LANSING, Mich — As the school year moves forward, most learning still happens inside traditional classrooms. But in some Lansing neighborhoods, that’s beginning to change.
- Lansing Head Start opened a new outdoor learning classroom to give students hands-on, sensory-rich educational experiences beyond traditional indoor settings.
- The space encourages exploration and play-based learning, integrating nature into daily lessons through features like water elements and temperature-based activities.
- Teachers and administrators say outdoor classrooms support exploratory learning and provide a valuable balance to screen time and indoor instruction.
- Rain or shine, the space will be used year-round as part of a growing trend in local school districts to make education more engaging through outdoor environments.
WATCH: Where nature meets the classroom: Lansing students take learning outside
More schools are turning to outdoor learning spaces, classrooms without walls, to give students a new way to engage with their education. One of the latest examples? A brand-new outdoor learning environment at the Capital Area Community Services Head Start.
While it may look like playtime, teachers say it’s so much more.
“Even though it looks like they’re playing, they’re definitely learning,” Julie Davis explained.
Students at this Head Start location already follow a well-rounded daily schedule that includes large group time, small group activities and independent play.
Still, administrators saw an opportunity to take learning one step further by bringing it outside.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the new outdoor learning space, which includes interactive elements that encourage hands-on exploration.
“As you can see, the little ones are learning and engaging their senses—the sound of the water, the temperature,” said Dr. Nolana Nobles, Director of Early Childhood Programs for Head Start.
Dr. Nobles led a tour of the outdoor classroom, which is now fully integrated into the students' daily routine.
This initiative is part of a growing trend across Michigan and beyond. Districts like the Lansing School District are rethinking traditional education by embracing the natural environment as a teaching tool.
“It’s using the environment in a unique way and exploring it in a way we just haven’t imagined yet,” said Micaela Balzer, Impression 5 director of innovation and learning.
Whether it’s raining or shining, teachers plan to use the space as an extension of their indoor lessons and as a refreshing change of scenery.
“There’s so much technology and internal learning, which is great,” said Dr. Nobles. “But I just feel the children don’t get enough learning in open spaces like this.”
The hope is that outdoor classrooms like this one will become the norm, not just in early childhood education but across all grade levels.
As more schools make room for nature in their curriculum, the future of education may look a little greener.
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