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Outdoor Learning in SF

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In this year’s unprecedented summer, outdoor learning prevailed.

In June, the city’s summer programs re-opened with limited capacity and with modifications intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19

To learn how programs adjusted to operating in our new reality, we caught up with eight from across the city, who maintained or increased their nature and outdoor programming to reduce the risk of transmission.

Apart from being safer, it doesn’t hurt that being outside offers other great benefits too, such as increased immunity and an emotional boost that can help kids feel less tense, stressed, angry, or depressed.

Here’s what summer outdoor learning looked like in SF:

WETLANDS EXPLORER CAMP @ ECO CENTER at HERON’S HEAD PARK

Since we benefit from lots of open space, it wasn’t hard to adjust curriculum and lesson plans to meet social distancing and safety standards. The most difficult aspect was monitoring/regulating kids’ behavior—spontaneous games of tag, wanting to sit together at lunch, maintaining 6’ distance, and requiring masks for youth 10 and up at all times. —Lydia Nichols-Russell, San Francisco Recreation & Parks

Wetlands Explorer supports habitat restoration efforts in the native grassland by removing invasive fennel.
This summer 130 lbs of invasive plants were removed by young campers, making space for native species that support more wildlife at Heron’s Head Park.
Exploring the rocky beach for crabs was a favorite near-daily activity. Kids built their own bucket habitats using seaweed and Bay water for temporary observation. We spent a morning each session capturing life on the shoreline using the iNaturalist phone app. 
Campers use teamwork to scrape honeycomb off a harvested frame. Each session was able to harvest about 12 pints of honey, some of which we used to celebrate on the last day of camp with a native-plant tea party.  (photos: Maria Durana) 

GUIDRY’S EARLY CARE & EDUCATION PROGRAM

Adjusting our outdoor program was fairly easy as prior to the pandemic we already spent most of our time outdoors!  We have always valued outdoor play as an extended classroom and are outside all day with the exception of nap time. With extra tables, chairs, and shade, we now have lunch outside too. —Monique Guidry, Guidry’s Early Care & Education Program

Lots of Digging! Allowing children to continue to practice their fine and gross motor skills outdoors is essential, especially during this challenging time.  Digging supports children’s eye/hand coordination, sensory perception (especially touch), and also helps them to develop their socio-emotional skills of cooperative play. 
E. loves to have her own space. Cardboard boxes are perfect for that! We currently practice physical distancing with activities that allow for children to connect with one another while being safe. 
G. loves to have his body traced! Activities such as body tracing allow children to experiment with the concepts of space and size while exploring self-awareness and autonomy.
I LOVE reading stories to children outside. I gain such a strong emotional connection with each child when I read to them. Reading to children improves many skills, especially receptive (listening) and expressive language, cognitive development and, attention maintenance skills. photos: Monique Guidry)

CAMP MISSION POSSIBLE @ MISSION REC CENTER

It wasn’t hard to adjust camp to social distance standards, we just had to be willing to spend A LOT of time outdoors where it’s much safer. We traveled with easy to carry sports equipment and craft supplies, played music, and paused for meditation time when needed. —Mike Bross, San Francisco Recreation & Parks

Mission Impossible campers explored nearby parks all summer, working their way up to a 3-mile round trip hike to the top of Bernal Hill where the games continued. Sharing space with a coyote and watching red-tailed hawks catch lunch amidst the soaring views of the city were highlights. (photo: Maria Durana)

Y RANGERS CAMP @ PRESIDIO & POINT BONITA YMCA

Connecting youth to nature is a priority for the YMCA of San Francisco and we are proud to oversee the only two YMCA’s in the country to be located on national park service lands. Y Rangers Camp is an opportunity for kids to spend their summer outside in the fresh air, enjoy stories, games, and enriching activities. —Sean Dries, YMCA of San Francisco.

Y Rangers immersed in nature play and discovery in the Marin Headlands. (photo: Ryan Wolf)
Stump circles make the best outdoor classrooms. . (photo: Sean Dries)
Making dinosaur-sized art — even hardscaped outdoor spaces offer plenty of opportunities for creativity and fun. (photo: Sean Dries)

FARM CAMP @ ALEMANY FARM

While you can control an indoor environment, there are many challenges and variables to running programming outdoors. Preparation was key, but so was being flexible, staying positive and keeping it fun. I think the campers really benefited from the time spent socially together. A lot of kids had not interacted with other kids before camp and won’t after camp due to Covid-19. —Kathi Baxter and field staff, San Francisco Recreation & Parks

Campers grew plants from seeds, transplanted them to larger pots, and then took them home to plant at the end of camp.  They learned about the stages of plant reproduction, how to amend the soil to provide food for the growing plant, and how to effectively water to prevent some common plant diseases. 
“I could stay here forever,” says Alemany Farm camper while holding Pepper in a snug embrace. Pepper visited the farm to inspire learning about urban livestock and chicken fun facts such as how often hens lay eggs and the toys and treats that keep laying hens happy.
Planting a lemon balm clipping to learn how plants can reproduce from cuttings. Campers helped with fruit tree pruning, removed suckers from the olive trees, and cut green waste into compostable pieces to hone their skills with pruning shears.  (photos: Maria Durana)

GIRLS SPORTS CAMP @ ROSSI PLAYGROUND

Girls in Sports Summer Camp is a GIRLS ONLY all outdoors camp that keeps campers in motion and in the air. While honing their skills in sports like soccer, baseball, and track, they’re also learning about teamwork, respect, and perseverance while building an emotional foundation for success. Our track meets were just amazing!! Each child was successful in achieving personal bests as they participated in races and relays, long jump, and shot put. —Rachelle Henley, San Francisco Recreation & Parks

BEAN SPROUTS FAMILY DAY @ SF BOTANICAL GARDEN

Bean Sprout Family Day participants make their own discoveries in the Children’s Garden. At the Creation Station, children explore the qualities of plant material as they assemble their creations. We were flexible, lettting kids be kids rather than focusing on specific educational outcomes. For safety, we shifted from using shared materials to instead providing participants with a bucket of pre-cleaned materials with activity guides for caregivers to use. —Annette Huddle, San Francisco Botanical Garden

Discovering that bark peeled from one type of branch can be used as rope to tie other plant parts together.
Discovering the transformation of canna seed pods as they mature.
Using a clean watering can, participants helped water plants. Signage helps them and their caregivers focus on watering the roots of the plants rather than the leaves…mostly! (photos: Annette Huddle)

MISSION ART & EXPLORATION CAMP @ MISSION ARTS CENTER

Mission Art & Explorations campers used the city as their classroom. At Balmy Alley, they learned that art can be a powerful tool to record history, raise awareness, build community, and promote social change. —Jeanne Sharei, San Francisco Recreation & Parks, photos: Jeanne Hallacy

(photos: Jeanne Hallacy)

10 Tips for Teaching Outside

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Children and adults alike will profoundly benefit from time spent outdoors and in nature. Do whatever it takes to bring outdoor learning to schools.

—Annette Huddle, San Francisco Botanical Garden

Research shows that classes that are held outdoors are generally safer than indoor instruction and have lower risk of COVID-19 transmission for students and teachers. As schools across San Francisco and beyond plan for an eventual return to in-person instruction, many are considering how they will make use of outdoor spaces and nearby parks for learning.

The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative is compiling a plethora of resources and guidance to help schools increase opportunities for learning outdoors. Check them out.

Based on their experience outdoors this summer, our SF educators also offer these:

10 Tips for Teaching Outside

Prep for outdoor learning | Make sure there are outdoor seating options that create space (stump circle, spaced chairs, yoga mats, etc.) and something to provide shade. Clipboards with a rubber band on the bottom keep paper from blowing. 

Wetlands Explorer camp using a rolling cart to transport materials for outdoor learning. photo: Maria Durana

Find motivators | At Alemany Farm Camp, food was a great motivator. Each day, campers either sampled something grown at the farm or used it in a recipe for lunch or a snack. Focusing on nutrition during a pandemic helped campers take positive action for their own health.

Alemany Farm Camp. photo Maria Durana

Offer varied experiences | Not all students respond to lessons in the same way. For some, hands-on experiences may be the best. Others may love to read books quietly or to work in groups. Mix up your activities so that students with different preferences will each get time focused on the things they like best. Doing so will help students stay engaged and pay attention.

Keep if fun! | Games and play can help everyone feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills. Having two to three back up activities kept the campers busy and active at Girls Sports camp.

Set high but attainable goals, then celebrate success | Educators can give students a bounty of motivation by rewarding group and individual success publicly. Mission Impossible Camp worked up to a 3 mile hike to Bernal Hill by first visiting parks that were close by. It was a big accomplishment for all.

Mission Possible Camp enjoying socially distanced activities at Bernal Hill. photo Maria Durana

Use team building projects focused on a shared goal | Alemany Farm Camp youth worked on improving the paths in the herb garden. Each day they looked forward to seeing how the area changed due to their combined efforts. 

Minimize distractions | While you can control an indoor environment, there are many challenges and variables to running programming outdoors. Try and identify them, be flexible and prepared to adjust.

Change the scenery | The brain loves novelty and a new setting can be just what some students need to stay motivated to learn. Take a walking field trip or change location for different activities.

Maintain social distance | Enforcing social distancing is hard. Get creative. Wetlands Explorer Summer Camp developed hula hoop tag where kids tag each other with hula hoops rather than their hands. Guidry’s Early Care & Education Program encourages her kids to become airplanes when they get too close:

Spread your wings and get ready for takeoff!”

Dress for the weather | Always bring a jacket and water though in a pinch, exercise and movement will also keep them warm. 🙂

Contributors:

  • Annette Huddle, San Francisco Botanical Garden
  • Kathi Baxter, San Francisco Recreation & Parks
  • Lydia Nichols-Russell, San Francisco Recreation & Parks
  • Monique Guidry, Guidry’s Early Care & Education Program
  • Rachelle Henley, San Francisco Recreation & Parks
  • Sean Dries, YMCA of San Francisco.

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