Page 58 - spaces4learning, Fall 2024

s p a c e s 4 l e a rn i n g OUTDOOR LEARNING SPACES
IMAGES COURTESY OF PFLUGER ARCHITECTS
REIMAGINE
OUTDOOR SPACES AS
DYNAMIC LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
Benefits and solutions for creating outdoor learning
areas and programming at your school
By Brenda Swirczynski, ALEP
WE’VE ALL HEARD IT A MILLION TIMES. “Go outside and get some fresh
air.” Well, Mom was right, and not just about being bored on a summer after-
noon. There’s solid research that shows taking the classroom outside can be a
game-changer, especially when it is introduced early to our youngest learners.
• Academic advantages: Nature sparks curiosity and joy in learning. It turns
instructional journeys into real adventures and learning activities into stories
lived and felt, weaving the natural world directly into the fabric of learning.
• Balancing screen time with green time: The active nature of outdoor
learning combats sedentary lifestyles, encouraging more movement and
physical engagement.
58 FALL 2024 | spaces4learning.com
• Socio-emotional development: The calm-
ing effect of nature, combined with the col-
laborative opportunities it presents, nurtures
essential socio-emotional skills like empathy,
teamwork and resilience.
• Environmental literacy: Exploring and
learning outdoors sparks wonder and enables
us to make real-world connections to the nat-
ural world. It helps us understand how our
actions affect the environment and encourag-
es a sense of responsibility.
Those all sound great, but I get it, it can be
a challenge getting buy-in.
Possible Challenges
to Outdoor Learning
“It’s not safe. There are bugs, and what if kids run
away?”
We start by establishing clear boundar-
ies and objectives for the activity. Modern
school designs can integrate safe and secure
outdoor learning spaces. Pfluger Architects’
design for the new Denton Elementary School
in Denton, Texas, creates an interior courtyard
that provides collaborative and flexible space
for hands-on learning and gives students and
teachers a break from the classroom. The col-
laboration spaces and science lab will connect