Outdoor Learning Spaces

Children have been spending
less time outdoors than ever before.

A 2018 study in the United Kingdom revealed that children today spend about four hours outside per week, roughly 50% less than their parents as kids. When children don’t spend enough time outdoors, they miss out on experiences critical to healthy growth and development, including physical activity, Vitamin D exposure, stress reduction, and nervous system regulation. In addition, immersing children in the natural world helps them gain observational skills needed to think critically beyond their immediate surroundings and build well-rounded perspectives.

Inspiring future
environmentalists, scientists, and leaders

Exposing children to environmental diversity—from unique ecosystems to differing landscapes and climates—encourages an appreciation for, and a comfort in, the natural world while helping them better understand their place within it. By allowing children to touch, see, hear, and even taste their surroundings, they recognize from an early age that our planet is worth protecting.