The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus has changed the reality as we knew it, having serious effects on the economy, education but also on every aspect of our personal, family and social life, forcing individuals, businesses and organizations to adhere to social distance measures and not only.
By following continuous social distance instructions and behavioral tips so that each of us is not a threat of transmitting the virus, sedentary life, telework, distance learning, reduced physical activity have increased the negative effects on our quality of life, while significant difficulties and shortcomings are observed. in the important field of education.
E-learning methods applied at all levels of education may be a temporary solution, but many more steps are needed to provide solutions for a truly constructive learning environment.
And yet, there are solutions .. And one of them can be outdoor teaching!
Outdoor education is a solution that has been implemented since the last century, a solution that was implemented in 2020 in America against the pandemic of COVID-19 .
Who would have imagined that in 1905, when tuberculosis plagued America, changes would be made to the structure of schools, which supported outdoor education at all levels, as a key measure to protect children and society at large?
Who would have expected that today, in the years 2020, the New York Authorities would give permission to as many schools as they wish to teach in yards, nearby parks and, if necessary, close and use the surrounding streets;
«Proper and targeted design of the school yard has a significant impact on the physical and mental health as well as the well-being of children, as it is an environment in which they have prolonged exposure on a daily basis. “Strategic school yard design can benefit students’ mental health, concentration and learning ability,” according to Paddle & Gilliland, 2016.
Actionplay , a well-known company of sports equipment and playgrounds, having equipped a large number of municipalities in our country with constructions and certified playground equipment, witnesses the multiple benefits arising from the creative employment of children and students in complex outdoor spaces, observing through the many years of experience, the positive effects that outdoor teaching can bring, especially in times of pandemic.
It is generally accepted that teaching outdoors in a well-structured environment can be a serious measure of protection against an open pandemic, while at the same time students are no longer passive recipients of information and knowledge through a screen, but become active knowledge-building agents as they continue to work in small groups.
According to psychologists, outdoor teaching strengthens the spirit of students, raises their environmental awareness and through their interaction with nature arises feelings of pleasure, reducing the stress caused by the pandemic, while revitalizing their participation in the courses, which is an important factor in academic success.
It is no coincidence that many municipalities in our country have equipped playgrounds with instruments that creatively enhance children’s play and contribute to the development of their skills.
Actionplay, has responded promptly and comprehensively to any occasion called upon to equip both playgrounds and schoolyard areas with playground equipment and sports equipment , equipping the venues with suitable and safe instruments of the Italian company TLF srl, with the most modern safety standards, suitable and absolutely accessible to all students.
Exclusive representative in Greece of the Italian company TLF srl , Actionplay is able to equip playgrounds and design spaces in a way that children, at all levels of education, interact with the environment around them and acquire a wide range of game capabilities and elements suitable for different ages associated with sensory paths and various panels with numbers, sounds, etc., while maintaining the necessary distances without losing contact with the team.
The certified equipment of the Italian company TLF srl thus helps to create smart spaces that provide the opportunity for children of all abilities and levels of education to discover and prove that they are smart, capable and able to take action,thus developing their skills through fun opportunities and strengthening confidence through play.
The right equipment contributes decisively to the development of outdoor teaching with the aim of reducing the transmission of the virus, without exclusions, maintaining safe distances and creating the conditions for critical thinking and teamwork, essential elements of each student’s development, while cultivating suitable conditions for a truly constructive environment.
Actionplay , through the projects and constructions that undertakes, always takes care to ensure in young and older people, beautiful and functional rejuvenation spaces, safe spaces , spaces that inspire children and enhance their creativity, imagination and skills.
Despite the fact that the public debate on pandemic education in our country focuses more on distance learning and the observance of the necessary distances, however teaching in outdoor areas with appropriate equipment that will provide the appropriate stimuli by organizing information and relating it to the educational process, it can offer enormous possibilities for the learning process.
Outdoor teaching may not be a panacea, but especially in times of pandemic, it can be another opportunity for a truly constructive learning environment, providing a host of stimuli and opportunities for activities with great educational value!
Today more than ever, state authorities must immediately listen to the needs of substantive education and teaching and provide practical solutions and more choices to students, choices that enhance students’ mental health, their concentration and ability to learn and provide workable answers to the new reality created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Actionplay always stays by the side of every corresponding effort!
