5 Reasons Why We Love Learning Outdoors!

Today is the biannual Outdoor Classroom Day, a “global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day.” In past years, on this day, we’ve shared tips for educators, talked about sustainability, collaborated with Teach Outdoors and called for a change to our education system. This year however, we thought we’d take a different approach and share our top five reasons why we love learning outdoors and the fact that, for us, every day is Outdoor Classroom Day!

1) It facilitates connection with the natural world

I know, we talk about this a lot but that’s because it’s so darn important! Learning in an outdoor environment allows young people to build a connection with the natural world around them and gain a sense of perspective about their place within in it. In a time where we are facing a global climate crisis, it is more important than ever before that the next generation understands the importance of looking after the world we live in and crucially, feels that it has the skills, knowledge and confidence to know how to do that.

Being outdoors regularly all year round also allows young people to adopt an understanding of the cyclical nature of the year and encourages us to match our activities and lifestyles to the seasons around us. It helps us understand that it’s OK to slow down in autumn before hunkering down over winter and then being more active in the spring and summer. We can’t live at one constant pace, all year round, and it’s an important life skill to know how to adapt our lives to the seasons we find ourselves in.

2) It provides a conducive sensory setting for learning

Forget the bright white, fluorescent lights, forget the bare walls that are unable to absorb any noise, the harsh sound or crackle of the speaker blaring announcements, forget the hub bub of hundreds of children stampeding through corridors… There is so much in a traditional school setting that can be overwhelming for those who have sensory needs. It can be an assault on all the senses and for some learners, it’s simply too much for them to then be in a grounded place to start learning.

Being outdoors however, is a soothing environment. The noise of a group of learners dissipates into the space around them and is absorbed by the trees or wind. The natural light is kinder on our eyes, our skin, our minds. There are gentle invitations to have sensory experiences such as the crackle of the campfire, the sensation of mud in your hands, the enjoyment of moving through piles of fallen leaves. Many learners (and staff!) report feeling calmer and more grounded in an outdoor environment, setting everyone up for a more positive learning experience.

3) The Triangle Of Trust

In her book, Forest School For All, Sarah Knight coined the concept of ‘the triangle of trust’. This refers to the relationship between the facilitators of a session, the attendees of a session and the natural environment that the session is taking place in. She talks about mutual respect and trust between all three corners of the triangle and we believe that this is unique to the outdoor learning environment. It’s so powerful because it means that the learning can go in both ways in this triangle, the young people can learn from the space they’re in and their facilitator but the facilitator can also learn from the young people they work with and the space.

A successful application of the triangle of trust strengthens the connection between young people and the staff working with them, which often leads to more positive learning outcomes. It also helps young people gain more confidence and communication skills as they work within a community, rather than learning from an isolated, singular position.

4) It’s experiential

Learning in an outdoor environment is experiential in a way that is harder to replicate within an indoor space. There are so many opportunities for hands-on, project-based learning from long-term projects like building a cob pizza oven or round house to activities that can be done in a few hours. From fire-lighting to campfire cooking, to woodwork to nature identification, so much of what can be facilitated in an outdoor learning space provides the chance for learners to use their hands and learn through doing. This is important because whilst everyone has a different learning style that works best for them, there is a lot of evidence out there about how experiential learning embeds information and skills in a way that simply listening to someone talk or reading about how to do something just doesn’t. It enforces learning and leads to a higher retention of knowledge.

5) It builds community

Finally, learning in an outdoor environment builds a sense of community. Whether that’s a long-term community that learns together over the course of weeks or months or years or a one-off gathering, being with a group in an outdoor setting bonds in a way that being indoors doesn’t. We’ve spoken before about how the weather doesn’t discriminate and this is part of it, if it’s raining, everyone gets rained on, if the sun is beating down, everyone is getting hot. This helps with a sense of solidarity which can lead to community. Sitting round a campfire, working together on a project or spending time outside in a group can lead to a sense of community that wasn’t otherwise there.

Community matters. It’s at the heart of everything. We are social beings, designed to live in communities and support each other through them with the ups and downs that life throws our way. These days, we all live in our own houses, in a rather isolated way. Finding and maintaining our communities, wherever they might arise, is important to improve our wellbeing, look after our mental health, and to care for the others in our circles.

So Happy Outdoor Classroom Day folks – we hope you enjoyed our musings on why we think that outdoor learning is so beneficial and important for people of all ages. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject so as always, please do leave us a comment and join in the conversation!

Author: Hannah Durdin, Content Officer & Forest School Leader

Date: Thursday 7th November 2024