Inclusivity: Inside & Outside (Outdoor Learning)

There’s a reason why they call it the “great outdoors.” Going outside is the best part of many people’s day. A chance to enjoy the sun, interact with the world around them, and just take a chance to breathe can be the best part of someone’s day. It’s also scientifically proven to improve a range of mental, physical and cognitive health outcomes. 

For students, outdoor learning is no different. However, students stand to benefit from more than just walking in the sunshine. Nature is a classroom, and play is learning. The outdoors are a chance for all students to learn more about each other and the world around them, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

Inclusivity has exciting momentum right now, bringing together professionals across education, healthcare, and design fields in new ways. Designing spaces that serve the most people — regardless of age, neurodivergence, or sensory needs — has seen significant progress in outdoor environments, and some of the most enriching classrooms aren’t always confined to four walls.

Let’s Take This Show On The (Dirt) Road

You don’t have to hop on Ms. Frizzle’s magic school bus to go somewhere engaging to learn. For many students, one of the best spaces to learn is right outside the classroom windows. 

Two of the greatest benefits of outdoor classroom learning are giving students the chance to explore nature through their own experimentation and helping them become comfortable making connections to the natural world and to one another. This is especially true in early childhood development, as young children learn by experiencing the world around them.

For students who are neurodivergent and struggle to focus, being outside periodically throughout the day has proven to reduce attention deficit symptoms and relax the students considerably. Students who learn in outdoor classrooms are also more likely to have higher standardized test scores and grade point averages. 

But the benefits of an outdoor classroom are not just based on performance—they also include unique teaching opportunities. For example, if the students are outside for a science class and they see a dragonfly go past, the science teacher can use that in-the-moment example to explain why the design of windsurfing sails is similar to insect wings. The same dragonfly, or a flower also seen outside, could become the inspiration for a drawing in art class. 

The opportunities for learning in an outdoor classroom are endless and, more importantly, creates a more accessible learning environment.  

Recess–It’s Everyone’s Favorite

If you asked a group of students what their favorite part of the school day is, there’s a good chance that a lot of them would say “recess.” And who can blame them? A chance to run around with their friends, swing as high as they can on the swing set, and prove that they are the four-square champion of that recess block.

These are the kinds of experiences that every student deserves to have, regardless of their ability. That’s why it’s important to select playground equipment that is not only accessible but also creates interaction between all children.

One company that is designing playground equipment with this in mind is the recreational equipment company Miracle Recreation. Much of their equipment includes ramps and low-to-the-ground structures so that students with limited mobility can enjoy the equipment piece. They also design equipment structures specifically for kids on the autism spectrum or with sensory integration disorders. The designs are made to be more integrated so that a person with sensory needs can play with children who may not have sensory needs. 

When you choose playground equipment with ramps or built-in calm-down spaces, the benefits run deeper than giving every student 50 minutes of fun in their day. It also allows students to interact with one another on an equal footing. Research and design philosophy alike support the idea that when children are in spaces where they can choose to connect with kids who are different from them, they develop the capacity to care for others later in life.

The Wi-Fi Human Connection

Life is all about the connections you make. No, not the Wi-Fi connection your phone makes every time you enter a room: the real connections you make with the space around you and the people you’re with. 

These connections are some of the most important in our lives, and students deserve the same. 

One way to promote the connection between students and the natural world is to give them real elements to touch: real sand, real wood, and real rocks, for instance. It’s as simple as buying a boulder. A boulder can serve as a bench, a table, or even a perch. This natural element is not only more comfortable for all students than the typical metal bench, it also helps children become more acclimated to the natural world around them. 

Courtyards are another easy way to promote this connection, especially for schools that may not have an expansive natural environment around their facilities. By creating a courtyard and giving children the tools to function in the natural world around them, you’re helping them do more than create a connection with nature – you’re helping them create a connection with each other. 

Students with disabilities can struggle with feeling like they’re isolated from their peers, a condition that has only worsened in the age of digital media-driven connection. Natural play and being outdoors encourage children to interact and bond with one another rather than fostering those connections on digital media. 

Getting students into the natural world doesn’t just help them learn better; it also helps teach them one of the most important lessons life has to offer: empathy. 

The Great Outdoors Are, Well, Great

Regardless of where a student is from or what they experience in life, one thing is clear: the outdoors has undeniable long- and short-term positive impacts. When children are able to interact with nature, they become less afraid of it — and when they’re comfortable with nature, they’re far more likely to form a lasting relationship with it and choose to be stewards of the natural world as they grow.

Creating an inclusive environment for all students sometimes means expanding the space rather than limiting it. No space is more expansive or offers more opportunity for success and growth than the truly great outdoors.