www.downtoearthproject.org.uk
Sustainable outdoor
Classrooms and
their influence on
children‟s play and
learning
Down to Earth Project
•not-for-profit education organisation
•working with groups since Spring 2006
Why did we establish D2E?
•Explore creative/innovative use of
the outdoors for wellbeing, personal
development and education (ESDGC)
•Support and engage the most „hard
to reach‟ groups in our communities
What we do…
•Educational & personal development
programmes
•School and community grounds design
& construction
•Training for youth workers,
teachers, educators
•Sustainable Building Courses
Education
ESDGC
Sustainability
Global
Citizenship
The links between society,
economy and environment and
between our own lives and
those of people throughout
the world…
ACCAC, Estyn, National Assembly for Wales & DFID, 2002
Exploring ESDGC
•day-to-day living
•full immersion & „shadow curriculum‟
•curiosity led
•vocational skills
•combining cutting edge technology with
traditional, low impact skills
Global Outdoor Play & Learning Space
“Academic architecture is a
kind of crystallized pedagogy:
buildings have their own
hidden curriculum that
teaches as effectively as any
course taught in them” Orr,
1994
Sustainable outdoor classrooms
and school grounds
designed, built and developed by pupils
and the school community
George‟s Room
Effects on
Children’s Play,
Learning & Holistic
Development
The Child Led
Process
Permanent Structure
Building Process
Consultation &
Design
Designs
Designs
Building
Cob
Why Cob?
•Playful and
sculptural
•Non-toxic and
easy
•Indestructible
(virtually),
fire proof
•Traditional
and super ecofriendly
Edwardsville Primary School
Bishopston Primary School
Bishopston Comprehensive
Gorseinon Youth Centre
Smaller projects
Building their learning space
•Creativity
•Being respected and trusted
•Large scale, permanent construction
•Learning and benefiting from previous
groups
•Offering opportunities and seeing potential
•Developing vocational skills
•Developing Self Esteem
•Biophillia
•Ownership
Values
Self
Esteem
Relationships
Skills
Kurth-Schai , R (1988)
Why do we need outdoor
classrooms?
What does the outdoors have to
offer?
Exploration and Play
First Hand Experience
Risk & Challenge
Sensory
Space &
Freedom
Social Interaction
Self
awareness
Emotional
Social
competence
Self
regulation
Intelligence
Self
motivation
Goleman,
1998
•Make sense of the world
•New skills
•Self management
•Self reliance
•Make mistakes
•Creativity
•Problem solve
•Express emotions
•Self Esteem
•(Ouvry, M, 2003, Tovey, H, 2007)
Holistic
Development
Self Esteem
Responsible Citizenship
Biophillia
Emotional
Intelligence
Design your own
sustainable play and
learning space
References
ACCAC, Estyn, National Assembly for Wales & DFID, 2002
Goleman, D (1998), Emotional Intelligence
Kurth-Schai , R (1988) The roles of youth in society; a
reconceptualisation, Educational forum, 52, 131-132
Orr, D (1994), Earth in Mind
Ouvry, M (2003), Exercising Muscles and minds, outdoor play
and the early year‟s curriculum. London, National Children‟s
Bureau.
Tovey, H (2007) Playing Outdoors, Spaces and places, risk and
challenge, England, Open University Press.