28th March 2025

Why Classrooms Should Have Dirt Floors (Sometimes)

Turning WA’s Trails into a Learning Playground

Let’s be honest—some of the best learning doesn’t happen inside four walls. It happens when students are moving, exploring, asking questions, and actually experiencing the world around them. That’s where we come in.

At The Hike Collective, we’ve seen firsthand how a single day out on the trails can completely shift a student’s mindset. Whether it’s a Year 5 getting their first glimpse of a waterfall, or a group of high schoolers supporting each other to climb a steep ridge, nature brings out something powerful—and it just so happens, it also ticks a whole heap of curriculum boxes too.

If you’re a teacher in Western Australia looking to spice up your term plan and keep students switched on, here’s how hiking-based excursions can support your curriculum and your students’ wellbeing.

You already know this, but the WA curriculum isn’t just about content anymore. It’s about critical thinkers, healthy bodies, resilient minds, and responsible citizens. It’s about students who can work together, understand the world, and stay active for life.

Sound like a big ask? We’ve got your back. Here’s where outdoor education—and a little time on the trails—makes a big difference.

Physical Education, Without the White Lines

Forget the court drills. Hiking is physical education with purpose. Students develop cardiovascular fitness, strength, coordination, and endurance—without even realising they’re in a PE class. They learn about warming up, staying hydrated, pacing themselves, and working as a team to complete a goal.

Even better? It’s inclusive. Students who might not shine in traditional sports often thrive in a hiking setting, building confidence and leadership skills along the way.

For Years 3–10, this directly supports movement competence, health-related fitness, and safety and wellbeing strands. Win-win.

Health and Wellbeing, in Action

It’s one thing to talk about stress, resilience, and mental health in a classroom. It’s another to get kids breathing fresh air, moving their bodies, and unplugging from screens. On the trail, students discover their own limits—and often go beyond them. They also get a rare opportunity to just be—in nature, in a group, with time to reflect.

Our guides weave mindfulness, body awareness, and debrief moments into every hike. For older year levels, we can tailor this to focus on managing emotions, team dynamics, and building healthy relationships.

Suddenly, that Health curriculum feels a lot more real.

Geography and Science That Don’t Feel Like School

What better way to learn about weather systems, ecosystems, or water cycles than standing in the middle of one?

Whether it’s observing erosion patterns along a riverbank, identifying local flora, or tracking how the seasons shape the bush, students get hands-on experience that brings theory to life.

We love incorporating little learning moments:

• “Why does this tree only grow on the shady side of the slope?”

• “How does this trail impact the environment?”

• “What’s happening in the soil beneath our boots right now?”

For Years 3–9, these hikes can be tailored to cover science understandings in biological, chemical, and Earth systems, as well as geography fieldwork skills and sustainability.

And for younger years? We simply get curious. Nature does the rest.

The ‘Soft Skills’ That Make a Big Difference

We’ve all seen it—those moments when a quiet student steps up to help someone, or a group works together to problem-solve a tricky section of trail. It’s these experiences that build confidence, empathy, leadership, and resilience.

Out on the track, there’s no front row. No back row. Just a group of humans moving forward together.

This kind of learning ties into personal and social capabilities—like managing relationships, decision making, self-awareness, and collaboration. All the stuff that doesn’t fit neatly into a worksheet, but matters more than ever.

So, What Does a School Hike Actually Look Like?

No two programs are the same, and that’s the beauty of it. We work closely with teachers to create custom experiences that align with your year level, term goals, and learning outcomes. Here’s how it works:

• We design a hike that matches your group’s physical capacity and learning objectives

• We handle all logistics including risk assessments, and safety protocols

• We guide the experience with a focus on education, engagement, and inclusion

• We support you post-hike with reflection activities and discussion prompts

Need something short and sweet for Year 4s? We’ve got a half-day Kings Park bushland walk with interactive trail games and mini nature challenges.

Looking for a full-day physical education excursion for Year 10s? Try the Lesmurdie Falls loop, where students take the lead, learn to navigate, and dig into their endurance and leadership.

Planning a cross-curricular day for science and geography? Head to Bold Park or Yanchep and let the landscape do the teaching.

Trails We Love for Schools

Here are a few Perth-area trails we often recommend for school groups:

Kings Park Bushland Trails
Great for younger students and intro-to-nature sessions. Easy terrain, rich biodiversity, and plenty of teachable moments.

Lesmurdie Falls
Ideal for upper primary and secondary. Amazing views, clear learning links to geology, fitness, and environmental science.

John Forrest National Park
A beautiful mix of trail types for a more immersive day. Excellent for leadership programs, HASS excursions, or senior physical education.

Mundaring Weir

A great mix of trail options, with rich history and plenty of learning opportunity.

Bold Park / Reabold Hill
Close to the city but full of natural surprises. Fantastic for fieldwork, mindfulness, or low-impact hiking experiences.

Yanchep National Park
For those willing to venture a bit further, Yanchep offers an unforgettable mix of wildlife, caves, and bushland trails.

Why Teachers Keep Coming Back

We know schools. We know how to make excursions easy, engaging, and impactful. Here’s what sets The Hike Collective apart:

• We’re fully insured, with experienced guides and comprehensive risk assessments

• Our experiences are curriculum-aligned, tailored to your needs

• We’re easy to work with—logistics, prep? Sorted.

• Most importantly, we care. About your students, your outcomes, and giving young people something real to hold onto

Let’s Make It Happen

If you’re looking to get your students moving, thinking, connecting—and genuinely learning—we’d love to help. Whether it’s a one-off hike, scavenger hunt, or a series of outdoor adventures, we’re here to bring your term plan to life.

Want to plan an outdoor learning experience for your class or school?
Get in touch with our team to design a curriculum-aligned hike that suits your students, your goals, and your schedule.