Steward Insights: Wired for the Great Outdoors

As parents and educators, we spend a great deal of time thinking about children’s well-being, especially when comparing their upbringing to previous generations. Many of us have been part of conversations that begin with phrases like, “When I was growing up, my parents sent me outside until dinner,” or “Kids these days are always on their screens.”

This article is not intended to add to parental guilt or position itself in opposition to technology. Rather, its goal is to share research that helps explain why time outdoors matters, highlight what we are doing at Steward to support it, and show how meaningful outdoor experiences can help students become stronger learners while preparing them for college and beyond.

What’s keeping kids indoors?

So, what is keeping children inside? A number of factors have contributed to this shift.

In many ways, it began with the Industrial Revolution, which moved work, learning, and daily life from fields and forests into factories, offices, and classrooms. Over time, nature has come to be seen as something separate from us. Something we visit, rather than something we are inherently a part of.

At the same time, increased exposure to media that highlights potential dangers has reshaped parenting norms. Many families feel pressure to closely supervise their children, making it more difficult, socially and emotionally, to allow for independent exploration.

Academic demands have also intensified. The pressure to succeed, combined with a growing list of extracurricular commitments, means many students spend much of their day in structured, often indoor environments.

Layered on top of this is the powerful pull of digital media. With constant access to screens, many children move from one structured activity directly into another digital experience.

Richard Louv popularized the term “nature-deficit disorder.” While not a clinical diagnosis, it is a compelling way to describe the consequences of growing disconnection from the natural world, particularly for children.

Today, unstructured outdoor time has declined dramatically, with some studies suggesting American children spend as little as 7-8 minutes outside each day. Rather than focusing on the concern, however, it is more useful to consider the opportunity: What happens when we increase that time?

Mental Health

There is extensive research on the positive mental health effects of time outdoors. Even without the research, many of us intuitively recognize how being outside improves our mood, but why? One explanation is the concept of biophilia, which suggests that humans have an innate affinity for the natural world because our survival once depended on it. This helps explain why natural environments feel calming and restorative.

For example, the sound of birds singing is not only beautiful; it also signals safety to the brain, indicating a stable, non-threatening environment. Exposure to sunlight supports vitamin D production and helps regulate energy and mood. Contact with soil introduces beneficial microbes that may boost serotonin levels and support immune function. Additionally, natural environments filled with greens and blues, organic patterns, and open space help reduce cognitive strain and lower our heart rate. Simply put, nature invokes “involuntary attention” that allows the brain to rest and recover.

Physical Activity

Think about the amount of time we spend indoors, and of that time, how much of it involves sustained movement. Now compare that with typical activities we do outdoors. As we discovered this past winter during the visit from occupational therapist, author of "Balanced and Barefoot," and TimberNook founder Angela Hanscom, outdoor activities naturally encourage full-body movement.

Uneven terrain in the outdoors forces our bodies to constantly adjust our balance and posture, helping to develop our coordination and vestibular systems. When we are outdoors, our body movements are more dynamic, engaging multiple muscle groups as we jump from rock to rock, climb trees, dig, and move heavy materials. These types of movements are not limited to better physical health but also attention, regulation, and readiness to learn. 

The brain doesn’t operate in isolation; it relies on input from the body to regulate attention. Prolonged time sitting indoors does not provide the sensory input and movement to the systems that the brain needs to focus. While spending time outdoors could easily be seen as counterproductive to learning, it can actually be the opposite. Between the calming involuntary attention and the full-body movements that are evoked outdoors, we are actually setting up our learners to be more productive in the classroom. Studies find that students who spend more time outside tend to perform better on standardized tests and have fewer behavioral issues that can be disruptive to learning. 

It is one thing to learn about nature, but another entirely to develop a connection to the natural world. Consistent time outdoors builds familiarity and a sense of belonging. Knowing how to identify a tree is a great entry point, but developing a relationship with a tree is something special. Having that tree that you like to read under, or climb, or dig next to. Or noticing its changes throughout the seasons and being in awe of its beauty, and appreciating all that it has to offer. It’s the relationship that helps us feel a connection to the place we live and empowers us to care for that which we belong to. 

We find a variety of ways to get students outside at Steward, especially with our school theme being Nature. With this year’s theme, we have been focusing on how to help students build a connection with the natural world. We will continue with the theme into the 2026- 27 school year, but with a focus on Stewardship of Nature. 

Since students spend a large percentage of time with us at school, we feel a responsibility to get them outside and comfortable in nature. Here are some examples from each division:

Lower School: Students begin each day on the playground and get out multiple times for recess. Each grade level comes down to the Bryan Innovation Lab for free play at least once an octo, and all families are invited to join us after school on Thursday for Nature Play School. Students participate in class projects like Emily Wolfe’s study of native trees and third grade’s service learning unit that has them composting food scraps at the Bryan Innovation Lab and visiting Shalom Farms.

Middle School: In addition to their overnight trips to Triple C Camp and Wilderness Adventure, in which students are immersed in outdoor activities, the Middle School has found ways to connect its students to hands-on learning in the outdoors. Janell Kauffman’s sixth-grade environmental science students have been exploring the meadow and wetlands at the Bryan Innovation Lab in order to argue its ecological value as part of a hypothetical scenario in which the school is planning to pave over the space. Andrew Reeder’s seventh-grade biology class used a special forestry tool to bore into various trees, allowing students to measure the trees’ growth patterns and how this relates to different ecological influences. 

Upper School: Despite the demands of Upper School academics, we are finding ways for our students to get outside. A quick walk across campus and you’ll see Upper School students taking advantage of our various outdoor spaces that are open for work and lunch. In addition, Kristen Householder’s AP psychology students ventured outdoors to collect found natural objects to be used in models that represent neural synaptic transmissions, and Kristin Snellings’ visual art students started the year sketching in the gardens. Our Leadership Program students designed capstone projects around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and this year, our ninth graders volunteered at Sankofa Farms as part of their Minimester service learning. 

 

There are so many resources out there to dive deeper into this subject matter, and we have a ton of opportunities in Richmond to get families outside. Which ones will you try?