Maths Week Scotland is here (22-28 September 2025), and this year’s theme Wild Maths invites teachers to take learning beyond the classroom and explore the maths hidden in our natural world. From counting leaves to measuring tree heights, it’s all about showing pupils that maths is active, creative and everywhere.
To help you plan, we’ve pulled together five brilliant Scottish resources - each free, curriculum-linked and full of ideas to get your learners excited about maths outdoors.
🌱 Early Level – Storytelling Maths with JoJo Gnome
JoJo Gnome Enjoys Maths & Numbers offers free maths stories, videos and activity sheets for ages 3-7. JoJo’s playful adventures cover counting, shapes and problem-solving, encouraging young learners to explore maths through story, imagination and outdoor play. It’s a gentle way to build number sense while keeping lessons fun and sensory.
🌿 First Level – 30 Days Wild Maths Challenges
Maths Week Scotland’s 30 Days Wild is a calendar of quick outdoor maths prompts, from spotting symmetry in nature to measuring shadows. Perfect for P2-P4, each challenge takes just a few minutes but sparks curiosity and gets pupils moving. Use them as daily starters or combine several into a bigger “wild maths” project.
🏃First/Second Level – Juliet Robertson’s Outdoor Maths Games
Juliet Robertson, one of Scotland’s leading outdoor learning experts, has created a brilliant PDF of 25 Outdoor Maths Games for Everyone. The games use playgrounds, parks and natural materials to explore number, shape, measure and problem-solving. They’re active, low-prep and great for teamwork. Exactly what you need for a lively maths session outside.
🔬 Second Level – STEM Activities from UHI
The University of the Highlands & Islands STEM Team has put together hands-on activities that blend maths, science and the environment. Learners might measure puddles, track shadows, or explore forces using water. Perfect for upper primary pupils to see how maths underpins real-world investigations.
🌳 Third Level – Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland
For older pupils, Outdoor & Woodland Learning (OWL) Scotland’s Secondary Resources are a goldmine. Activities include measuring trees, exploring soil, carbon footprints, and even archaeological “first foresters” tasks. They support deeper investigation, data collection and critical thinking while connecting maths to sustainability and Scotland’s landscapes.
💡 Why These Work
Each of these resources aligns beautifully with Wild Maths: they’re practical, engaging, and make abstract concepts concrete. Pupils develop number, measure and data skills while also moving, observing, and asking questions about the world around them. For teachers, they’re low-cost (or free), mapped to the Scottish curriculum, and flexible enough to fit into existing planning.
This Maths Week Scotland, why not pick one new activity from each stage’s resource and give your learners a taste of wild maths? You’ll not only meet your outcomes and experiences but also help pupils discover that maths is everywhere. From the tiniest seed to the tallest tree.
