Outdoor Learning and STEM  

Building a simple shelter

Shelter from the rain

When we are working with children in the great outdoors, we need to think about protecting ourselves from the elements. Building a shelter is a fun activity which children love, and which, with support, most children can get involved with. When working with ropes, it helps to be able to tie knots which are secure, and which are easy to undo at the end of the task. Nobody wants to spend hours untying huge knots !
Watch the videos below to learn how to make a very simple tarpaulin shelter.
This video shows you some basics of knot tying.
A quick video on how to go about building a basic tarpaulin shelter

Finishing your tarpaulin shelter.

Once you have set up the 'ridge' line and attached the tarpaulin, you can use ropes and weights of any kind to hold the shelter open so that you can sit under it, protected from the elements!

Points to ponder ...

While carrying out this activity with children, and once the shelter is built, what safety concerns might you need to take into account ?
What specific dangers or risks might you need to take into consideration when developing the session plan for this activity and will therefore need to include in a risk assessment ?
And once you have identified those risks, what steps can be taken to minimise the risks as much as is reasonably practicable ?
Remember ... we don't want to introduce so many safety measures that we prevent the activity from providing the learning opportunities that it does, but we need to make sure we reduce risks so that the activity can take place as safely as possible.

How does this activity relate to S.T.E.M ?

Some of the concepts that you might want to explore could be ...
Science.
  • Friction
  • Elasticity (Stretchiness of the rope)
  • Gravity
Engineering.
  • The properties of the tarpaulin - smooth, shiny, waterproof, crinkly.
  • Water run off
  • Tension
Maths

  • Length

  • Distance

  • Height

  • Area

  • Perimeter

  • Angles