[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-600620-105":59,"doc-detail-600620-en":129},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":122,"head_meta":124,"extra_data":126,"updated_unix":128},105,"en","discovering-nature-the-benefits-of-teaching-outside-of-the-classroom","Discovering Nature - The Benefits of Teaching Outside of the Classroom","","This article examines the educational value of taking early childhood classrooms outdoors, addressing why many teachers hesitate and whether the effort is justified. Drawing on research, it describes how nature-based experiences support lifelong learning by increasing physical activity, improving concentration, strengthening social skills, and fostering effective classroom inquiry. It also discusses risks associated with sedentary behavior and television viewing, and highlights childcare environments where children spend most time inactive.",{"@graph":69,"@context":121},[70,84,104],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/discovering-nature-the-benefits-of-teaching-outside-of-the-classroom/600620/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":98,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":99,"interactionStatistic":100},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/discovering-nature-the-benefits-of-teaching-outside-of-the-classroom/600620.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"dhado","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":101,"interactionType":102,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":103},"ViewAction",{"@type":105,"mainEntity":106},"FAQPage",[107,113,117],{"name":108,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":110},"Why do many early childhood teachers hesitate to take classes outdoors?","Question",{"text":111,"@type":112},"Many teachers worry they are not knowledgeable enough to teach outdoors effectively, or they avoid going out because they dislike getting dirty or being too hot or too cold.","Answer",{"name":114,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":115},"What physical benefits are associated with nature play for young children?",{"text":116,"@type":112},"Research links experiences in natural settings with increased physical activity and reduced risks connected to sedentary behavior, including obesity-related health concerns.",{"name":118,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":119},"How can outdoor play support children’s cognitive and social development?",{"text":120,"@type":112},"The article explains that nature play improves concentration and enhances social skills, while curiosity in outdoor settings encourages scientific inquiry and observation.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":123,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":125,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":127,"site_id":62},600620,1792091056,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":130},{"doc_id":127,"user_id":131,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":132,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":133,"file_id":134,"file_url":135,"file_type":136,"file_size":137,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":34,"language":138,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":139,"faqs":140,"seo_title":141,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":128,"read_time":142},5909893218464,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Discovering Nature: The Benefits of Teaching Outside of the Classroom  \nAre there really positive benefits when teachers engage young children Jill L. Jacobi-Vessels in meaningful learning experiences about the natural world outdoors?  \nThis article substantiates the positive learning benefits found in  \nresearch.  \nWhen asked to think about their favorite places to play when they were little, many early childhood teachers tell exciting tales of ‘forts’ behind bushes, making‘soup’ from grass and pine cones, or catching tadpoles in a creek. Some remember quiet moments of solitude watching the clouds drift by or sunlight flickering through the leaves ofa tall tree. In spite of fond memories of outdoor play and a desire to support children’s development, many early childhood teachers are reluctant to take the class outside.  \nTeachers who did not spend enjoyable time outdoors when little may be even more hesitant to open the classroom door and explore the great outdoors. Some teachers do not feel that they know enough to be effective when teaching about the outdoors, and others avoid going out because they dislike getting dirty or being too hot or cold themselves (Copeland, Kendeigh, Saelens, Karkwarf, & Sherman, 2012). Smearing on sunscreen and putting on coats and hats is a lot of work. Is it really worth the effort?  \nNature play sets the stage for lifelong approaches to learning.  \nBenefits of Nature Play to Children  \nNature play can be an effective teaching strategy across the curriculum and may provide children and teachers  \n4  Vol 41, No 3, 2013  \nwith lasting memories. While a little hesitance to open the classroom door may be understandable, the rewards of class time spent with nature clearly outweigh the drawbacks. Research shows that experiences in natural settings provide multiple benefits to young children including increased physical activity, reduced obesity, and improved concentration and enhanced social skills.  \nPhysical Benefits  \nIt can be very difficult for working parents to find the time or energy to engage in active play with their children. Dinner and laundry do not take care of themselves, but still must be done after a hard day at work. Children’s television programming may be a very tempting distraction tool. It is important, however, to know that patterns of active or sedentary behaviors begin to form as early as infancy and that early television viewing habits carry over to preschool and beyond (Certain & Kahn, 2002) . Television viewing is sedentary by nature and has been linked with reduced bone mass in children, which may lead to more frequent fractures (Wosje, Koury, Claytor, Copeland, Kalkwarf, & Daniels, 2009) .  \nSedentary behavior may contribute to obesity. In spite of heightened awareness, obesity is a growing concern in this country and the prevalence of being overweight in young children continues to rise (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, McDowell, Tabak, & Flegal, 2006; Sherry, Mei, Scanlon, Mokdad, & Grummer-Strawn, 2004) . The good news is that regular physical activity reduces the health risks associated with being overweight. In fact, overweight individuals who are physically active have lower health risks than those with normal weight who are not active (Blair & Brodney, 1999) . The message is clear, children need to get up and move.  \nDimensions of Early Childhood  \nDiscovering Nature: The Benefits of Teaching Outside of the Classroom  \n\n|  |  | Photo courtesy of GLOBE/Pre-K, Phoenix Magnet Elementary School, Alexandria, LA |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n|  |  |  |\n| Children’s curiosity can be a tool to help them develop scientific inquiry, a focused and systematic approach to observation, documentation and investigation. |  |  |\n\nChildcare center practices have a strong influence on children’s overall level of physical activity (Finn, Johannsen, & Specker, 2002) . One might hope that children would have time for active physical play while at childcare. Unfortunately, preschoolers spend as much as","cbCaippN2KOTe8mF","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaippN2KOTe8mF","pdf",657993,"English","# Benefits of Nature Play to Children\n## Physical Benefits\n## Dimensions of Early Childhood\n## Cognitive Benefits","[{\"question\":\"Why do many early childhood teachers hesitate to take classes outdoors?\",\"answer\":\"Many teachers worry they are not knowledgeable enough to teach outdoors effectively, or they avoid going out because they dislike getting dirty or being too hot or too cold.\"},{\"question\":\"What physical benefits are associated with nature play for young children?\",\"answer\":\"Research links experiences in natural settings with increased physical activity and reduced risks connected to sedentary behavior, including obesity-related health concerns.\"},{\"question\":\"How can outdoor play support children’s cognitive and social development?\",\"answer\":\"The article explains that nature play improves concentration and enhances social skills, while curiosity in outdoor settings encourages scientific inquiry and observation.\"}]","Discovering Nature - The Benefits of Teaching Outside of the Classroom | PDF",18]