Today, all around the world, thousands of schools are stepping outside for Outdoor Classroom Day, showing how easy and rewarding it is to take learning and play outdoors. This marks the first Outdoor Classroom Day since Learning through Landscapes became the proud new guardians of this global campaign to celebrate outdoor learning and play.

Who are Learning through Landscapes?

The UK’s leading outdoor learning and play charity, Learning through Landscapes (LtL) work to make outdoor learning and play an integral part of every school day:

• To enrich the curriculum by providing hands-on, meaningful, and memorable experiences that cater to diverse learning styles and abilities;
• To foster a deeper connection to nature, bringing climate education to life and empowering children to make a difference; and
• To promote physical and mental health and wellbeing, leading to better behaviour, stronger relationships, and increased engagement with the school day.

For over 30 years, LtL have been at the forefront of developing and delivering innovative projects, supporting schools and early years settings to make the most of their outdoor spaces. Now, we bring our knowledge and expertise to Outdoor Classroom Day, helping even more children and young people enjoy the benefits of learning and playing outdoors.

Why Outdoor Classroom Day?

With the incidence of mental health problems and the impacts of climate change on the rise, there has never been a more important time to harness the potential of the outdoor classroom.

From building relationships to boosting pupil engagement, outdoor learning and play offer countless benefits for both pupils and their teachers. Connecting children to nature is a crucial way to support mental health whilst equipping pupils with the tools they need to take climate action.

However, for many children and young people, the time they spend learning and playing in the school grounds is the only time they spend outdoors. That’s why LtL are proud to bring their vision — a vision of a society where outdoor learning and play are recognised as a fundamental part of education — to Outdoor Classroom Day.

LtL have been closely involved with the campaign since its inception 10 years ago, delivering Outdoor Classroom Day in the UK and Ireland since 2017. Now, we’re excited to take this global campaign forwards with help from partner organisations across the world.

Thank you to all the educators, families, and volunteers who have helped to inspire outdoor learning and play by celebrating Outdoor Classroom Day each year. We’re grateful to everyone who has supported the campaign, including the team at ActionFunder who led the global campaign over the last few years and our partners delivering the campaign in their respective countries.

At LtL, we passionately believe in Outdoor Classroom Day and we look forward to its future as we continue to grow this amazing campaign to reach even more children around the world. We hope you have a fantastic Outdoor Classroom Day — we can’t wait to see your celebrations across social media today! Make sure to use the #OutdoorClassroomDay hashtag and sign up for the next Outdoor Classroom Day on 7 November, 2024!