Springtime enhances learning this week

What is happening to the children at TBSCC during springtime?  As a frequent observer here, I have been struck by the rapt attention children are demonstrating in their learning and playing, just at a time when I might have guessed that spring fever would have them zoning out.

What I am seeing is teachers taking learning outdoors and also bringing nature indoors.  And the effect is magical.

In a study published by the National Journal of Public Health, the authors definitively concluded that exposure to natural settings reduces inattention and impulsivity across the population.  In particular, they observed children engaging in the same activity both indoors and outdoors, and saw that those conducted in the outdoor setting seemed to experience better results.  This dovetails with my own observations here at TBS this week.

(Above: Inside a classroom, feeling and observing the movement of a worm.)