A
n argument can be made that
keeping students in indoor
classrooms for extended periods of
time over the course of many years,
"chained" to hard chairs for the
ostensible purpose of learning, is
nothing short of inhumane.
Children, even more than adults,
need to move around and experience
the outdoors. In fact, there is
definitive research about the
importance of sunlight and fresh air
being essential for healthy human
development and academic
achievement. By imbuing outdoor
activities with some educational
purpose, schools achieve the dual
goals of making learning more
authentic while simultaneously
allowing children to be more
physically, socially, emotionally and
spiritually healthy.