This afternoon, myself and Mrs Kelly participated in an exciting online webinar, “Learning in the Great Outdoors for Key Stage 1”. Something that really hit home from this training was the fact that nowadays prisoners spend more time outdoors than children. With childhood mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and attention deficit on the rise, there has never been more need for children to have unstructured outdoor play. As well as lending itself to some great learning opportunities, outdoor activity can:
- Reduce stress and anxiety: Time spent outside has been proven to lower cortisol levels and promote relaxation.
- Boost mood: Exposure to sunlight helps the body produce serotonin, a natural mood stabilizer.
- Improve focus and attention: Physical activity stimulates brain function, making kids more attentive and ready to learn.
Here are some pictures of P3’s enjoying our Outdoor learning area today. I think you will agree that they all seem to be having a great time.
Miss O’Callaghan
