As parents and teachers across the UK grapple with children returning to the classroom, environmental charity Trees for Cities is calling for schools to embrace outdoor learning.
The charity, whose aim is to improve lives by planting trees in cities, is providing free online educational resources and curriculum guides for teachers and parents to help students do more outdoor learning ‘in a post-Covid world’.
They include guides on planting and growing vegetables, as well as videos and suggestions of games and exercises linked to nature. The resources are designed to tie in with the national curriculum.
A growing body of evidence suggests that children who spend more time playing and learning in high-quality green spaces experience improved physical and mental health, a closer connection with nature and develop ‘more environmentally sustainable attitudes’.