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Should outdoor learning in schools be compulsory? Over the past 20 years the term outdoor learning (OL) has evolved and gained pace, showing positive effects on school children’s development with participation on a weekly basis, writes Joe Bogumsky for Outlearn. In 2016 Plymouth University delivered The Natural Connections Demonstration project, the UK’s largest OL project, and found new evidence showing benefits of OL for schools relating to health, wellbeing and development for students – with additional positive impacts for teachers and the wider school community. To support schools and teachers to set up and run effective, sustained OL programs, the authors provide guides for getting started, policy and curriculum planning. Photo: by ?? Janko Ferlič, Unsplash. A green transformation for the ‘world’s most beautiful avenue’ Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has …

We count down our subscribers’ most-viewed articles, profiles and case studies of the past 12 months. Is your favourite missing? Let us know. 9. The Ultimate Low Maintenance Aria SeatMaterials specified by DJAS Architecture for 12 Moore Street in Canberra are optimised for easy maintenance: only an occasional wash-down required. Aria Seat and Simple Bin shine with ‘Wood Without Worry’ battens in Spotted Gum combined with Textura Monument frames. 8. The Rise of Outdoor EducationThree case studies outline how different schools have used furniture to improve, transform and add amenity to their outdoor areas. 7. Chinchilla’s Watermelon Play ParkRounsefell Design has specified colourful Mall Sun Lounges for the Chinchilla Botanic Parklands: a $5.9 million project spanning 4.2 hectares, for Western Downs Regional Council in Queensland’s melon capital. 6. 133m Seat …

Outdoor spaces support many important aspects of school life – providing places to play, learn, meet, make friends, socialise over lunch, share stories or sit quietly. Bringing the classroom outdoors is a growing trend in Australian education, with an increasing body of evidence to support its benefits for learning, social skills and health. Sir Ken Robinson, author of the most-watched TED Talk of all time, says, “We learn much more from the world around us and each other than we do from necessarily sitting indoors at desks. “What really drives education is curiosity, trying to fill gaps in our understanding. And the world around us is a tremendous resource to stimulate that curiosity.” He gives five reasons to teach outside, namely: Whether students are studying ecosystems, sustainability, growing vegetables, observing …