Our Outdoor Classroom

I've been so impressed with how the teachers have transformed the playground into a true outdoor classroom this summer, giving children the gift of being outdoors for an extended portion of the morning.  The variety of inviting options changes each day.

Today children were greeted with a sign announcing the day's car wash, a bin full of soapy water, and their choice of sponges for scrubbing the cars that were lined up to be washed.  Not only was this a chance for children to engage their imaginations, getting involved in the pretend play of the operations of a car wash, but also an opportunity for them to do a real task and make a meaningful contribution to the school community as they cleaned the ride on toys they enjoy using.  Issac was especially diligent and as you can see, the cars, along with our imaginations, are now sparkling.

Nearby a small group played basketball with Lauri.  Hannah, Zachary, and Micah took turns shooting baskets and cheering for each other.  Other children moved in and out of the game, shooting baskets, supporting classmates, and then moving on to other parts of the playground.  Here, I saw opportunities for team building and skill building as children waited for turns, worked on their throwing techniques, and learned to coach each other with Lauri modeling the language of teamwork.

Behind the basketball players, another small group worked with Laura on beading.  Alphabet and colored beads were displayed on the table, along with plastic lace.  The children concentrated as they carefully placed beads on their piece of lace.  As the worked they discussed the letters on the beads they chose.  Aleeza became interested in the letter beads and wanted to spell her name, so with Laura's support, the pair searched the table for the needed letters.

In the wading pools, children organized a variety of games, from pretending with the killer whales and dolphins, to scooping balls, to splashing and moving water in and out of the pools.


In other parts of the playground, children were digging in the mud and jumping over the canal they recently created.  Others were watering and observing plants.  There was painting at the easel, swinging, digging in the sand box. And this was just today!  With a few new options each morning, you can see what makes this a true outdoor classroom experience.

I recently read that the average American child spends under 10 minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen.  Not our kids!  They are working together, creating, playing, thinking, and moving and doing all of that outside!