What: Transition time preparing for (getting gear on) and getting outside can take a long time, especially if children are younger or if students have not mastered a routine. Lengthy transition time can be a deterrent to taking classes outside. A solution to this is stack outdoor times alongside another time when students already have their outdoor gear on and are already near outside spaces.
How: If transition time is a concern or if it is winter and a lot of gear must be worn to be safe outside, consider planning outdoor time during one of the following times:
- Immediately after arrival in the morning (since students arrive at different times and some get breakfast, perhaps have all students meet in the classroom first, keep gear on, then walk outside together)
- Before or after recess/lunch
- Before the end of the day
Adding a few minutes of outside time stacked alongside recess or the end of the day can really add up over time. For example, 15 minutes a day is over an hour by the end of the week. Over 4 hours in a month, etc. When outside for only a few minutes engage students in quick observations such as: close eyes and listen for 5 sounds; use senses to observe the weather; take a walk around the school and notice similarities/differences of plants, leaves, flowers; do a race using different movements (skip, hop, one-leg skip). These quick activities engage students in observation and active movements while easily increasing daily minutes outside.
When: Stack outdoor times when students are already wearing outdoor gear such as after arrival in the morning, before or after recess/lunch, before the end of the day.
Who: Teachers can plan to stack outside time if it will save transition time and make going outside more likely to happen. Engage the support of teaching aids and others who monitor kids during recess or transition students around the building. Inform such adults of plans to go outside so they can remind students to keep gear on and get ready for learning time.
Materials: None
Why: Stacking time outside along times when students already have gear on and are close to outside spaces is a great way to save transition time. Adding a 10 minutes a day outside (for example, before recess) can result in close to an additional hour of time outside over the course of week. The cumulative effect of this additional time outside has many benefits for students.
Barriers addressed: Time Pressure; Transitions