With “Nature Deficit Disorder" becoming more prominent in the public consciousness, schools, governments and charities have been studying the importance of outdoor learning for children. Children are being “starved" of natural environmental interaction and this is having a negative impact on their health, wellbeing and learning ability.
The Learning Escape has released a report that takes the concept of “Nature Deficit Disorder" further and places an emphasis on the long-term benefits for the environment of learning a natural, outdoor space.
The Outdoor Environment highlights the importance of children working with nature, for themselves and their surroundings, and how schools can promote environmental citizenship from a young age.
Alongside the report, The Learning Escape has created an online Resource Centre that provides staff and pupils with a range of lesson plans, activities and ideas to help improve environmental citizenship in a variety of schools and settings. The resources are designed to spark conversation in the classroom and to promote interaction with the outdoor environment.
You can find The Learning Escape report The Outdoor Environment online. You can also visit the Resource Centre to find useful websites for promoting environmental citizenship alongside key stage 1 and 2 lesson plans and activities.
• Visit www.thelearningescape.co.uk or call 0800 917 7726.