Campaign launched to encourage more outdoor learning

The campaign is a response to the decline in the time that children spend outdoors. Research has found that two in three children globally play outside for less than an hour and a half a day.* In 2016, almost half a million children around the world got involved in the campaign by having their lessons outside and celebrating playtime too.

Benefits of playing and learning outdoors

Outdoor learning is said to improve children’s health, engages them with learning and leads to a greater understanding of nature. Play not only teaches critical life skills such as resilience, teamwork and creativity, but is central to children’s enjoyment of childhood.

South Africa is not alone in its drive to reconnect children with the outdoors. Thousands of schools across the world are taking part in this campaign. To date, 2,019,270 children around the globe are getting involved. Over 4,000 children in South Africa have already been registered to take part in 2017. With the help of teachers across the country the campaigners hope to dramatically grow that number in the run up to 12 October.

Nick Gardner, CEO and co-founder of Project Dirt, said: "We’re calling on teachers, parents and anyone who cares about childhood to get involved in the campaign on Thursday, 12 October. Whether that’s by taking a class outdoors, encouraging your child’s school to sign up, or helping spread the message far and wide, everyone can do something to make sure children across the country experience the benefits of playing and learning outdoors."

Resources are available at www.outdoorclassroomday.com to support people to take action. Outdoor Classroom Day is run in partnership with Unilever as part of their Dirt is Good movement.

* Research conducted by Edelman Berland for Unilever, 2016.