We all know that it’s good to be outside and that spending more time outdoors can positively impact our lives. After all, as kids, we have memories of our kids begging us to play outdoors for a reason. However, the benefits of spending more time outside might not seem obvious. There are real academic benefits to taking your learning outside, as well as drawbacks. Here are just a few of those benefits to taking learning outside.
Increase self-esteem
Some kids thrive in the outdoors and feel more comfortable there. You may find that they have more self-esteem when learning outdoors because being outside of the classroom can help relieve some of the class anxiety. Students might be more willing to answer questions or engage where they may be quiet in a classroom.
Raise achievement
One of the benefits of taking your learning outside is that your kids will learn better. While it might seem like the outdoors provide more distractions than in the classroom, sometimes the busy nature of the classroom can make it hard to retain information in a lecture or learning setting. Your students may even start to realize that the better they do, the more outdoor time they get and therefore the harder, they will try to earn that outdoor time.
Improve behaviors
Since kids don’t usually get to go outside to learn, this can be seen as a reward or even a special treat. Thus, it often leads to better behavior throughout the class and encourages them to be on their best behavior. Troublemakers and students who tend to be distractions might even find themselves the most engaged students on their best behavior when brought outside.
Increase engagement
In addition to increasing confidence with your students, you can also use outdoor learning to increase engagement! I’m not sure if it’s the trees or the fresh air, but something about being outdoors can make your students more willing to engage in your lesson!
Alternative learning environment
Changing up your learning environment can not only be good for you but for your students as well! Sometimes a change of scenery can be just what your students need to grasp a difficult concept or a new lesson. Having the same classroom and sitting in the same seats all year can make it a little dull after a few months, so going outside every now and then for a lesson can both literally and figuratively be a breath of fresh air.
Provides extra space to move around
Whether you’re doing fun games outside or just spreading out in your outdoor classroom, taking your learning outside can give you additional space to move around. Even moving your small group activities outside can still be beneficial for your students.
They call it the great outdoors for nothing, and hopefully, these benefits can help you see why! The outdoors can provide a great learning environment on a nice day and give your students a break from the traditional classroom.
