Higher frequency of green schoolyard use and more time outdoors are linked to self-regulation gains in kindergarten students

Well-documented benefits of green schoolyards include improved academic and attention outcomes. Little is known, however, about the relationship between frequency and duration of exposure and the desired outcomes. This research -- through two related studies -- explored the relationship of frequency and quantity of exposure to green schoolyards and an important desired outcome for kindergarten children – that is, self-regulation. For purposes of this study, self-regulation is defined as including executive functions and the regulation of reactive impulses.

One study involving 250 kindergarten students from six Canadian schools took place during the fall semester. The other study involving 135 kindergarten students from three Canadian schools took place during the winter/spring semester. Two classes from each school were assigned to engage in outdoor education in greenspaces at a prescribed rate – one at a Low Frequency (once per week); the other at a High Frequency (every day). Two measures of self-regulation were administered before and after the one-semester intervention for all participating children. One measure was a standardized performance measure (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders); the other an educator rating scale (Child Behavior Rating Scale). Two measures of exposure to greenspaces were also used – one measuring frequency of outdoor education in greenspace; the other measuring total time outdoors weekly.

All classes spent an appreciable amount of time outdoors. On a daily basis, time outdoors varied from 10.5% of the day to more than 32%. Weekly, the time outdoors varied from 11% of total hours up to 37.9%. The High Frequency classes spent significantly more time outdoors in both the winter/spring and fall semesters than the Low Frequency classes. All groups in both studies showed significant improvement from pre to post assessments on both measures of self-regulation, with the exception of girls in the winter/spring semester on the educator rating scale. The girls in this group scored relatively high at baseline (prior to the intervention). For other groups, there were no significant differences in baseline scores. Overall results showed that students who spent more time in greenspaces weekly tended to have higher self-regulation scores post-intervention. This relationship was more consistent for girls than for boys.

This research found that more time spent outdoors was related to higher self-regulation – “the higher the frequency of visits, and the more minutes weekly, the greater the gains”. These findings suggest that green schoolyards support children's self-regulation development.