Outdoor Classroom Day is a fantastic reminder of the importance of children spending quality time outdoors.
Willow Den Scotland exists so that more children in Scotland can play and learn outdoors. We aim to rewild childhood connecting children to the beauty and wonder of our natural world. This is underpinned by our belief that outdoor play is critical for children’s development, health and wellbeing.
The overarching benefits of outdoor play for children have been consolidated by an extensive array of interdisciplinary studies, cross-sector research, and pedagogical witness. What we know is that the research all yields similar results. There is a positive impact on health and wellbeing as children, and later into adolescence and adulthood, when children spend time outdoors. Children are able to learn without walls, and allow their imagination, creativity, and understanding to develop as they do.
The ability to connect with nature and appreciate the wonderful world enables children to grow to love our planet, and when they love it, they will care for it. This is put much better by someone who has spent their life immersed in nature –
“No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced”
David Attenborough.
Experiencing nature is a vital component of creating a sustainable world for all. By encouraging children to assess and take risks, to build confidence and resilience. we are enabling future generations to become self-aware and conscious of the impact they have on the world, a relevance that does not go unnoticed given the current climate we are living in. We are Willow Den, where children thrive outdoors.
