A scoping review of nature-based programmes in schools for mental health and wellbeing in young people

Why this matters
More young people are struggling with anxiety and stress, and schools are looking for practical ways to help. Many educators already take students into gardens, schoolyards and local parks. But what do these programs do for older students, and how are they usually run?

What the researchers did
A team at the University of Oxford reviewed 22 studies published between 2014 and 2024, mostly from North America and Europe. Together the studies involved about 4,800 people, almost all of them students aged 10 to 18. The team worked with government policymakers, young people and a nature educator throughout.

What they found
The programs included school gardening, outdoor lessons, conservation projects, outdoor workshops, sports and play in parks, and forest-based programs. Most ran once a week for several months, on school grounds or in nearby green spaces.

1. Less anxiety and stress. In one program, school counselors ran weekly outdoor sessions for six weeks. In another, classes visited a nearby nature reserve once a month. Both lowered students' anxiety. Anxiety also fell in programs aimed at other goals, such as after-school sports in parks and science lessons taught outdoors.
2. Better wellbeing. Students in gardening and outdoor programs reported higher self-esteem, more satisfaction with life and a better ability to bounce back. One garden program saw fewer conflicts between students.
3. Stronger ties to school and classmates. School gardens gave students space to work together and get to know each other. In one garden project, students felt closer to their classmates afterward. Greener, renovated schoolyards were linked to less bullying and teasing.
4. More care for nature. Students often felt more connected to nature and more responsible for it. In one study, they littered less.
5. Mixed results for learning. Growing plants in water in the classroom made students less anxious about science. Children who watched a five-minute nature video did better on math problems than those who watched a city video. But one outdoor lesson lowered stress without improving thinking skills, and broader academic gains were rare.

The researchers suggest that feeling connected to school and to nature may be how these programs support students' mental health.

What this means for your practice

• Start with the space you have. Most programs used playgrounds, school gardens or a local park. You don't need a forest to make a difference.
• Keep a steady rhythm. Weekly sessions over several months were the most common pattern. Regular time outdoors is easier to sustain than one big trip.
• Design for friendship. Shared garden jobs and team projects give students reasons to work together. Their bond with classmates may matter as much as the nature itself.
• Give students something to look after. Growing plants or protecting a local species builds a sense of care. In one school, students spent lunch breaks helping salamanders during breeding season.
• Take regular lessons outside. Science lessons taught outdoors lowered anxiety compared with the same lessons indoors. You can cover the same content, with wellbeing as a bonus.
• Bring in partners. Many programs paired teachers with naturalists from a nearby nature center, horticulturists, counselors or park staff. If you work at a nature center, park or zoo, offer to co-run sessions with school staff.
• Use small moments. When you can't get outside, a short nature video during a break helped one class do better at math.
• Be clear about goals. When you pitch a program to principals or parents, focus on wellbeing and belonging. Don't promise big jumps in test scores.

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