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Outdoor education can happen in green spaces, on playgrounds, on school grounds, a nearby natural environment, garden or any other accessible place in the community.While the idea that outdoor education can be beneficial to children’s learning and development has been shared by practitioners in formal education systems for generations, in recent decades research has documented multiple benefits from cognitive, physical, psychological and social perspectives.
In terms of social outcomes, outdoor education develops social relationships between students and provides additional opportunities for collaboration among them. Two categories of teachers stood out: kindergarten teachers, for their focus on letting students initiate free play, and physical and health education teachers, for their focus on engaging students in sports activities.Since teachers generally practise outdoor education on a voluntary basis, they identified challenges and solutions.
Our research also shows that in the outdoors, learning is everywhere, whether it’s the development of knowledge or skills. All fields and many skills can be addressed. For example:– developing languages can happen through a writing project;– students gain insight into biodiversity and ecosystems through science lessons outdoors;
– Value outdoor education to increase the legitimacy of these practices among the entire educational community and communities at large.Research Chair in outdoor education