Research on Being Outdoors
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This page is specifically about research on the value of being outdoors in nature, as opposed to the value of learning map skills.
"Why kids need to spend time in nature," Danielle Cohen, Child Mind Institute,
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv, 2008.
, Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020
"", Gwen Dewar, 2018-2019
This describes a number of scientific findings, including a large Danish study about access to green spaces.
, Michael Becker, Edutopia, 2016
Builds community
Raises expectations and standards
Increases connection
Builds culture
Develops positive feelings and memories around school and the outdoors
Scientific citations
Non-scientific article citations
Describes an epidemiological study of the association between contact with the natural world in childhood and mental health in adulthood. Based on 3600 individuals in 4 different European countries.
This is a list of many scientific articles that we can review. They group findings into these categories:
School performance
Health
Child development
Fun
Sense of place; civic attitudes and behaviors
Family and community engagement
Cites a number of other studies; we should review.
Talks about unequal exposure to environmental hazards, but also argues that proximity to nature and exposure to green spaces have a significant effect.
Children in Turkey received 10-week 4 hr/day 5 day/week education, mostly outdoors. They were tested for cognitive, linguistic, social-emotional and motor skills before and after.
Several other articles are cited that may have specific stats we can use.
Students from schools that used an environmentally focused curriculum scored higher in 72% of the academic assessments than students from traditional schools. (SEER, 2000)
Outdoor learning experiences are more effective for developing cognitive skills than classroom-based learning (Eaton, 2000)
This journal may have other useful articles with stats we can use.
The average American child is said to spend 4 to 7 minutes a day in unstructured play outdoors, and over 7 hours a day in front of a screen.
11-year-olds in a British city spent less than 30 min outside (Cooper et al 2010)
Survey of preschools in Ohio: half the children spent less than 23 min each day outdoors. (Copeland et al 2016)
Third grade students show more engagement immediately after returning from an outdoor lesson (Kuo et al 2017)
, Carly Cassella, 23 May 2019, Science Alert.
""
"" Strife & Downey, Organ Environ. 2009 Mar; 22(1):99-122. THIS IS A GREAT ARTICLE!
"recent findings indicate that limited exposure to nature and green space may have serious physical and psychological health ramifications" (; ; ; ).
" children disproportionately suffer the long-term developmental consequences of limited experiences in nature ()"
" increasing evidence suggests that access to nature and green space provides children with a myriad cognitive, emotional, and physical benefits, such as increased ability to concentrate, improved academic performance, reduced stress and aggression levels, and reduced risk of obesity (; , ; ; )."
" recent scholarly evidence and the proliferation of popular media reports on the importance of outdoor play have sparked national concerns about the long-term consequences of children’s diminished contact with nature, ultimately generating a nationwide movement to 'leave no child inside' (; ; ; )."
" unprecedented numbers of children in the United States suffer from asthma, cancer, low IQs, and learning disabilities each year (; ; )"
" current findings from the environmental psychology and environmental health fields are beginning to link children’s exposure to environmental pollutants and diminishing access to nature to children’s declining mental and physical health (; ; ; ; )."
" regardless of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, early childhood experiences in nature significantly influence the development of lifelong environmental attitudes and values (, , , ; )."
" mounting evidence shows that American children are spending less and less time in the natural world (; ). "
" race and class inequalities likely influence children’s access to, attitudes about, and behaviors regarding the environment (; ; ; ; )"
, Science News, 2019
, Szczytko, Carrier and Stevenson. Frontiers in Education, 2019
, Becker et al, Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2017
. Neill & Richards
Neill, 1997
"," South African Journal of Education, 2017 37(2)
"", Frances Harris, Royal Geographical Society, 2017
"", Killon et al, School Science Review, 2006, 87(320):107-111
"," Journal fo Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 2012