Outside

Green school yards recognize school grounds as part of the academic landscape. They understand that unstructured play and exploration increases student classroom performance.  Outdoor classrooms, whether they be a vegetable garden or prairie, have cascading positive impacts. Students are absent less, are more physically active, and perform better than their peers in science, math, reading and critical thinking. Learn about strategies for greening your school grounds to provide opportunities to promote hands-on, interdisciplinary learning while realizing ecological and economic benefits at the same time. These are some examples of what you might find in a green schoolyard.

• Organic landscape practices – no chemical pesticides or fertilizers
• Rain water captured on site through rain gardens, cisterns and rain barrels, swales and berms, reconstructed wetlands or ponds, and permeable pavers
• Native plantings that support local wildlife and conserve water
• Vegetable gardens and orchards
• Gathering spaces for classes and community
• A place for art
• Trees, lots of trees, planted to shade the children during outdoor play, to shade the school, and to serve as windbreaks and prevent soil erosion
• Innovative greenspaces such as reclaimed asphalt lots and green roofs
• Engaging play areas made of natural and local materials that honor a child’s need for private spaces and fully engage the senses
• Educational signage highlighting green features