Gardening gets children outside
In the Wednesday, Sept. 20, edition of the Butler Eagle, we learned about Butler Catholic School’s director of environmental programming, Rae Harrison.
Students at Butler Catholic quite literally cheer as they head into her classroom, chanting “Ms. Rae, Ms. Rae.” Her delightful personality and willingness to work with the children gets the students excited for class, as does the potential of going outdoors during the school day.
Sure, our weather isn’t always conducive to spending time outside, but for the months that allow such work, it’s something that we are happy to see schools, like Butler Catholic, promoting.
A 2020 article by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia says that outdoor play is beneficial to children’s physical and mental well-being. The article encourages adults to prioritize outdoor play for their children’s growth and development.
“It helps them socialize, understand their bodies better, engage in imaginative play and enjoy the outdoors,” according to the article, which was posted as a “health tip of the week.”
The article also suggests children will see improvements to sleep, mood and social skills when they play outside.
The article goes on to recommend about three hours of outdoor play daily, which just isn’t feasible without schools playing a role.
Among the suggestions in the article: Dig in the dirt.
The gardening programming offered at Butler Catholic School allows students to do just that. The door from Harrison’s classroom leads directly to the school’s garden area. Harrison had worked previously as the garden club adviser, and the group was so positively received that the school decided to invest in her full-time.
“We’re trying to get kids into active learning, show them a different way of understanding nature and science,” school’s new principal John Hazur said. “We have a unique situation. This can get the kids out there to experience different things.”
Gardening specifically comes with its own benefits for children.
A “For Parents” article by PBS said activities like digging and planting can improve moods, create better learning experiences and decrease anxiety. The responsibility that comes with caring for a garden also fosters a sense of purpose for children.
“Most important, the self-esteem a child gets from eating a perfect cucumber that he grew himself is priceless,” the article said.
We applaud Butler Catholic School for its work. It seems to be working. So much so, that students will sometimes bring photos of bugs in their yard to Harrison. Students are no doubt learning in her classroom.
— TL
