Are Outdoor Preschools Changing U.S. Education?

Shanti Hodges · REI · February 25, 2019

Featuring Dr. Pooja Tandon, member of the Center’s Research Collaborative

The U.S. saw a 66 percent increase in the number of registered outdoor preschools and kindergartens between 2016 and 2017.

That rapid increase has inspired researchers like Sobel and Dr. Pooja Tandon, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, who is investigating the connection between time spent in nature and children’s health and development. “Outdoor play and nature contact from an early age provide wonderful opportunities [for kids] to explore [their] senses, be active, and learn,” she said. “And there are likely benefits to their health and well-being.”