YOUNGSTERS from Gower have been learning how to play dirty.

Pupils from Bishopston Primary School have been having lessons in outdoor classrooms.

The scheme allows pupils to learn through sensory play and hands-on experience of the natural world.

A spokesman said the school had made a huge commitment to outdoor learning with the help of funding from the Assembly Government and the Gower-based Down to Earth project.

The project is a non-profitable enterprise based in Murton, and has aided in the building of traditional cob buildings, woodland learning spaces and a play area in the school grounds. Three members of staff have also been encouraged to complete forest school training, so they can lead group activities outdoors. Gareth Widlake, head teacher of Bishopston Primary School, said: "As the Swiss child development psychologist Jean Piaget says, children make sense of the world by interacting with it."

During an open day at the school, staff of the Down to Earth project educated teachers, parents and children on how best to use their outdoor spaces for fun and education.

Lois Woodward, wilderness therapist at Down to Earth, said: "Outdoor learning is completely established as part of school life in Sweden.

"It is recognised that, especially for younger children, learning through doing — through getting your hands dirty and experiencing the natural world — is the vital building block for children's education and their psychological health."