Health Canada and The Evergreen Foundation are working as partners to tell Canadians and others around the world how they can turn their school yards into fun, educational and healthy natural environments. The outdoor classroom can give us a full spectrum of benefits, in terms of education, health, the environment, and society in general. They can learn about health and environmental issues that we face in a global context, but on a smaller, more tangible scale. By learning about and appreciating the richness of nature, students, teachers and the community may develop a greater desire to conserve it. Younger kids can not only learn about nutrition and the food chain, but they can learn how to keep the bugs away by using natural, environmentally friendly methods like putting a toad in the garden to consume all the earwigs.
Children love to explore and create their own adventures.
A naturalized school yard can provide a safe, rich environment to nurture imagination and creative play. Through involving students in the planning, design, fund raising and communications, they have the opportunity to apply skills in real-life situations. As well, students who are involved in many stages of the project develop a sense of ownership for the project and pride and confidence in themselves. Some experts claim that our attitudes are shaped by our surroundings. Behavioral and environmental psychologist have documented that environmental improvements lead to positive changes in behaviour patterns.