Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to inspire and celebrate outdoor learning and play. On the day, thousands of schools around the world take lessons outside and prioritise playtime. As well as having fun, they will show how important and easy it is to give children more time outdoors.
When teachers take learning outdoors they report some powerful impacts: Children’s behaviour improves, whole classes are excited to learn, and individuals who feel inhibited by the curriculum often thrive in an outdoor environment.
Outdoor Classroom Day is about more than just one day, it’s a global campaign to inspire and celebrate outdoor learning and play every day. By getting involved in the annual celebrations, teachers help send a message to the world that time outdoors every day is important for every child. They also help to achieve these longer-term shared goals:
“Academic research shows that active play is the natural and primary way that children learn.”
Sir Ken Robinson,
Expert in education, creativity and human development.
South Lee Educate Together is a Cork City based school. Many would take the “Outdoor Classroom” to mean some time spent outdoors near our school.
However we chose to take the view that the “the city as our playground” and explore some of the rich gifts that our beloved city has to offer. We visit the likes of Crawford Art Gallery, The English Market & Fitzgerald’s Park to name but a few.
“The city is our playground”
We have truly taken on board the spirit of the “Outdoor Classroom” initiative. If a lesson can be explored in the outdoors why not take it outside.
This attitude gives rise to learning environment that is both flexible and fun, where children feel more connected to their environment and locale.
