5 Ways Green Space Impacts Learning

Did you know that children’s exposure to nature can improve their ability to learn? It’s just one of the ways green space improves our lives…and our planet.

The TurfMutt Foundation keeps track of international research associated with green space. Here are just five compelling studies we’ve found about why green space is at the head of the class:

• According to recent research out of Belgium, a three percent increase in the greenness of a neighborhood raised children’s IQ score by an average of 2.6 points. The increase in IQ points was particularly significant for children at the lower end of the spectrum.
• Accounting for factors such as school attendance and academic scores, carbon sequestration, rainwater retention, and overall community health and public safety, a recent report estimated that communities can reap a more than $3 return for every $1 invested in green schoolyards.
• A recent study from researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) followed nearly 30,000 children in Vancouver to determine that the closer the children lived to green spaces, the better chance they had of reaching milestones in emotional maturity, language skills, and general knowledge.
• After three public schools in low-income neighborhoods in Chicago developed a green schoolyard on their grounds, behavioral mapping showed a significant decrease in sedentary activity and significant increases in positive social interactions.
• A recent review of the literature examined the impact of schoolyard greening on children’s physical activity and socioemotional health. With few exceptions, most studies demonstrated beneficial changes on both outcomes due to greening.

To learn more, download the TurfMutt Foundation’s International Backyarding Fact Book here. Sign up for Mutt Mail, a monthly e-newsletter with backyarding tips and all the news from the TurfMutt Foundation here. Look for Mulligan the TurfMutt on the CBS Lucky Dog television show on Saturday mornings.