A classroom without walls: why you should bring education outdoors

Because of computer use, children have become more sedentary than ever before. Many may even be wondering if outdoor play will disappear from their lives if we don't address the issue. Can a break in technology and outdoor education benefit those with ADHD?

• Studies conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign show parents report symptoms of ADHD to be lessened when children play and engage in activities like sports and reading in a natural outdoor setting.
• These green settings may include parks, interurban trails, community gardens, backyard gardens and beaches.
• Similar results were also derived by studies from the National Institutes of Health for children, especially those with ADHD who have problems focusing, keeping a balance between the sedentary indoor classroom environment and a classroom providing outdoor connection with nature may be just the ticket.
• Why not take this a step further and take education outdoors?

• Though children will accept most cultural norms society presents, it doesn't mean that they can't benefit from a green outdoor setting, especially when being educated.
• Children with ADHD have brains that may function better when a connection with nature is encouraged, as part of a classroom with no walls. How can this be done?

• Field trips to arboretums, parks, interurban trails, and outside the city limits to state parks can provide the environment.
• Then, children with ADHD may be encouraged to observe nature as part of the biology segment of their curriculum.
• Hearing the sounds of nature and identifying their sources, peering closely at the means through which water travels, and moving their bodies through dynamic natural environments provide an education that books and indoor lectures alone cannot.

• Schools can also offer the cultivation of a class garden as part of the curriculum, where children work together to grow and nurture plants.
• Here they learn about building soil to support microorganisms, photosynthesis and the life cycle of plants, and how to nurture and care for a living being.

Applicable to both science and the reality of daily life, this is an education that will encourage children with ADHD to think outside the box of the indoor classroom, thus freeing their creative minds and allowing them greater focus and reduced anxiety.