A Greener Childhood Associated with a Happier Adulthood
Outdoor learning and outdoor play have always been central to the Seacoast Waldorf School’s approach, and even more so since the pandemic. Our 5-acre campus and adjacent conservation land serve many educational purposes for us. It’s a science lab, it’s a classroom, it’s a garden, it’s a playground. It’s a place where students learn to explore and appreciate the natural world, and where the natural world helps teach them about important concepts. Our teachers also recognize how vital nature-based free play is to student’s by helping them nurture critical social and emotional skills that aren’t easily developed anywhere else.
In our daily school life, we also understand the importance of time in the outdoors as very critical to children’s mental health and wellbeing. Research continues to confirm the major health benefits, especially in the reduction of toxic stress. Incorporating outdoor time into our student’s day in a consistent manner helps them to relax and reset, and be ready to learn. New research out of Denmark suggests that time spent in nature during childhood may actually have long-term implications for adulthood and has a strong correlation with adult happiness and well being.
“Researchers found that growing up near green space was associated with a lower risk of developing psychiatric illness in adulthood by anywhere from 15 percent to 55 percent...”