As a teacher in an all-outdoor preschool (yes, no buildings!), I got to witness the magic of getting children outside every day for four hours straight. Each morning at 8:30 AM, children would arrive to a public park in Seattle, dressed head-to-toe in school-sanctioned rain gear, and search for their favorite stick, snuggle up in the class-made fort, and jump off stumps that they artfully crafted into an obstacle course. They’d sidle up next to me and hold up a laminated, waterproof book, and we’d read and laugh in the dirt. Sometimes, they’d cry and miss their parents, and we’d work together to resolve their feelings and find a way to make it through the day with joy. Sometimes it was so cold, we’d just spend the whole day sledding and making snow angels so as to keep our bodies moving and our spirits high.

Starting an outdoor preschool during the rainiest year on record in already rainy Seattle was no easy feat. But, never in my life have I ever worked in an educational setting that honors children more. The outdoors -- whether it’s a sidewalk or a deep forest -- says “YES” to children. It invites them to experience life unscripted, solve problems, and challenge themselves in a way that desks and screens cannot. As Action Network member Jenifer Joy Madden writes, outdoor play and time outside benefit children of all ages.

By the end of the year, there was a stark difference between the children who showed up in September and those who rolled down the big hill for graduation in June. These children were not only “kindergarten ready,” if that’s your thing, but they were physically stronger, had a clear self-image, and were citizens of the world. As one preschooler told me, “I went to outdoor preschool and now I can hike 5000 miles.” That’s enough confidence to take on the world’s biggest problems. Forget "kindergarten ready." They are life ready.

Widespread outdoor learning is not a new idea, just one that’s been displaced by the ill-informed pressures of public funding. Standardized testing and screens now define what “quality” education looks like in the U.S. In use since time immemorial by Native Americans and across African and Asian continents, outdoor public spaces have hosted educational institutions that serve children just as well if not better than even the fanciest brick-and-mortar schools. So, what if we physically distanced our students from four walls and a desk? We’ve done it before.

For those of us who have been working for decades to get kids outside, it’s exciting to see the widened call for outdoor spaces for learning during COVID. And for those of us concerned about the role of technology in our kids’ education, this is a possible win as well! Green schoolyards and using public green space (in its many forms) are not only good for kids’ bodies, brains, and social/emotional development. They could be the key to making sure that all children, especially children of color whose access to the outdoors and its benefits has been marginalized, have high quality educational opportunities, according to a recent research agenda. 

And, for schools that  are remote, I believe there needs to be some way for children to have a “recess” that gets them moving, going outside, looking out the window, and engaging in hands-on opportunities to get messy. I call upon teachers, administrators, and home-schooling parents to schedule it into the remote learning day, but also meet families where they are  in terms of their comfort with the outdoors.

Nature says “yes” to children learning all of their academic skills, but it also says “yes” to helping children develop kindness and empathy toward all living things, “yes” to being able to problem solve whatever life throws at them, and “yes” to being more engaged citizens of the world. It sounds like just what we need right now.

Adventurously yours,

Rachel

CCFC’s Education & Communications Coordinator

P.S. Jean is taking a (screen-free) vacation this week! She’ll be back next week with more News You Can Use goodness.