A recent study has shown that over 40,000 students from over 120 schools in the South West are happier, healthier and have shown an increased motivation to learn as a result of an initiative that has transformed the great outdoors into a classroom.
What are the benefits?
The benefits are many and varied however the key ones are
- Student enjoyment
- Student engagement
- Development of Social skills
- Levels of student health and wellbeing
- Student behaviour
- Student Attainment
So the findings are clear – getting school children outdoors is great for their health and wellbeing and shows that this style of learning can put them onto a path of happy, healthy and environmentally sustainable lifestyles. Schools are the means to enable these opportunities for your children, yet only around 8 per cent of school age children in England get out of their classrooms into outdoor spaces for learning activities.
What better way to improve the learning experience of young children than to encourage learning alongside Mother Nature.
Mother Nature is a fantastic teacher and getting kids outdoors to play and learn is great for their brains.
Contact with nature is much more essential today with the fact that children are spending a huge amount of time using entertainment media and very few children play outside on their own.
Without changing the way we educate our children we are at risk of forfeiting an entire generation’s understanding of how nature works and what is needed to stay healthy and productive.
Exercise, fresh air, and creative exploration are just some of the benefits children can enjoy when they spend time outdoors. Encouraging children to be active while outdoors is important for their physical, cognitive, and social development. By nurturing more opportunities for outdoor learning, we will assist the next generation develop and grow as they build an appreciation for nature at an early age.
So where do we start?
Create the environment – Outdoor learning will be more effectively supported if adults and children have good access to outdoors, and opportunities to move 
freely between the indoor and outdoor environment.
Make it safe – Secure entrances, exits and boundaries are vital safety features and offer adults the peace of mind to let children roam and explore freely, ensure that any school canopies are non fragile.
Make it fun – A supply of water outdoors enriches children’s play and learning opportunities all year round and makes caring for plants easier during the hot weather.
Choice of surroundings – A variety of hard and soft surfaces and low-level slopes offer added interest, exciting new perspectives and often act as a catalyst for children’s play ideas.
Protection from the elements – Both adults and children need to have protection from extreme weather conditions as well as powerful UV rays through provision of shade and shelter. Spaceshade™ School canopies are an ideal way of creating this covered space.
Spaceshade™ School canopies are the perfect solution to making learning safe and fun, add a bit of colour by powder coating the canopy in any RAL colour, infill between the posts with our Spaceshade™ Enclosascreen retractable motorised screens with large clear vision panels so that your students can continue to enjoy the experience in all weathers.
Recent Installation of a Spaceshade Lux Systems at Hacton Primary School Hornchurch complete with Enclosashade wind shielding blinds in the down position
Don’t just take our word for it, view case studies of other schools already enjoying the benefits.
Click here for your ‘free’ space consultation from one of our experts.
