Planning is the first step in designing a new green schoolyard or renovating an existing yard to enhance the greenness of the grounds. There are a number of questions to consider during the planning process. What are the goals? Who should be involved? What elements should be included? While every situation is unique, the following “lessons” from international research may offer some guidance during the planning and design process.

Lesson One: Involve children and teachers in the planning process

Engaging children and teachers in the design of an outdoor school environment yields rich ideas on how the outdoors can promote learning and play

Strategies used for engaging children, teachers, and parents in the redesign of an outdoor school environment in Bangladesh included focus group discussions, children’s drawings and model-making. The final design included eight primary behavior settings with a path connecting these settings. The richness of the design was attributed to the participatory approach used in the planning process.
Khan et al., 2020. Designing an outdoor learning environment for and with a primary school community: A case study in Bangladesh.
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Without involvement in the planning of a green schoolyard, children may show little interest in the natural features of the yard

Twenty-three children (age 4-5) from five different Swedish preschools participated in walk-and-talk interviews before and after the installation of new environmental features on their school grounds. Interview responses indicated that most of the children favored manufactured play equipment and paid little attention to the environmental features. According to the researchers, the children may have been more interested in the natural features if they had been more involved in the development of the yard and received more guided exploration from adults.
Almer et al., 2020. Children’s preferences for schoolyard features and understanding of ecosystem service innovations – A study in five Swedish preschools.
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Lesson Two: Design with age and gender differences in mind

The type, context and condition of natural settings should be considered in the design and management of school grounds

Walking tours, focus groups and behavior mapping strategies were used to collect information about where children liked to play and how they played outdoors in three different elementary schools in Australia. While almost all of the children preferred natural settings that were well-maintained, there were some age and gender differences. Young children used natural settings more than older children; and girls, more than boys, noted the aesthetic qualities of nature and the way natural settings made them feel calm and peaceful.
Aminpour, 2021. The physical characteristics of children’s preferred natural settings in primary school grounds.
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Students of different ages prefer school grounds with “tidy” biodiverse vegetation but perceptions about what is “tidy” differ by age

Three hundred German students (age 8-17) shared their opinions on different school ground scenarios presented in photos, with scenarios varying from traditional (paved and asphalted grounds bordered by vegetation) to naturalized school grounds rich in natural elements. While elementary and secondary students were in agreement in not liking paved and asphalted grounds, there were differences between the younger and older students on what they did like, including gardens which were favored by younger but not older students.
Lindemann-Matthies & Kohler, 2019. Naturalized versus traditional school grounds: Which elements do students prefer and why.
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Younger and older children prefer different natural features on school grounds

More than 70 observations of children (age 6-16) at three schools with green schoolyards in Germany indicated that younger children tended to have more contact with nature on the schoolyard and made different use of green areas than older children. Younger children seemed drawn to elements that allow movement (walking, climbing) and that promote proximity to natural elements. Older children looked for elements that provide retreat. Providing separate areas for younger and older children may be an important design consideration.
Raith, 2018. Contact with nature in green schoolyards.
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Lesson Three: Collaborate with other community groups 

Even with limited funds, a community-based effort can transform a traditional playground into a more naturalized setting

Several community agencies in Knoxville, Tennessee (U.S.) worked together to form Partners Through Playgrounds, an initiative to transform a traditional playground at a Head Start center into a natural playscape. The group’s limited budget ($2000) was augmented by volunteers and donated materials. The transformation of the playspace led to positive changes in children’s outdoor activities and experiences.
Moran et al., 2019. Partners through playgrounds: Building a play community.
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Lesson Four: Design with multiple solutions in mind

Biodiverse edible school project addresses the health of both children and the environment

A project in Germany expanded the concept of school gardens beyond cultivated species by using a nearby natural area to engage students in working with wild edible plants. The project was based on the understanding that increased awareness of the intersection of food and the environment can promote children’s health and well-being while also raising awareness of healthy food and biodiversity issues.
Fischer et al., 2018. Biodiverse edible schools: Linking healthy food, school gardens and local urban biodiversity.
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School parks can address both urban heat island adaptation and child well-being issues

The Green Schoolyards Project worked with three schools in Texas (U.S.) to learn how green features in joint-use parks in low-income communities impact heat index within the parks, while also promoting children’s well-being. Environmental assessments found extreme heat conditions at school parks and significant differences in heat index across park sites. More children interacted with trees (versus gardens or trails) during periods of high heat index than periods of moderate heat index. This research may help inform redesign initiatives focusing on climate change and health inequity issues.
Lanza et al., 2021. Effects of trees, gardens, and nature trails on heat index and child health: Design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project.
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Lesson Five: Include small enclosures and natural “in-between” spaces

In-between spaces on school grounds support self-directed play

Designated play spaces on school grounds often fail to provide children with sufficient play opportunities. This study explored the potential of “in-between spaces” for enhancing children’s play during recess at three different schools in Australia. Data collected through 60 behavior mapping sessions, 18 focus groups, and 78 walking tours showed that small enclosures, areas located on the edges of formal spaces and natural settings were preferred and used by children for self-directed play.
Aminpour, Bishop & Corkery, 2020. The hidden value of in-between spaces for children’s self-directed play within outdoor school environments.
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Lesson Six: Design to optimize seasonal changes

Seasonal changes in foliage and evergreen conifers enhance the perceived restorative quality of schoolyard environment

Sixty-six Canadian students (age 9-14) completed Hahn’s Short Version Revised Restoration Scale (SRRS) as images of 12 different schoolyard planting designs were projected on a screen. The scene rated as most restorative depicted orange foliage, while the scene rated as least restorative depicted leafless trees. Scenes with orange foliage and scenes with green foliage were both rated significantly more restorative than scenes with leafless trees. Scenes with evergreens were perceived to be significantly more restorative than leafless tree scenes without evergreens.
Paddle & Gilliland, 2016. Orange is the new green: Exploring the restorative capacity of seasonal foliage in schoolyard trees.
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Lesson Seven: Increase both the level and the diversity of greenness

Playspaces with diverse vegetation and environmental microbiota are not only safe, but also provide rich opportunities for creative play and learning

Six childcare centers participated in a study investigating changes in children’s outdoor behavior after greening the schoolyards, which included adding a forest floor with high biodiversity. Survey and interview responses indicated that the children spent much of their outdoor time engaged with the nature-related materials, and that the childcare providers found the green yard useful in promoting pedagogic goals.
Puhakka et al., 2019. Greening of daycare yards with biodiverse materials affords well-being, play and environmental relationships.
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Lesson Eight: Link schoolyard greening to broader city policies

The successful upscaling of green schoolyards requires political support

This research considers barriers to upscaling green schoolyard initiatives by analyzing two green schoolyard projects in the Netherlands. Barriers identified include “lack of environmental awareness, difficulties in acquiring monetary funds, lack of time and expertise from the demand-side, complexity of the bureaucratic processes, and lack of political will.” A key policy takeaway of this research relates to the need for greening projects in urban areas to be linked to broader city policies, including policies addressing social, economic, and environmental inequities.
Giezen & Pellerey, 2021. Renaturing the city: Factors contributing to upscaling green schoolyards in Amsterdam and The Hague.
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Green schoolyards can be used in many ways to promote children’s health, education, and well-being. The following “lessons” from international research offer some ideas for nature-based learning in an outdoor environment. Other ideas for nature-based pedagogy can be found in the March 2022, August 2020 and June 2018 Research Library Digests.

Lesson Nine: Conduct academic lessons outdoors

Students spent more time on-task in outdoor versus indoor classrooms

This study was conducted in a socioeconomically disadvantaged city in Australia, with three classes of students (age 13-14) participating over a ten-week period. Researcher observations showed more student on-task behavior during science lessons conducted outdoors versus indoors. This gave teachers in outdoor classrooms more time for instructing students versus redirecting them. This research suggests that a natural outdoor setting may be a more supportive environment for students than an indoor setting.
Norwood, Lakhani & Kendall, 2021. Teaching traditional indoor school lessons in nature: The effects on student learning and behaviour.
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Lesson Ten: Include garden-based learning activities

A garden-based curriculum can help children connect with nature and promote scientific understandings

This study involved children from two preschools in South Korea. One group – the experimental group – participated in a year-long garden-based program. The other – control group – did not participate in the garden program. End-of-the-year assessments showed that students in the experimental group scored significantly higher on both scientific attitudes and nature-friendly attitudes than students not participating in the project.
Kim et al., 2020. The power of garden-based curriculum to promote scientific and nature-friendly attitudes in children through a cotton project.
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Lesson Eleven: Encourage open-ended and inquiry-based explorations

Self-chosen engagement with loose parts in an outdoor environment can enhance children’s play and promote their holistic development

For this case study, researchers in Wales observed and photographed preschool children over a two-year period as they used resources in an outdoor environment. Findings indicated that the children chose to engage with loose parts as a significant part of their play and that the diverse ways in which they used the loose parts promoted their cognitive, creative and physical development.
Boulton & Thomas, 2022. How does play in the outdoors afford opportunities for schema development in young children?
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Inquiry-based learning in an outdoor classroom may promote children’s autonomy

Three teachers and 12 kindergarteners participated in individual semi-structured interviews focusing on their experiences in inquiry-based outdoor classrooms at a public school in Canada. The most prominent theme emerging from the interviews focused on the kindergarteners guiding their own experiences while learning outdoors. The outdoor setting seemed to give students an effective platform for engaging with learning in a personally meaningful way.
MacDonald & Breunig, 2018. Back to the Garten: Ontario kindergarteners learn and grow through schoolyard pedagogy.
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Lesson Twelve: Provide outdoor learning professional development for teachers

Schoolyard-focused partnerships can enhance students’ understanding of ecological principles and their awareness of environmental issues

Two elementary schools in Canada and a regional university worked together in co-designing and installing an outdoor classroom at each of the schools and co-developing a schoolyard curriculum that aligns with Ministry of Education expectations. A related study showed that while the overall project was a success, actual use of the outdoor classrooms was minimal due to the lack of commitment and/or ability on the part of the teachers to deliver instruction in an outdoor classroom.
Breunig, 2017. Sustaining schoolyard pedagogy through community academic partnerships.
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Professional development is critical to supporting teachers in unlocking the nature-related benefits that exist on school grounds

Research conducted with nine schools in North Carolina (U.S.) found that the average green space on the school grounds was close to 60%. Three of the schools had woodlands; six had gardens. In schools with gardens, less than 70% of students were aware gardens existed; in schools with woodlands, less than 30% were aware the woodlands existed. Teachers influenced the biggest factors affecting student use of natural areas on school grounds. Professional development in environmental education was positively linked to use of natural areas by students.
Zhang, Stevenson & Martin, 2021. Exploring geographical, curricular, and demographic factors of nature use by children in urban schoolyards in Raleigh, NC, USA.
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