Outdoor Play benefits

Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children (and Adults)

In 2007, Scottish Education developed the Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning, recognizing that outdoor learning has powerful and lasting positive impacts on children. Research shows that learning outside the classroom enhances academic performance, social development, and emotional wellbeing.

View the official document here: Taking Learning Outdoors (PDF)

Evidence-Based Benefits of Outdoor Learning

• Improved long-term memory
• Knowledge and skills that add value to everyday experiences
• Provides a bridge for higher-order learning
• Improves attitudes toward the environment
• Fosters academic skills, engagement, achievement, and stronger motivation to learn
• Builds confidence, self-esteem, coping strategies, and locus of control
• Improved positive behavior
• Improved physical self-image and fitness
• Pride in community
• Greater sense of belonging
• Greater social development
• Positive relationships with peers, teachers, and the wider community
• Increased understanding of the natural world, environmental systems, and processes

Schools in Scotland are recognizing the need to move beyond heavy reliance on textbook learning. There is growing support for engaging children in outdoor play to encourage healthier lifestyles, deeper learning, and stronger community connections.

Outdoor Learning at Hidden Valley School – Outdoor

At Hidden Valley School – Outdoor, we strive to inspire excitement about learning and understanding our world. Through observation, Miss Jessica has documented the following meaningful learning experiences:

• Feeding ducks, chickens, and rabbits
• Collecting chicken eggs
• Planning for outdoor play
• Pretend play in the mud kitchen
• Riding bikes
• Pretend grocery shop in our garden
• Building with boards and logs
• Creating shows on our stage/tree house
• Exploring with chalk, trucks, bowls, water, scoops, buckets, mud, shovels, worms, pinecones, leaves, bugs, spiders, mushrooms, pumpkins, birds, and bees
• Learning to take turns
• Planning snack time, cleaning tables, helping with dishes
• Pouring with a pitcher and serving themselves and others