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Why Include Outdoor Activities in School Curriculum?

When people had first decided to use buildings as a place of education, they had no doubt placed a seed that would allow the human civilization to flourish later on. However, schools in the past were vastly different from what they are today.

During the early Greek period, there was more emphasis on outdoor education. Students were not confined to buildings. They were taught to take part in different physical activities outdoors. On the other hand, our current schooling system is a 'factory model' that focuses on developing a working machine as opposed to a better human being.

Recently scholars have begun to see the benefits of outdoor education in children's learning. In this post, you will learn what outdoor education is, and also what the benefits of including outdoor activities in the school curriculum are.

What is Outdoor Education?

Outdoor education consists of activities and experiences that take place outdoors. The activities are fun, exciting, and physically challenging for children. They gain new skills such as teamwork, interpersonal communication, and much more in a real-life setting.

The fact is that kids are naturally attracted to playing outside. There are a lot of benefits of adding outdoor activities in the school curriculum.

1. Teamwork

Outdoor activities provide opportunities for children to work in a group. Teachers can assign specific roles to kids in a group. The cooperation between students as they work towards a single goal will help develop team problem solving and relationship schools.

2. Improved Mood

Activities, like planting trees, running, or performing other tasks in a group outside, will decrease stress levels. When children take part in fun activities outdoors, it results in the release of a 'happy hormone' known as serotonin. The decreased stress levels and improved mood will result in positive physiological and psychological effects.

3. Increased Awareness of the Environment

Outdoor education also results in increased awareness of the environment. Students will know what actions badly affect the environment. They will become aware of the harmful effects of seemingly harmless acts like throwing plastic bags outside. Increased environmental awareness will contribute to a more responsible behavior among kids.

4. Kinesthetic Learning

Taking part in outdoor activities will promote kinesthetic learning. Children will have a better comprehension of theoretical concepts when they see, touch, and feel objects. They can touch the leaves, view insects, and perform experiments outdoor. This will result in more enhanced learning among children.

The fact is that outdoor learning has many benefits. Teachers can make a quiz using a test maker to find out what students have learned while taking part in outdoor activities. They can ask students about what they had learned while outside. The net result of adding outdoor activities to school curriculum will not only be enhanced learning but also a feeling of wellbeing among students.