Hurray!  The summer term is here at last.  And planning outdoor PE lessons can begin.  It’s the best time of year for PE, with children being more active and engaged when PE lessons take place outside.  The warmer weather and longer days allows plenty of opportunity to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.  Research and experience tells us that the benefits of outdoor PE lessons include:

Increased physical activity – Delivering PE outside allows children to engage in physical activity in a more natural environment, which can help to increase their physical activity levels, fitness and general health. 

The extra space, compared to the school hall, allows games and activities to be played with more room for children to move around at speed, for longer and exert themselves more.

Improved mental health – It has been said many times that being outdoors can help to reduce stress and anxiety. It can help to improve mood and overall mental health.  This can be said for both adults and children. As a teacher, getting outside of your classroom during the day can have huge benefits to your well-being.

Improved learning – Being outdoors can help to improve concentration and focus. This can lead to improved learning outcomes – both in PE and across the curriculum.

Improved social skills – Outdoor PE lessons can provide opportunities for pupils to interact and collaborate with their peers in different ways, develop leadership skills, and improve communication and teamwork.

Increased motivation and engagement – Getting outside for PE can offer a change of pace and scenery from the typical indoor classroom environment. This can increase motivation and engagement amongst your pupils.

Fresh air and sunshine – The great outdoors can increase exposure to sunlight (which helps the body produce vitamin D). Fresh air can improve respiratory health and overall well-being.

Our Favourite Units of Work to deliver during the Summer Term

Orienteering PE Lessons

Orienteering is made for the outdoors!  There are much more opportunities for children to experience map reading, problem solving and teamwork when orienteering PE lessons are delivered outside.

Orienteering is exciting, educational and primary school children of all ages can enjoy it.  The National Curriculum for PE states that KS2 pupils should be taught to “take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and as a team”. 

Orienteering encourages physical activity, develops problem-solving skills, and makes children more aware of the environment.  It also helps to build confidence and self-esteem, as pupils learn to navigate through an orienteering course successfully, pupils feel a real sense of accomplishment. 

PE Planning has orienteering units of work for year one through to year six.  Try our Orienteering lessons for free here.

Athletic PE Lessons

Athletics is a vital part of physical education in primary schools.  It creates opportunities to develop fundamental movement skills, such as running, jumping, and throwing, as well as other physical skills such as agility, balance and coordination.

Athletics also provides a variety of activities that can be tailored to the needs of each individual child, encouraging children to challenge themselves, set goals and strive to reach their potential.  It can help children to develop important life skills such as perseverance, dedication, and resilience.  

Additionally, athletics is a great way for children to exercise and stay active. It provides a fun and enjoyable way to get healthy and help children develop a lifelong love of exercise.  

Because Athletics creates such a broad range of opportunities for physical development, we strongly recommend it is taught to all primary school year groups each year.

Tennis PE Lessons

Net and Wall Games, such as tennis develops manipulation and coordination skills.  Tennis is fun and children love the opportunity to use tennis equipment and participate in modified games and activities.

Tennis can be daunting and challenging to teach but can also be very rewarding and enjoyable with the right approach.  

Having age appropriate equipment is important.  Smaller rackets and lighter balls make it easier for children to handle and succeed.  Smaller nets, or even using cones or floor markers can be appropriate when learning to master the basic techniques.

If possible, show your class pictures of real tennis courts, and videos of professional tennis games.  This way children can visualise and understand the game they are learning, the rules of the game and the equipment used.

Our primary school tennis lesson plans are fun, engaging and designed to appropriately challenge pupils.  The combination of progression and repetition across all our Net & Wall units of work (badminton, tennis and volleyball) mean the skills learnt are transferrable and developed throughout a child’s primary school PE journey.

Your Summer PE Lessons

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