Our kids are city kids who would otherwise never have much interaction with animals. When Cameron was renovated, the district built them a barn and washdown area plus benches and tables. The educational benefits of a school barnyard are many, says Towery, including the implicit sex education, but the side effects are even better. The angriest child in the world can cuddle up with an animal and let go of some of that hurt. Improving schoolyards is ultimately about making places where children can thrive.
Children spend thousands of hours in the schoolyard.
It is, in a real sense, their habitat, and facilities managers are the stewards. Traffic, fear of crime, and bad suburban design have conspired to isolate children and keep them indoors. On the other hand, research shows that given quality spaces with green, living things, places to explore, and a chance to manipulate their surroundings, children become less aggressive and more ready to learn. Best results are obtained when students have active roles in planning and carrying out changes in their schoolyard. As they have opportunities to take ownership of their environment, and especially to nurture living things, children learn important character traits such as patience and responsibility.