Pasadena Christian School: Exploring the Preschool Outdoor Classroom

Teachers often heave a sigh of relief when they take their students out to recess. Finally! The children can burn off the pent up energy they had been accruing for the past few hours indoors. But what if we change our outlook on outdoor play time? What if we create an outdoor environment that offered all of the learning opportunities that one would typically find indoors? What if children could run out to a well-planned play yard to find experiences in math, science, nature, dramatic play, water, building and construction, sensory activities, physical development, art and music? What if they play yard developed critical thinking, discovery, problem solving, and cooperative skills? The result would be that we wouldn’t have “just recess” anymore. We would have The Outdoor Classroom!

Kristin Perez is the Director and former Outdoor Curriculum Coordinator at Pasadena Christian Preschool. The school is thrilled to be a demonstration site for the Outdoor Classroom Project. Ms. Perez has a BS in Early Childhood Ed (Pre-K/Primary) and have been in the field of education for over 15 years.

Pasadena Christian School, 1515 N. Robles Ave., Pasadena, (626) 791-1214 or visit www.pasadenachristian.org.