Our usual way of life was upended during the pandemic. People stayed home from work and school and found themselves looking for anything to do. For many, the answer was simple – go outside. There is evidence that exposure to nature increases quality of life and can be a tool in the treatment of mood disorders. For children, time spent outdoors is crucial to break up the school day, and improves executive function, socialization, and increased appreciation for nature.
Schools Need Green Spaces
Children spend on average about 4-7 minutes per day outside, almost half as much time as 20 years ago. Studies show that just sixty minutes of unstructured play improves a child’s physical and mental health. During the pandemic, some schools held classes outdoors. In Massachusetts, teachers used the school’s garden as a venue for science class. In New York City, administrators turned a school’s roof into a classroom. The pandemic has shown us how schools can creatively provide outdoor spaces for students. Equipped with the knowledge that the outdoors offers such invaluable benefits to students, we cannot accept a school day without the option for students to interact with nature.
Schools should implement green schoolyards, which are multipurpose, environmentally-focused areas that incorporate playgrounds, gardens, wooded areas, and other green spaces. These spaces can be used for unstructured playtime and during class time as well. Studies show green spaces facilitate friendships among students and increase the likelihood of rigorous physical activity. They also report relatively low levels of teasing and bullying as compared to other school settings. Additionally, in some instances, these spaces can be open to the public after school hours, cultivating a sense of community.
Access to Nature is Important for Cognitive Development
A 2019 study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois, found that a child’s access to nature promotes wellbeing by improving attention and stress levels, self-discipline, and enjoyment of learning for students. Further, in a study conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University, it was found that time spent in nature was beneficial for children with disabilities like ADHD as it increased attention and diminished disruptive behaviors throughout the school day.
Access to Nature Must be Equalized
In the United States, it’s not surprising that wealthy people have more access to outdoor recreational space. In Illinois, about 85% of nonwhite and low-income people live in “nature-deprived” areas. Additionally, children have far less access to nature than the rest of the population, and there’s even less access for children from low-income backgrounds. So, it’s important that any measure that aims to increase outdoor activity in schools accounts for these disparities.
Children’s Connection to Nature and Climate Change Education
Connection to the outdoors and environmental education will also inevitably lead to children’s curiosity and worry about climate change. Furthermore, studies have found that children’s connection to nature in their early years predicts a higher likelihood that they will take action to care for the environment in the future. Parents may worry that teaching children about the changing climate will place too much stress on their children. However, rather than viewing this as a negative, this will be an opportunity to teach meaning-focused coping in children, which includes teaching the ability to face risk and uncertainty and believe that their own actions can make a difference. Prioritizing students’ connection to nature will prepare them for the future. As climate change progresses, it will be imperative that everyone is conscious of the effects that it will have on the environment.
Policymakers Need to Act
Schools possess an invaluable opportunity to connect students with nature, not only for students’ own mental health but also for the future health of the planet. A new Illinois law requires a half hour of unstructured play time for students up to fifth grade. This is an important step in the right direction that could be further enhanced by a more expansive program with an emphasis on nature. Connecticut’s No Child Left Inside program provides students and teachers with a variety of programs in their state parks like educational curriculums and teacher workshops. Additionally, the Public Health Law Center at Hamline University School of Law put out policy language that can be used as a model to require green space in schools:
It’s time for schools and policymakers to stop overlooking the importance of access to the outdoors in student’s lives. We must make outdoor time a priority and a requirement to improve the well-being and success of all students.
Kathleen McGivney is a student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and wrote this blog as part of the Education Law Practicum.
