Research on Being Outdoors

This page is specifically about research on the value of being outdoors in nature, as opposed to the value of learning map skills.

Non-scientific articles and books

• "Why kids need to spend time in nature," Danielle Cohen, Child Mind Institute, https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/

• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv, 2008. Amazon

• Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020

• "Outdoor learning and green time: How kids benefit from learning and playing in nature", Gwen Dewar, 2018-2019

  • This describes a number of scientific findings, including a large Danish study about access to green spaces.

• Five benefits of outdoor education, Michael Becker, Edutopia, 2016

  • Builds community

  • Raises expectations and standards

  • Increases connection

  • Builds culture

  • Develops positive feelings and memories around school and the outdoors

Findings, with citations

Scientific citations

Non-scientific article citations

• 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. https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/

• 11-year-olds in a British city spent less than 30 min outside (Cooper et al 2010) https://www.parentingscience.com/outdoor-learning.html

• Survey of preschools in Ohio: half the children spent less than 23 min each day outdoors. https://www.parentingscience.com/outdoor-learning.html (Copeland et al 2016)

• Third grade students show more engagement immediately after returning from an outdoor lesson (Kuo et al 2017) https://www.parentingscience.com/outdoor-learning.html

• Being in Nature as a Kid Is Linked to Better Mental Health in Adulthood, Carly Cassella, 23 May 2019, Science Alert.

  • 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.

Scientific articles

• "Outdoor Education - Research Summary"

  • 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

• "Childhood development and access to nature: A new direction for environmental inequality research" Strife & Downey, Organ Environ. 2009 Mar; 22(1):99-122. THIS IS A GREAT ARTICLE!

  • 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.

  • "recent findings indicate that limited exposure to nature and green space may have serious physical and psychological health ramifications" (Faber Taylor & Kuo, 2006; R. Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989; S. Kaplan, 1995; Kellert, 2005).

  • " children disproportionately suffer the long-term developmental consequences of limited experiences in nature (Kellert, 2005)"

  • " 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 (Faber Taylor & Kuo, 2006; Kellert, 2005, Lieberman & Hoody, 1998; Louv, 2007; Wells & Evans, 2003)."

  • " 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' (American Public Health Association, 2007; Frumkin & Louv, 2007; Louv, 2007; St. George, 2007)."

  • " unprecedented numbers of children in the United States suffer from asthma, cancer, low IQs, and learning disabilities each year (American Lung Association, 2007; Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, 2001; Louv, 2005)"

  • " 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 (Faber Taylor, Kuo, & Sullivan, 2001; Goldman & Koduru, 2000; Petty, Peacock, Sellens, & Griffin, 2005; Senier, Mayer, Brown, & Morello-Frosh, 2007; Wells, 2000)."

  • " regardless of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, early childhood experiences in nature significantly influence the development of lifelong environmental attitudes and values (Chawla, 1998, 1999, 2006a, 2006b; Wells, 2000)."

  • " mounting evidence shows that American children are spending less and less time in the natural world (Hofferth & Curtin, 2006; Hofferth & Sandberg, 2001). "

  • " race and class inequalities likely influence children’s access to, attitudes about, and behaviors regarding the environment (Chawla, 2001; Hart, 1979; Kahn & Friedman, 1995; Schultz, Unipan, & Gamba, 2000; Wals, 1994)"

• Contact with nature during childhood could lead to better mental health in adulthood, Science News, 2019

• Impacts of Outdoor Environmental Education on Teacher Reports of Attention, Behavior, and Learning Outcomes for Students With Emotional, Cognitive, and Behavioral Disabilities, Szczytko, Carrier and Stevenson. Frontiers in Education, 2019

• Effects of Regular Classes in Outdoor Education Settings: A Systematic Review on Students’ Learning, Social and Health Dimensions, Becker et al, Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2017

• Does outdoor education really work? A summary of recent meta-analyses. Neill & Richards

• Outdoor education in the schools: What can it achieve? Neill, 1997

• "The effect of outdoor learning activities on the development of preschool children," South African Journal of Education, 2017 37(2)

  • 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.

• "Outdoor learning spaces: The case of forest school", Frances Harris, Royal Geographical Society, 2017

• "The value of outdoor learning: evidence from research in the UK and elsewhere", Killon et al, School Science Review, 2006, 87(320):107-111

  • 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)

• "Nature and well-being in outdoor learning: authenticity or performativity," Journal fo Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 2012

  • This journal may have other useful articles with stats we can use.