Encourage real-world maths and environmental awareness with our OUTDOOR COLLECT, TALLY & GRAPH ACTIVITY – a meaningful and hands-on way for students to explore data collection while learning about the natural world and the importance of sustainability. This activity invites students to head outside, observe their surroundings, collect materials, and record what they find through tallying and graphing. It’s an ideal cross-curricular resource that links Mathematics, Science and Sustainability – perfect for Earth Day or anytime you want to take learning outdoors.

Students begin by collecting a range of natural and human-made items from an outdoor area such as a schoolyard, park or garden. They might gather sticks, leaves, flowers or even rubbish left behind. After sorting their findings into categories, students tally the number of each type and then graph their results using the included recording sheet. Finally, they reflect on what their data shows – including the impact of litter and the importance of caring for the environment.

The OUTDOOR COLLECT, TALLY & GRAPH ACTIVITY is perfect for Foundation to Year 2 students and can be adapted for a wide range of abilities. The combination of physical activity, data handling and reflective discussion creates a balanced lesson that supports numeracy, scientific thinking and responsible citizenship. Use it during a data unit, as part of a sustainability inquiry, or as a memorable end-of-term activity that gets students moving and thinking with purpose.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Collect and sort real-world data from the environment
• ✅ Record results using tally marks
• ✅ Represent data visually using a simple bar or picture graph
• ✅ Discuss and analyse data to draw conclusions
• ✅ Reflect on the importance of looking after our environment

What’s Included:

• Data collection worksheet featuring sections for sorting, tallying and graphing
• Illustrated recording chart for representing collected items visually
• Teacher notes with suggestions for guiding outdoor collection and follow-up discussion
• Flexible layout suitable for individual, pair or small group work

Materials Needed:

• Printed activity sheets
• Clipboards or hard surfaces for outdoor writing
• Pencils, crayons or markers
• Plastic gloves or tongs for safe rubbish collection (optional)
• Buckets, trays or baskets to carry collected items

How to Use:

1. Introduce the activity and review safety expectations for working outdoors.
2. Head outside and ask students to collect small natural or human-made items such as sticks, leaves, flowers or rubbish.
3. Students sort their items into categories and tally how many of each they found.
4. Using the graphing section of the worksheet, students record their findings in a visual format.
5. Facilitate a discussion about what the data shows and the importance of disposing of rubbish properly.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use on Earth Day as part of a whole-school sustainability focus
• 💡 Combine with a nature walk or science investigation on habitats or living things
• 💡 Set up as a maths rotation where students visit different outdoor zones
• 💡 Include as part of an integrated unit on environmental care or community responsibility
• 💡 Compare class-wide data and create a shared graph as a group reflection activity

Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Model how to tally accurately before heading outside
• 💛 Discuss in advance which items are safe to collect and which should be avoided
• 💛 Provide sentence stems to support reflection, such as “I found the most…” or “This shows that…”
• 💛 Use photos to document the process and support class discussions after the activity
• 💛 Print the worksheet on a clipboard-ready template for easy outdoor use

OUTDOOR COLLECT, TALLY & GRAPH ACTIVITY combines data collection with environmental awareness – giving students a meaningful way to explore maths while connecting with the world around them!