My ongoing collection of news articles about why going outside is good for us.
How forest schools boost children’s immune systems – October 2023
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231031-how-forest-schools-boost-childrens-immune-systems
Forest schools increasing in popularity across New York
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/news/2023/08/31/forest-schools-increasing-in-popularity-acrossnew-york
Why ‘forest schools’ are gaining popularity as an alternative to public schools
https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/tn-forest-schools/
Behind the bush learning boom: why getting dirty and lighting fires is good for Australian children – July 2023
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/23/bush-learning-boom-forest-school-kindy-beach-outdoor-immersion
Reconnecting with Nature: The Rise of Forest Schools – June 2023
https://www.miragenews.com/reconnecting-with-nature-the-rise-of-forest-1033675/
‘The sun is medicine’: Parents, co-ordinators see benefits in Mi’kmaw land-based learning – June 2023
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/eel-river-bar-forest-school-1.6863515
Study finds dedicated nature play areas underutilized for teaching curriculum at school – March 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-03-dedicated-nature-play-areas-underutilized.html
Benefits of an Outdoor Education Class – December 2022
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/play-and-imitation/202212/benefits-of-an-outdoor-education-class
Why we may be getting outdoor education (very) wrong – July 2022 https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/primary/outdoor-learning-education-schools-forest-schools
Do children do better in Forest Schools – Jan 2022
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220105-how-asia-fell-in-love-with-forest-schools
Nature-based school will feature a yurt – Sept 2021
https://www.elliotlaketoday.com/local-news/nature-based-school-will-feature-a-yurt-5-photos-4312125
Spending more time in nature crucial to children’s mental health and development, study says – July 2021
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/07/20/time-nature-benefits-childs-mental-health-cognitive-development/8025064002/
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/nature-exposure-kids
Daycares in Finland Built a ‘Forest Floor’, And It Changed Children’s Immune Systems – October 2020
https://www.sciencealert.com/daycares-in-finland-built-a-backyard-forest-and-it-changed-children-s-immune-systems
6 reasons children need to play outside – October 27, 2020
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-reasons-children-need-to-play-outside-2018052213880
Nature Deficit Disorder is really a thing – June 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/parenting/nature-health-benefits-coronavirus-outdoors.html
Forest schools: how climbing trees and making dens can help children develop resilience – June 2019
https://theconversation.com/forest-schools-how-climbing-trees-and-making-dens-can-help-children-develop-resilience-117920
Outdoor learning has huge benefits for children and teachers—so why isn’t it used in more schools? – June 2019
https://phys.org/news/2019-06-outdoor-huge-benefits-children-teachersso.html
Six ways nature helps children learn – June 2019
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_nature_helps_children_learn
What Sweden teaches us about play and the outdoors – June 2017 https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/active-families/what-sweden-can-teach-us-about-outdoor-parenting/
Kindergarten, Naturally – Sept 2016 https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/09/kindergarten-naturally/500138/
Wild things: how ditching the classroom boosts children’s mental health
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2016/jun/02/children-outdoors-boost-wellbeing-learning
Nature is the best way to nurture pupils with special educational needs
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2016/may/01/nature-nurture-pupils-special-educational-needs-outdoor-education
Reading, writing and mud: the growth of Forest Schools – December 2015
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/primaryeducation/12038625/Reading-writing-and-mud-the-growth-of-Forest-Schools.html
The Benefits of Digging in the Dirt (Op-Ed) – Feb 2014
https://www.livescience.com/43306-benefits-playing-in-dirt.html
October 2012 – https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1558065/there-are-no-plastic-toys-or-computers-at-beyond-the-walls-outdoor-nursery
Scandinavia
In Sweden’s Preschools, Boys Learn to Dance and Girls Learn to Yell – March 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/24/world/europe/sweden-gender-neutral-preschools.html
The Joyful, Illiterate Kindergartners of Finland – October 2015
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/the-joyful-illiterate-kindergartners-of-finland/408325/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12735245/American-dad-daughter-Sweden-school-shock.html
Finland’s social climbers: How they’re fighting inequality with education, and winning
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/how-finland-is-fighting-inequality-with-education-andwinning/article29716845/
April 2016
What the world can teach Canada about building better daycare – October 2013 https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/what-the-world-can-teach-canada-about-building-better-daycare/article15036667/