5 November 2020 is Outdoor Classroom Day. This is a campaign to celebrate and inspire outdoor learning and play around the world. On this day, thousands of schools around the world take lessons outdoors and prioritise playtime.
Young people’s education and personal development clearly benefit from learning outside the classroom. Teachers that take learning outdoors report powerful effects such as improvement in children’s behaviour as well as entire classes being excited to learn.
Love the Outdoors
The theme for 2020 is Love the Outdoors! Time outdoors – on Outdoor Classroom Day and every day – makes children happier and healthier. It helps them develop a love of the natural world, which means they are more likely to grow up wanting to protect it.
The positive results from learning outside the classroom can be seen instantly. It improves children’s health, engages them with learning and leads to a greater connection with nature. Play not only teaches critical life skills such as resilience, teamwork and creativity, but is central to children’s enjoyment of childhood.
You can find out more about the project on the Outdoor Classroom Day website. It’s easy to get involved and there is something everyone can do!
Last year
Last year there were more than more than 3 million signups for Outdoor Classroom Day. In the UK and Ireland, approximately 700,000 children and young people led by 4,500 teachers and schools joined in.
You can see the 2019 map here.
Not just for Summer time!
Outdoor learning is not just for the warmer weather either! We should be positively encouraging young people to play and learn outdoors throughout the year. This doesn’t have to simply be counting objects or looking for shapes, but can include having items left out overnight that freeze, dancing or even enjoying an outdoor hot chocolate!
It can take a little planning, such as having a supply of warm woolly hats in the colder weather or ensuring children have access to waterproof clothing. Learning outside the classroom is known to contribute significantly to raising standards & improving pupils’ personal, social & emotional development. It also contributes to the quality and depth of learning (OFSTED, Learning Outside the Classroom – How far should you go? 2008).
Image courtesy of Outdoor Classroom Day.