Benefits of Blue & Green Spaces

Summer. This time of the year for teachers, it feels like it is dwindling!

It takes purposeful reminders to realize that yes, the back to school season may be getting busier, but it is still summer.

And maybe it's because we are teachers--who tend to jump both feet first into "busy" and who's job it is to educate others--that we really do need to pay attention to the fact that it IS still summer.

That we need to get outdoors.

That we need to get our kids outdoors.

That we need to refresh, restore, recharge, and rejuvenate--especially in the busy season. Especially in a season that can bring anxiety to kids, adults, and teachers alike as our schedules switch and new expectations and levels of busy-ness sets in. 

We all need our blue (water-related) and green (outdoor) spaces. Kids of all ages! We need to get out, near, around, and in water and nature! And here's some proof:

• Beyond Greenspace's Making the Most of Green Space for People's Health (research from the University of Exeter)

• BBC's Nov. 8, 2022 article by Frankie Adkins and Katherine Latham: The Surprising Benefits of Blue Spaces

• ADDitude's Feb 8, 2023 article  by Karen Barrow: Go Take a Hike! (No, Really, It Helps.)

• The Guardian's Oct. 12, 2022 article by Yasmeen Louis: Time Spent in Blue Spaces Benefits Children in Later Life

• Ideas.TED.com's Aug 11, 2021 article by Seena Mathew: The Fountain of Youth Hasn’t Been Found — But Swimming May Come Close

• Edutopia's Dec. 6, 2022 article by Alissa Alteri Shea: Nature Learning in All Seasons-- here you'll learn some ways to integrate nature into your lessons

Get outside here, even in this busy season. Your mental health will thank you.

Art created at Canva.com