Guide to Outdoor Learning
Are you an educator, administrator, or parent interested in outdoor learning but aren't sure how to get started? We're here to help.
Urban Adventure Squad has been running outdoor programs since 2013. In September 2020, after a summer of virtual programs, we went back outdoors for fully masked, in-person programs. We saw 450 children between September 2020 and August 2021--many of whom returned regularly--without a single incident of COVID. To ensure that our programs are safe and enriching, our focus has been on safety, logistics, and lesson planning. We spend as much time discussing lessons and activities as we do figuring out bathroom access and weather. We want to share with you what works because we believe every child deserves safe, exciting, and equitable outdoor learning opportunities.
We share here what we have learned in the spirit of partnership and to encourage schools and school systems to experiment with outdoor learning. Outdoor learning is for all students (K-12), in all neighborhoods. Curriculum-aligned activities can take place anywhere and don't require a lot of supplies. We believe that experimentation is critical to safe learning right now, as well as to a post-pandemic educational approach, during which outdoor time will be critical so that students can move their bodies, connect to their neighborhoods, and get fresh air throughout the school day.
Click here to access the PDF version of our Guide to Outdoor Learning.
Urban Adventure Squad has been running outdoor programs since 2013. In September 2020, after a summer of virtual programs, we went back outdoors for fully masked, in-person programs. We saw 450 children between September 2020 and August 2021--many of whom returned regularly--without a single incident of COVID. To ensure that our programs are safe and enriching, our focus has been on safety, logistics, and lesson planning. We spend as much time discussing lessons and activities as we do figuring out bathroom access and weather. We want to share with you what works because we believe every child deserves safe, exciting, and equitable outdoor learning opportunities.
We share here what we have learned in the spirit of partnership and to encourage schools and school systems to experiment with outdoor learning. Outdoor learning is for all students (K-12), in all neighborhoods. Curriculum-aligned activities can take place anywhere and don't require a lot of supplies. We believe that experimentation is critical to safe learning right now, as well as to a post-pandemic educational approach, during which outdoor time will be critical so that students can move their bodies, connect to their neighborhoods, and get fresh air throughout the school day.
Click here to access the PDF version of our Guide to Outdoor Learning.