Capable by Nature: Why Children Belong Outdoors
Learning isn’t limited to the walls of our classrooms - the most impactful learning often occurs outside! The outdoors is essential for children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
“Children learn with their bodies before they learn with their brains.” -Sally Goddard Blythe, Movement: Your Child’s First Language
Preparing children for elementary school? Let them play outside.
Supporting children’s emotional regulation? Unstructured play outside.
Developing a strong attention span? Uninterrupted outdoor play.
Reading, writing, reasoning, critical thinking, resilience, curiosity, and cooperation (to name only a few)? Extended time for unstructured outdoor play.
We are sending children to school less prepared to learn than ever before - while pushing down what they are expected to learn at younger ages. Children develop from the core out. Before they sit and write, read, reason, and follow instruction, they run, climb, jump, balance, skip, squeeze, create, and build. These things aren’t extra; they are essential.
Movement is not a break from learning. Movement is learning. Physical development is integral to cognitive skill. Movement supports emerging executive functions, such as memory, attention span, and cognitive flexibility. Unstructured play supports goal setting, empathy, leadership, risk-taking, and perseverance through challenges.
It’s becoming more common for children to have increasingly indoor, sedentary lifestyles. Outdoor time is limited to burning off excess energy or organized sports. This has impacted children’s ability to stay upright in their seats, pay attention, and regulate their emotions and activity level. It also impedes development, including the eye muscles needed for tracking in reading and the pressure and spacing needed for writing.
Children literally thrive by moving their bodies… In order to reverse the growing trend of children who have trouble with strength, balance, and coordination, we need to first understand the underlying motor and sensory skills that support and develop healthy, strong, and capable children.” -Angela Hanscom, Balanced & Barefoot
The importance of the Outdoor Classroom isn’t new to Pinnacle - we’ve been a Nature Explore certified outdoor space for over a decade. But over that time, we’ve seen the urgency for these experiences continue to increase, and so has our commitment. The Outdoor Classroom will be a focal point for study, documentation, and reflection across all classrooms, spotlighting the immense value of this space as a third teacher in children’s development. Stay connected on Instagram and Facebook to see this commitment in action!
For additional resources on the importance of outdoor play, we highly recommend Why Children Need Physical Activity (article) and The Real Reason Children Fidget (TED Talk).