BROWNHALL AND CAERLAVEROCK PUPILS CELEBRATE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM DAY AT THE CRICHTON
Children from Brownhall and Caerlaverock Primary Schools joined thousands of others across the country to show why time outdoors should be part of every school day.
On Thursday 23rd May, children from Brownhall and Caerlaverock Primaries went outdoors to play and learn as part of International Outdoor Classroom Day. The global movement – started in London, England, in 2012 – aims to make outdoor play and learning part of every child’s day, as organisers say it is critical to children’s health, wellbeing and happiness.
The pupils participated in a rotation of activities, working in partnership with local businesses on the Crichton Estate. They enjoyed exploring the grounds in the Rock garden to identify trees and nature. They were also fascinated with the history and importance of the Crichton Church and the underground crypt. Lastly, to follow-on from Mental Health Awareness Week and the importance of #MomentsForMovement, they enjoyed physical activities with Active Schools leading games and sport sessions on the pitch.
Karen Scriven said, ‘When our children are outdoors, they are more engaged, their mood is lifted and they are more active; and we take these benefits seriously. We continue to look at how we can integrate more time outdoors into every school day. Both schools are Rights Respecting Schools, so we also value the importance of children knowing their ‘right to play and rest’ as found in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Noting that
“There is such a wealth of evidence that tells us outdoor learning and time to play outdoors throughout the school day are beneficial to children, and we couldn’t agree more.
Therefore the support of both Savills and Mostly Ghostly and the Crichton Trust is very much appreciated – with all donating their time, expertise and space to ensure the children have an exceptional day learning and playing outdoors on the Crichton Estate – in the wonderful spaces and exuding so much fantastic local history.
In supporting the day. . . .
Neil Dyson, a senior Forestry Manager within Savills noted that “Savills is delighted to support National Outdoor Classroom day, which is being hosted on The Crichton Estate and have the opportunity to talk to primary pupils about the importance of trees and woodlands in our daily lives. Their visit might even inspire some of our young visitors to work in the beautiful Scottish countryside one day”.
Kathleen Cronie from Mostly Ghostly noted: “We’re delighted at the prospect of celebrating Outdoor Classroom Day with children and teachers from Brownhall and Caerlaverock Primary Schools. Part of our ethos is to invest in the future, giving something back to the communities in which we work; we’re keen to support young people to connect with their local history, promoting a sense of curiosity, pride and belonging. We’re proud to share a positive long-standing partnership with our friends at The Crichton Trust and feel honoured to have been invited to share elements of The Crichton’s rich history with our young guests. We hope it will inspire them to discover more.”
Amanda Horton-Mastin, CEO at Semble, said: “Being outside has never been so important as it is now. Research consistently shows that children who spend time outdoors have better mental health, are more physically active, learn to care about nature and are more resilient. Since 2012, Outdoor Classroom Day has been providing inspiration, support and advice to teachers and parents on how to take children outside to both learn and play. We are delighted to see schools and households all around the world signing up to reap the immeasurable benefits of spending time outdoors every day.”
Other schools can sign up to take part in the next Outdoor Classroom Day on the website: www.outdoorclassroomday.com
