Thank you for sharing this page with your friends!
Green Hour Pathway
Today, children spend only 50 minutes per week engaging in outdoor activities — compared to the average six hours per day spent in front of a TV, computer, or video game. Digital technology has its place in our society, but today's overscheduled kids are increasingly "plugged in" to electronic devices and media and unplugged from the fundamental and formative experience of nature in their own communities.
Their senses - including, most sadly, their sense of wonder - are bombarded, overwhelmed, and ultimately diminished. By giving our children a "Green Hour" a day - a bit of time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world - we can set them on the path toward physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Children who regularly spend unstructured time outside:
- Play more creatively
- Have lower stress levels
- Have more active imaginations
- Become fitter and leaner
- Develop stronger immune systems
- Experience fewer symptoms of ADD and ADHD
- Have greater respect for themselves, for others, and for the environment
What Can Schools Do to Increase Outdoor Time?
Children spend much of their time in school or engaging in school-related activities. In addition to the health benefits, studies have shown that outdoor time during school hours leads to higher test scores and higher overall achievement in the classroom.
To increase outdoor time, schools can build learning gardens and outdoor classrooms, assign homework that requires outdoor exploration, increase recess time, or improve the school grounds - to name just a few possibilities.
The first step in increasing outdoor time for students and staff is to complete a Green Hour audit for your school. This will help you set targets to increase opportunities for outdoor time. For example, you might decide to create appropriate outdoor space so that classes can be held outside, or begin a student-run awareness campaign about the importance of outdoor education and play.
Has your school developed a great way to incorporate outdoor time? If so, why not share it with everyone on our Facebook page?