TEACHER ESTHER (MEPPEL, DRENTHE)

‘DoeVrijdag’ is a well-known concept at KC Het Kompas in Drenthe. For years, Esther de Boer has given creative outdoor lessons, come rain or shine. Her Year 1 class particularly enjoys obstacle-course dictation. Together, they build a course of obstacles, with a word on one side that they have to write down on the other side of the course. Teacher Esther shares her fantastic outdoor lessons not only with other teachers, but also online together with Nienke. With her enthusiasm, she inspires more than ten thousand people every day!

TEACHER DENISE (ALMERE, FLEVOLAND)

With great passion, Denise de Groot teaches outdoors to Year 1 at Het Drieluik school. She believes it is important to teach outdoors whenever possible. As soon as she is in the schoolyard with her class, she explains lesson material, such as mathematics, through play. During outdoor lessons, the children take on teacher Denise’s enthusiasm. This has also caught the parents’ attention! One parent says that teacher Denise also shares the lessons with the parents by making videos or sharing a story about the outdoor lesson she taught that day. Great fun!

TEACHER KARIN (BEETSTERZWAAG, FRIESLAND)

Almost every week, Karin Akkerman takes Years 3 to 6 from CBS De Finne outdoors for a refreshing lesson full of movement. Children receive stimuli outdoors that make them curious. Learning by doing and experiencing, says teacher Karin. Being outdoors makes learning fun for everyone! Handwriting on the playground with sidewalk chalk, searching together for tiny creatures under the hedge, or enjoying a book in a quiet spot in the schoolyard. Sometimes teacher Karin even brings the outdoors inside for further investigation. The possibilities are endless! Teacher Karin is seen as an enthusiastic source of inspiration who is always happy to encourage her colleagues to go outside with their classes as well.

TEACHER MARTIJN (GORSSEL, GELDERLAND)

Where the Vullerschool once had a gray, tiled courtyard, Martijn Koene worked to create a beautiful educational green patio where children can enjoy outdoor learning. It has been a great success that the whole school benefits from. In just a few years, teacher Martijn managed to create a proper vegetable garden. Every day, children from, among others, his Year 6 class are busy tending the garden. And the very best part? After harvesting all the vegetables and fruit they planted themselves, they cook with them at school. Delicious and educational!

TEACHER JOSIEN (GRONINGEN, GRONINGEN)

Josien Vegter teaches Year 3 at OBS De Feniks in Groningen. Why does she enjoy teaching outdoors? The pupils’ enjoyment and involvement are so great! You can give an enjoyable outdoor lesson with very few materials. Moreover, the subject matter stays with them much better because more parts of the brain are activated by being outdoors. According to teacher Josien, outdoor lessons should be a standard part of the day rather than a special activity. She has even started a blog where she has collected ideas and materials.

TEACHER MILOU (LANDGRAAF, LIMBURG)

Year 1 at OBS Wereldwijs in Landgraaf has a real all-rounder. That all-rounder is Milou Radder! With her enthusiastic and energetic approach, teacher Milou never misses an opportunity to incorporate learning through movement. An outdoor lesson gives both the children and teacher Milou an enormous amount of energy. The enjoyment and intrinsic motivation they experience while learning—that is what every teacher wants to achieve. Everyone is fully engaged with the learning objective. What more could you ask for? Milou sees involvement, enjoyment, collaboration, movement and task focus. That is enough to make any teacher happy!

TEACHER MARIEKE (HUIJBERGEN, NOORD-BRABANT)

“When are we going to do math, teacher?” Marieke Suikerbuik hears after completing an outdoor math lesson. And that is despite the fact that they have just done lots of new sums. Teacher Marieke teaches Year 1 at Basisschool Ste. Marie and, according to her school’s principal, is the ultimate ambassador for learning through movement. Math, reading or spelling—it makes no difference to Marieke; everything can be done outdoors. By teaching outdoors, you contribute to pupils’ health, giving them more energy to think, learn and lead a healthy life. Her website features Movement Games to get other teachers interested in learning through movement too!

TEACHER TINE (AMSTERDAM, NOORD-HOLLAND)

A driving force behind teaching outdoors? Tine Nieboer certainly has one. She teaches Year 5 at the Buitenveldert Montessori School and enjoys teaching outdoors. Teaching outdoors creates connection! Connection with yourself, with others and with your surroundings. There is so much more to observe, experience and truly take in outside. Every week, she spends an entire morning with her class in the Amsterdamse Bos, enthusiastically and expertly teaching outdoors. She is happy to share this expertise with others, teaching outdoor lessons at other schools in the area to inspire the teachers there as well.

TEACHER INGRID (ZWOLLE, OVERIJSSEL)

As far as Ingrid Platenkamp is concerned, outdoor lessons should be a standard part of every primary school’s curriculum. Teacher Ingrid teaches Year 5 at KC de Schatkamer and notices that children always become happy and enthusiastic when learning through movement in the fresh air. Last year, teacher Ingrid even spent an entire period taking her class to a farm near the school for a whole day, whatever the weather, to teach there. It was an outing from which the children genuinely learned something. Her colleagues also see her as a driving force and source of inspiration for the rest of the school when it comes to teaching outdoors. A wonderful compliment for teacher Ingrid!

TEACHER LINDA (AMERSFOORT, UTRECHT)

Linda Kroeze teaches Year 1 at ‘t Anker and, according to her colleagues, is a fantastic and inspiring colleague. Teacher Linda is a strong advocate of teaching outdoors. During an outdoor lesson, her pupils literally have more space, allowing them to expend their energy and consequently be more open to learning. With teacher Linda’s 100% commitment, every outdoor lesson is guaranteed to be a success! Fun fact: Teacher Linda started the Instagram account @hetgroeneschoolplein to inspire other teachers to teach outdoors.

TEACHER AMANDA (KOUDEKERKE, ZEELAND)

Amanda Jongepier teaches Year 4 at CBS ’t Klinket in Zeeland and is the driving force behind nature and outdoor education at her school. In the classroom, you often think only with your head, whereas outdoors you use your whole body, says teacher Amanda. Children often do not even experience an outdoor lesson as learning, only realizing later that they have encountered something from spelling or mathematics. Teacher Amanda’s ultimate outdoor lesson tip? Start simply. When you see the children’s enthusiasm, you will naturally want to do more outdoors.

TEACHER MIRJAM (DORDRECHT, ZUID-HOLLAND)

Mirjam de Bruin teaches subject matter in an enjoyable way in the fresh air with her Year 4 class at CBS de Sterrekijker in Dordrecht. In her outdoor lessons, she manages to engage and connect with every child, even children with behavioral difficulties. By moving a lot, breathing in fresh air and working together with classmates, her pupils learn in a different way while still retaining the lesson material. They then process it further in the classroom. Teacher Mirjam hears from her pupils that they enjoy learning through movement and being free from their desks and chairs in the classroom. As the children themselves say: “The creativity and positivity truly radiate from teacher Mirjam’s outdoor lessons!”

The Outdoor Teacher of the Year receives a trophy for their school and a €2,000 budget to create an outdoor learning area in the schoolyard.