Southern Nebraska Register
St. Joseph School in York added an outdoor classroom space to the current playground.
The space, located on the north side of the school playground, is approximately 40 by 100 feet. The classroom is intended to provide outdoor learning and play for students in grades preschool through the eighth grade.
“Research has shown that outdoor classrooms are beneficial in many ways,” explained principal Mary Jo Leininger. Children who spend at least a portion of their day in an outdoor learning environment experience cognitive and emotional benefits. 
“In today’s world,” she explained, “many children are not getting enough time outdoors. Besides the usual recess activities of running, jumping, and climbing, the outdoor classroom will also provide areas for imaginative play and space for classes to be held outside.”
She said the school’s ultimate goal is to design an outdoor classroom that allows students the opportunity to build practical and problem solving skills, resiliency, and an appreciation for nature within a natural outdoor setting.
Several projects were completed with the help of Katie Krause, UNL extension agent. Construction in the summer of 2023 included a shed for storage, a stage/deck with a ramp, a new sand pit, small boulders, and a pathway throughout the area. Outdoor musical instruments, a water wall, and a garden were added this spring. The next projects are a “mud kitchen,” playhouse, and landscaping for the area.
“Our students have been so excited to use the stage for dance parties, show and tell, and story time on beautiful days,” Leininger. “They have run up and down the ramp with toy trucks, practiced their balancing skills on the small boulders, and spent many recesses immersed in conversation while playing in the sand pit.”
She thanked those who donated toward the projects.
“Because of you, our students will benefit from this rich learning environment!”
