Benefits of Outdoor Learning
Our outdoor bilingual preschool group:)Just a few years ago, I was teaching 4th grade in a public elementary school in South Seattle. Kids had a very intense schedule of:
Morning circle—-ELA—-Elective (P.E, music, art)—more ELA—-20 min lunch—-20 min recess—-math—-social studies/science.
On top of this, we had to try and fit in social-emotional learning, independent reading, community building and problem-solving, movement/getting wiggles out, current events, project-based learning, and so much more. We were inside the classroom probably about 80% of our day, and that was and has been the norm for a very long time.
Kids often came in from recess asking if we could do our afternoon lesson outside, especially when it was a nice day. My heart would always be screaming yes, but my thinking mind would come in and say no, due to fears that it would be hard to manage everyone outside, that we’d get distracted, that kids would run off, etc. Especially in a Title 1 school where the majority of the kids were homeless, and/or dealing with various forms of trauma and behaviour could often be unpredictable.
Now that I’ve had time to step back from the constant demands and pressures of public school teaching, I’ve come to find that learning outdoors is not only beneficial but essential for success in school and for healthy brains and minds (especially for kids suffering from trauma and mental health issues!). It’s my goal to help other fellow educators, school leaders, educational policy leaders, parents, and students understand why incorporating outdoor learning is the future of education.
According the the Harvard Graduate School of Education, “research has shown that outdoor learning can have huge benefits on student mental health and academic performance. Students are often calmer and better able to focus when learning in nature, and teachers have reported better behavior and social interactions with fewer disciplinary issues” (Bauld, 2021).
With the mountain of research that is out there on this topic, it is confusing to me why nothing was ever mentioned in my Master’s in teaching program, in any professional development session, in any meeting of any kind about this. The topic was so absent from conversation that five years ago when I first saw a friend and former teacher on social media was having her three-year-old attend an outdoor preschool co-op in the rainy Seattle area, I actually thought that sounded a little crazy.
Funny how massively our thinking and knowledge can change in just a few years time!
“Outdoor learning in natural environments is a burgeoning approach in the educational sector. However, the evidence-base of research has not kept pace with teacher perceptions and increased practitioner usage. Anecdotal evidence and formal research suggest the significant health and wellbeing benefits of nature connection. Offering low-cost, non-invasive pedagogical solutions to public health challenges- particularly around mental health, wellbeing, physical literacy, and increasing physical activity- the pedagogical benefits of outdoor learning are yet to be fully enunciated” (Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021).
Below I will summarize the general benefits of outdoor learning for humans of all ages.
It fosters care and concern for local environments, which in turn fosters curiosity and care for all different environments: David Orr, professor of environmental studies at Oberlin college has written, “All education is environmental education.. by what is included or excluded, students are taught that they are part of, or apart from, the natural world.” If we do not include knowledge of our environment in everyday schooling it sends a very clear message that the environment doesn’t matter. We all know this is not the message we want our kids to hear when climate change more and more harshly affects our day-to-day lives.
“By rooting learning in the local, students come to understand how their place came to be, how it works today, and what it needs to thrive in the future.” -Scott Sampson- How to Raise a Wild Child
2. It boosts student achievement: Multiple studies have shown that outdoor learning can boost standardized test scores (this should motivate any school leader or district official!). Problem-solving skills are enhanced as well as memory retention, focus and attention span, and cognitive functioning. One nine-year survey of place-based education (a teaching method using one’s local community as the foundation for learning), encompassing thousands of surveys and interviews of teachers and students across
100 suburban, urban, and rural schools in twelve states- concluded that,
“The findings are clear: place-based education fosters students’ connection to place and creates vibrant partnerships between schools and communities. It boosts student achievement and improves environmental, social, and economic vitality. In short, place-based education helps students learn to take care of the world by understanding where they live and taking action in their own backyards and communities.” -Scott Sampson- How to Raise a Wild Child
3. Boosts immunity: According to Green Schoolyards of America, children who spend time outdoors have higher vitamin D levels. Those living in areas with greater vegetation have lower rates of asthma. Children who interact with nature on a daily basis have stronger resistance to infectious diseases. If children are playing in the dirt in any way (gardening, digging, etc.), they are exposed to different bacteria and viruses which can build up their immunity. Using my 18 month old son as an example, he plays in some form of dirt, rocks, or mud every day or almost every day, and he has been fever sick only once in his life, and has had maybe two colds. My four-year-old is similar in his play choices and attends outdoor preschool. He gets sick maybe three or four times a year, on average one of those sicknesses is feverish. Compared to many of my friends with young kids, this amount of sickness seems to be very low.
4. Better sleep: Natural sunlight helps regulate sleep cycles and circadian rhythm, especially when stepping outside in the sunlight within 30 minutes of waking up. Also, when kids run around outside more and release all their energy, everyone sleeps better AND I’ve found less fighting/stalling of bedtime!
5. Improves mental well-being and reduces anxiety: I could write a whole post on this one, but simply put here: being outdoors amongst plants, trees, birds, water, etc, has the power to reduce our anxiety and we have many scientific studies to prove it now. Trees release happy chemicals that help us, birds sing and help us feel less anxious, being near a natural water source releases happy chemicals in our brain, and the list goes on. This is why I advocate for schools to try independent reading time outside. It could help kids immensely.
6. Builds strong muscles and bones: Quoting Green Schoolyards of America again because I love what they’re doing so much, “Outdoor physical activity during recess, physical development, healthy brain development, gross and fine motor skill development, cardiovascular and muscular fitness, immune system development, decreased anxiety, maintenance of healthy weight, and decreased risk for Type 2 diabetes. Individuals who are physically active as children are more likely to become physically active independent adults.”
7. Boosts curiosity, creative thinking, executive functioning, and resilience: Each of these categories could all have their own section, however to simplify in conjunction with these four pilot studies from the University of Minnesota I will tell you that when one group of children in the study attended a nature preschool, and the other attended a high quality, play-based, non-nature preschool, the children who attended nature preschool demonstrated higher levels of curiosity, more growth in various aspects of creativity, and greater growth in resilience as well. There was no large difference in executive functioning skills, however, both groups “exceeded what would be expected due to cognitive maturation of typically developing children” (Ernst, Burcak, 2009).
Whether your child has the opportunity to attend an outdoor school in your area or goes to public school, we can all advocate for more outdoor learning, more nature field trips, more place based learning, and more safe and natural places for children to play outdoors. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my kids’ generation to be known as the “indoor generation,” which has been written about many times now in various newspaper articles. I want them to be known as the outdoor generation. The ones who reminded us of the importance of time outdoors and connecting with the natural world, and taking breaks from technology.
Resources:
Ernst, J., Burcak, F., (2019). Young children's contributions to sustainability: The influence of nature play on curiosity, executive function skills, creative thinking, and resilience. Sustainability, 11(15)
Children and Nature Network https://research.childrenandnature.org/research/nature-play-can-contribute-dispositions-and-skills-relevant-to-sustainability/?h=vmwzs6XE
Green Schoolyards America https://www.greenschoolyards.org/teaching-learning-outdoors/#management-mindeset
Sampson, Scott D. How to Raise a Wild Child : The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature. Boston ; New York, Mariner Books, 2016.
