.

  • Records and curriculum links

    Minutes outside by class and term, plus curriculum links.

Questions principals ask

Can teachers lead without nature training?
Teachers can prepare with the lesson preview and background notes, then use the pictures and prompts outside.
How much preparation is needed?
The resources are prepared. Teachers check the lesson, materials and safety guidance for their class and site.
Will it fit our schedule?
Choose by lesson duration and use your own schoolyard. A regular slot helps teachers plan ahead.
What can we share with school leaders and families?
Minutes outside by class and term, and the curriculum links printed on each lesson.
A seed feeder hanging from a branch

Sustainability plan

Put your schoolyard at the heart of your sustainability plan.

Nature Class combines habitat improvements, student observations and ready-to-lead outdoor learning into one practical school program. It can support the environmental education recognized by Eco-Schools USA and the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award.

Eco-Schools USA from the National Wildlife Federation

Funding

Grants for your schoolyard.

Many states and local partners fund schoolyard habitats and outdoor classrooms, such as the Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant and California’s CAL FIRE Green Schoolyards grants. We help you find a fit and shape the project, alongside free Nature Class lessons.

Ask about schoolyard grants

Why teach outside?

Classroom engagement

A study of two classes found better engagement after lessons in nature. Read the study

Different ways to participate

Children can observe, move, make and discuss what they find.

Learning from real things

Study plants and habitats on your grounds, then return to see what changes.

A tyre swing and branch den in a school garden

Use the grounds you have

Start with a tree, planter or patch of vegetation. Choose lessons that suit your space. Use children’s observations to decide what to care for or improve.

Safety and supervision

Teachers review the activity guidance alongside the school’s own site assessment, supervision arrangements and children’s needs.

For schools in the United States

Check lesson objectives and NGSS links against your state’s standards and district curriculum.

Cost and getting started

Nature Class is free for teachers. Check each lesson’s materials before you start.

For support across your school, tell us about your teachers, schedule and schoolyard.

Contact us