Much as I am a proponent of education in general, there is much to improve in our current system. Take 20 (or more) five-year-olds and close them in a small room. Put on ghastly fluorescent lights and pipe in air. Now expect cooperation and learning to occur. Repeat, day after day, year after year - think six hours a day and 10 months a year. Are we really surprised that our children are detached from the world around them? It’s pretty hard to care about the environment when it forms such a small part of daily life. Urban kids probably show the effects more, as natural spaces are harder to access.

What are the options? Some schools are greening their grounds, resulting in a wider range of play possibilities and activities. This positive move reintroduces nature and provides a richer environment. Another way to engage students is incorporating more hands-on activities, particularly where green school grounds and parks are available. But teachers are under the wire to provide a wide curriculum in a short amount of time (from a education perspective), and it’s hard to make this happen all the time. Specialized outdoor education programs offer students an organized way to experience more adventurous pursuits such as climbing, hiking and canoeing, often as an esteem-building exercise. But these courses are rarely integrated into the rest of the learning plan, typically standing alone.

Then there are more extreme possibilities. The Secret Garden Outdoor Nursery, a school near St. Andrews in Scotland, runs a completely outdoor program, although there is a cob building and outdoor toilets. Children spend the day outside regardless of the weather. They explore, learn about nature, play games, rear chickens, garden, and much more. The coldest days may see the school building a bonfire to stay warm. However, for most days, dressing in layers with robust waterproof clothes does the trick.

The preschool fits another definition of outdoor education, where regular education takes place outside in nature and around the school. The goal is to combine indoor and outdoor components to allow learning that is experiential as well as instructional. This works for most subjects, as well as with integrated topics that combine several subjects. Research suggests that physical activity can enhance learning - in fact, kinesthetic learners are now accepted as one of the possible learning styles.

In Norway, outdoor school has been promoted since the 1990s. A completely outdoor experience is not usually the goal, but rather a half day - or more - spent outside is incorporated into each week. Primary grades (K to 3 in Canada) are the main recipients of this program, as older students often require more time for research and other indoor resources. Several studies have found that days spent outside are more active. Sweden offers outdoor education, and, since 2003, some Estonian schools have also followed this model.

Many countries are concerned about low physical activity levels in children. Organized gym time cannot address this problem - schools often offer only one gym period per week for each class. Other programs are possible, and individual schools can choose which to incorporate. For example, children may start some school days with a 15-minute run (or walk) around the school grounds; or they may participate in skipping for heart health, aerobics, and other initiatives. But these activities are hard to squeeze into each day, along with the regular curriculum.

Moving the class outside may offer a new way to approach the problem - encouraging activity while allowing for continued learning. It does require some creative thinking on the part of teachers and school administrators, so that numeracy, literacy, and other educational components are part of the outdoor experience. But it seems well worth the trouble!