We believe school grounds are very important to children and youth, and shape their experience of the world around them. If you agree with us, we hope you will take some time during this month—an hour, a day, even a week—to go outside into your grounds with your students to engage in learning, play and other activities.

 

How can your school participate?

There is no right or wrong way to take part. Go out into your school grounds during the month of May and use them as you'd like. Consider taking academic lessons into your grounds, promoting play outside, camping out in your schoolyard or inviting parents to the school to watch a play outdoors—whatever works best for your school.

 

Download our free Activity Guides 

The International School Grounds Month Activity Guide is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the ISGA and 73 other organizations from 27 countries around the world, who each contributed a school ground activity that reflects their own organization’s mission, programs and areas of expertise. Our goal is to help schools around the world bring children of all ages outdoors for learning and play activities during the month of May - and to inspire them to continue this, year-round.

 

We update and expand the Activity Guide regularly. It includes a vibrant collection of 104 exciting ideas that support learning across the curriculum, promote healthy lifestyles, and encourage play and exploration during free time, before, during, and after school. Many of the activities also help children and young people connect to their neighbourhood’s unique natural, geographic, and cultural context, and add art and natural beauty to their school ground environments. Click on the Activity Guide cover image above to download your free digital copy of this publication.

 

The International School Grounds Month Activity Guide is part of a set! We hope you will also download and enjoy the companion Living Schoolyard Activity Guide, produced in the same format by our colleagues at Green Schoolyards America. The Living Schoolyard Activity Guide includes an additional 131 activities written by 122 organizations working across the United States. 

 

Both publications in this set are intended to be used anywhere in the world. Together the two books offer a total of 235 outdoor activities for children and youth ages 3-18, written by 187 collaborating organizations in 27 countries!

The International School Grounds Month Activity Guide is also available in additional languages! Click on the book covers below to download your copy in Czech or Chinese!

 

We hope these ideas inspire you to engage in outdoor activities at your own school, wherever you live—during International School Grounds Month in May, and throughout the year. 

 

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