Reimagining the Outdoors

Reimagining the Outdoors

This professional learning day is for educators ready to reconnect with the values of outdoor learning—beyond the routine of setting up and packing away. Outdoor environments are rich with possibility, yet they are often reduced to physical play or feel overwhelming to intentionally plan for. What if the outdoors offered more: wonder, curiosity, joy, resilience, discovery, and awe?

It educators to see outdoor spaces not as secondary to indoor learning, but as powerful contexts for curriculum in their own right. Through thoughtful dialogue and practical examples, we explore how natural environments can support inquiry, creativity, and deep learning using what is already available each day.

Grounded in place, participants are encouraged to reflect on relationships between people, land, and the natural world, and how these connections shape local communities, ecosystems, and identities. Drawing on Caitlin’s extensive experience as an outdoor educator, the series offers inspiration, case studies, and practical ideas for designing meaningful outdoor curriculum.

This training day offers a chance to slow down, think differently, and rekindle your love for the outdoors—while strengthening intentional, values-led practice. We'll cover the following topics:

• Valuing the Outdoors as a Learning Context - Exploring what it means to be actively involved outdoors and the pedagogical value outdoor learning offers

• Designing Outdoor Environments with Intention - Thinking BIG and thinking SMALL—practical frameworks for design that honour natural materials, open-ended invitations, and investigation

• Nature, Sustainability, and Ecological Identity - Supporting courageous play, nurturing sustainability, and strengthening children’s relationships with the natural world

A comprehensive hard-copy learning booklet is included

"Every child lives someplace. And that someplace begins to matter when we invite children to know where they are and to participate in the unfolding life of that place — they come to know the changes in the light and the feel of the air, and participate in a community of people who speak of such things."

Ann Pelo

Presented by Caitlin Mulroyan

Caitlin brings extensive experience as an outdoor educator, alongside a deep curiosity and knowledge of the natural world. She supports educators to engage with outdoor learning in practical, meaningful ways that invite awe, joy, and new possibilities for curriculum design.

Caitlin is also the producer of KGlearning’s Humanising Pedagogy podcast, due for release in 2026, where alongside Kelly Goodsir she explores thoughtful conversations that connect pedagogy, practice, and the human experience.