Sending your kid on the right educational path is a lot of pressure. Especially if you’re faced with the option of outdoor learning.
Outdoor learning is unconventional, but it’s on the rise, and with positive results. But although you might be able to gauge how good fresh air is for your child, there are less obvious reasons why outdoor learning is great.
From increased stimulation to community cohesion, outdoor learning won’t only improve your child’s grades. It will also improve their character and personal development.
So keep reading to learn more. We’ll let you know three under-stated benefits of outdoor learning and how it puts your child ahead of the curve.
1. Improved Academic Performance
Outdoor learning can stimulate students enough to affect their academic performance. In fact, outdoor learning activities can improve children’s test scores by 27%.
In an institution like Manor Lodge that specializes in outdoor learning, students also experience an everyday academic boost. Through outdoor learning methods, children are not only better listeners and keener learners. They’re also better problem-solvers and team members.
2. Increased Situational Awareness
When it comes to indoor vs outdoor learning, space makes a huge difference. In particular, the outdoors can sharpen and hone their perception of their environment. This way, children have more stimulus, which excites them about the task at hand.
This leads to improved situational awareness, which is crucial for all parts of life. It allows children to sense oncoming dangers and have an eye for detail. They also develop a fuller understanding of the people and things around them.
Situational awareness isn’t as natural to certain people. Genetics, upbringing, and environment can all impact environmental perception. So if you’re worried about your child’s health and safety in an outdoor learning environment, don’t be — they’re actually learning to improve their safety.
3. Better Sense of Community
Being enclosed by four walls has a time and place in education. But it doesn’t optimize your child’s ability to connect with others. When they’re enclosed by a barrier that prevents them from seeing the outside world, they’re prevented from connecting with it.
Instead, outdoor learning does away with those barriers. It allows children to incorporate their learning in the midst of an open, serene educational hubbub. While they won’t usually interact with other groups, they’ll have a subtle but enhanced awareness of others.
This awareness informs them of others’ individualism — that there are other people leading their own lives. This awareness is powerful when accompanied by some great outdoor learning focus measures. Together, they foster learning for two purposes: the curriculum at hand and empathy.
Reap What You Sow: Seize the Advantages of Outdoor Learning!
Nearly every industry, including the educational industry, evolves at a rapid pace. This is great for our children, who will be able to enjoy the innovative benefits of outdoor learning even if we weren’t able to. There’s really no reason to be hesitant — though this method is new and unconventional, it’s enriched the lives of countless students.
If this guide helped you understand some overlooked benefits of outdoor learning, check out the rest of our site! We’ve got plenty of other parenting information for readers like you.