Smart Teachers Play More Outdoors in Spain

Boost learning with play, movement, and mindfulness.

Discover the benefits of adapting STPM activities to outdoor learning in Alicante’s sunny climate to enhance engagement, well-being, and academic outcomes.  This course combines play, mindfulness, and movement activities to promote multisensory learning in natural environments. Gain tools to create inclusive, dynamic lessons including energising beach sessions to inspire your teaching practice.

Take learning outside and connect students to nature using the Smart Teachers Play More (STPM) approach. This course combines outdoor activities, storytelling, and mindfulness techniques to optimise learning, well-being, and engagement. Developed by Kristín Einarsdóttir and Sarah Jane Anthony, the STPM approach emphasises movement, sensory activities, and play-based learning. Participants explore how outdoor learning supports cognitive, physical, and emotional development, gaining tools to create interactive lessons with academic focuses in outside environments. Educators leave with strategies to integrate physical play and mindfulness practices into the curriculum, fostering creativity, resilience, and focus in students while building connections with peers for future collaborations.

Learning Objectives:

• Experience practical outdoor sessions.
• Apply outdoor learning strategies to teach academic subjects effectively.
• Use mindfulness and movement activities to improve student well-being.
• Embrace eco-choice practices by upcycling materials and using natural resources to help students value sustainability and engage more fully in learning.
• Develop multisensory lesson plans and gamification tools for outdoor teaching.
• Design strategies for promoting inclusive learning through play and movement.
• Build international partnerships for future Erasmus+ collaborations.

Methodology & Assessment:

•  Practical workshops on outdoor games, movement-based learning, and storytelling techniques.
•  Hands-on activities, including obstacle courses, mindfulness exercises, and group projects.
•  Reflection sessions to design personalised outdoor learning plans.
•  Digital collaboration and assessment tools for resource sharing, group reflections and evaluations.
•  Structured networking for international partnerships.
•  Cultural activities, including exploring Spanish traditions and outdoor natural and urban environments. 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE EDUCATION SECTOR:

This course offers learning opportunities for professionals across the education sector including: Preschool teachers; Primary teachers; Special Needs teachers; Foreign Language teachers; and Subject teachers involved in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) projects at multilingual schools. It is also a great opportunity to practise and improve your own English skills in practical contexts.

AS PART OF THE COURSE WE ALSO PROVIDE:

• Course material
• Morning refreshments   
• Cultural evening                                                                                                                                                           
• A walking tour of Santa Barbara castle, Alicante
• A local trip to the beautiful village of Altea   
• Certificate of attendance

ACCOMMODATION:

Don’t miss out on our STPM discount at our course hotel in Alicante. We chose this hotel for its fantastic location: just 5 minutes from the beach, close to the old town and neighbouring the famous Santa Barbara Castle. This is an exclusive offer for our participants and their families only.

COURSE DATES: