Learning in Nature

Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Matluba Khan, Cardiff University Childhood obesity is a major public health concern in the UK. Surveys conducted in 2017 and 2018 showed that 28% of children aged from two to 15 in England were overweight or obese. Overweight and obese children have a greater chance of staying obese as adults. They are at risk of developing diseases in adulthood such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and osteoarthritis....

http://matlubakhan.com/2021/03/10/how-gardening-at-school-can-tackle-child-obesity/

How gardening at school can tackle child obesity Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Matluba Khan, Cardiff University Childhood obesity is a major public health concern in the UK. Surveys conducted in 2017 and 2018 showed that 28% of children aged from two…

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the education of at least 1.5 billion school students. That’s more than 90% of the world’s children. Although many schools in the west, along with private schools in the developing world, have continued some school activities online, more than 50% of learners worldwide do not have a household computer. The absence of face-to-face learning and opportunities for playing with friends will have hugely impacted child mental health....

I redesigned a school playground for my PhD – and the children got better marks learning outside The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the education of at least 1.5 billion school students. That’s more than 90% of the world’s children. Although many schools in the west, along with private sch…

The coronavirus and resulting social restrictions have rapidly changed life as we know it in all parts of the UK and across the world.

Many shops and all Schools are closed; we can no longer visit many friends and family and activities we used to take for granted are no longer possible.

We, Justin Spinney and Matluba Khan, researchers from Cardiff University are conducting a research project that aims to understand what kinds of activities children and young people from different countries have been doing at different stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and how they have adapted to a new way of life.

If you are aged between 7 and 14 you could really help us out by completing a 7-day diary of the activities you’ve been doing.

When you’ve completed the diary, you’ll be able to print it out or save it to your computer so when you are older you can remember what you did during Covid-19 restrictions. You’ll also get a certificate to say a big thank you from the research team!

How to get involved:
1. Click here to access an online version of the diary that you can complete day by day: https://ttucasnr.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eg4u4bpSbbViiy1?Q_CHL=social&Q_SocialSource=facebook
2. Help us by getting as many of your friends as possible to complete the diary by sharing the link below. If you do not have access to social media or email directly please ask your parent or guardian to help you with this.
3. If you would like a paper version of the diary please send an email to Justin Spinney ([email protected]) or Matluba Khan ([email protected]) with your name and address and we will post a paper copy of the diary for you to fill in (with a stamped addressed envelope to post it back to us).

Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions Qualtrics sophisticated online survey software solutions make creating online surveys easy. Learn more about Research Suite and get a free account today.

London's first outdoor nursery gets Queen's Award for innovation London's first fully outdoor nursery where children are kept outside whatever the weather has won a prestigious award for innovation. Little Forest Folk, based in five different London parks and woods, was given the Queen’s Award to recognise how it has shaken up pre-school education in the capit...

https://schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk/Competitions/school-gardeners-of-the-year/school-gardener-of-the-year-2015-results/School-Gardening-Champion-Peter-Edwards

School Gardening Champion of the Year 2015 Peter Edwards / RHS Campaign for School Gardening Peter Edwards Volunteer at The Rosary Catholic Primary School in Heston, Middlesex Winner of RHS School Gardening Champion of the Year

https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2016/mar/15/schools-benefit-growing-produce

From garden to plate: how schools benefit from growing their own produce Harvesting fruit and vegetables is both educational and rewarding. We talk to schools that are digging in and offer ideas to get you started

http://www.childrenandnature.org/2017/09/15/urban-kids-with-asthma-may-benefit-from-green-space/?mc_cid=cd660c91ac&mc_eid=3b81b7f6f3

Urban Kids with Asthma May Benefit from Green Space Living near a park or other green space benefits city kids with severe asthma, especially older kids who are more likely to play outside on their own, according to a new study. The study included 196 children in the city of Baltimore, ages of 3 to 12 years, who had either visited emergency departmen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0hQNR5fDKw

Going natural in education: Lora Smothers at TEDxUGA Finding conformity to be exhausting, Lora Smothers went natural. With her passion for education, she believes that going natural is the secret to teaching ch...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0hQNR5fDKw

UNICEF launches child friendly city toolkit UNICEF has launched its toolkit for child friendly cities. Here, Louise Thivant, a policy and advocacy specialist with the agency, describes this new resource and its purpose. UNICEF has launched the Child-Friendly Cities and Communities Initiative (CFCI) Toolkit for National Committees, at a time…

We need fewer exams and more wilderness in education Instead of pumping time and money into exams, we should focus on wellbeing and encouraging children to connect with the natural world