Green school playgrounds boost concentration and wellbeing

Greening school playgrounds

Four years ago, the research team behind The Healthy Primary School of the Future expanded the project to include an element that has been actively promoted in Belgium for some time: greening school playgrounds. In collaboration with researchers from nearby Hasselt University in Belgium, scientists at CAPHRI, Maastricht University’s Care and Public Health Research Institute, examined whether greener playgrounds are associated with better health outcomes for children. Does exposure to greenery encourage children to be more physically active? How does a green environment affect their ability to learn? What impact does it have on their understanding of nature? And, crucially, what happens when you combine green playgrounds with the healthy primary school concept?
 

Improved learning outcomes

According to UM researcher Bo van Engelen, the findings are clear: ‘Our study shows that greening school playgrounds not only encourages children to be more physically active, but also improves their attention and social behaviour. What’s more, cost-benefit analysis shows that greening playgrounds is a highly cost-effective way to promote children’s health and wellbeing: at significantly lower cost, we see that the time children spend on moderate to vigorous physical activity almost doubles.’ Lore Verheyen, researcher at Hasselt University, also points to improved learning outcomes at schools with green playgrounds. ‘Our results may encourage schools and policymakers to create greener school environments, which will have positive effects on children’s cognitive performance and wellbeing.’
 

Collaboration

The Green Healthy Primary School of the Future project is a collaboration not only between two universities on either side of the Dutch-Belgian border, but also with the support of the provincial authorities in both countries and the Limburg Provincial Nature Centre in Flanders. ‘This research once again confirms that The Healthy Primary School of the Future is on the right track,’ says Marc van Caldenberg, member of the provincial executive for Dutch Limburg. ‘Greening school playgrounds not only enhances children’s wellbeing, but also delivers measurable benefits for concentration and social behaviour. I’m pleased with the constructive cooperation between the two provinces of Limburg, in Belgium and the Netherlands. The interaction between all partners was excellent, and together we’re making good progress for the health of our children.’