This Schoolyard Infrastructure Start-up Toolkit includes many resources that have been created and compiled by the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative to help schools like yours include outdoor learning in their reopening plans during the pandemic—while planting seeds for the future. Click on the linked resources throughout this Toolkit to create your own plan for your school grounds and get ready for outdoor learning.

The Start-up Toolkit is designed to help you imagine, plan, and implement outdoor learning at your school using selected tools from our National Outdoor Learning Library, a comprehensive and free online resource. The Toolkit includes step-by-step resources you can use to begin thinking about outdoor learning options and create your own campus plan to share and discuss with your school community.

*The contents of the Start-up Toolkit are listed below, or you may download it as a PDF version:

The outdoor classrooms at Linden Waldorf School in Nashville, Tennessee, offer open-air teaching and learning.

It is important to get together a diverse representation of the school community to discuss needs and desires.

Walking the school site together will help your committee become familiar with how the school site looks at present, so you can start from a common understanding.

Get Started

Create a planning committee. Before you begin, gather a diverse planning committee that reflects the school community and includes teachers, parents, and staff. Include the principal on the committee, or at least be in close communication. Support from a variety of stakeholders helps build a strong foundation to advocate for outdoor learning during the pandemic and beyond, and will be needed to help plan, rally support, and implement outdoor programs.

Consider initial planning strategies. Our Outdoor Infrastructure Planning Strategies document is a great place to start! It explains how outdoor learning can be a part of reopening plans and is perfect to share with your school community to build consensus.

Learn about the health benefits of being outdoors. Taking class outside can help improve health for students and staff. Visit our online library’s Health Guidance chapter to learn more about the mental, physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive health benefits of being outdoors—and how schools can create healthy learning environments to minimize the risk of virus transmission.

Evaluate your community’s needs and goals. Download and review our Campus Assessment Tool before going outside to walk your school grounds. This tool will help you to begin your site planning process and evaluate what your school needs to take learning outside. Download as a PDF or MS Word file.

Take a walk on your school grounds with your planning team. Bring an aerial photo of the school grounds that you can take notes on. Look for opportunities for outdoor learning spaces, like existing shade from covered spaces and trees, existing benches, bleachers, or other seating. Make a note of access to restrooms, relative outdoor noise levels—such as from P.E. or a busy street—and where classroom supplies might be stored and accessed.

Explore Outdoor Learning Options

If this is your first visit to the National Outdoor Learning Library, we recommend you begin with the five focus areas below to help you tailor your plan to your school’s needs and context.

Consider which classes and programs will move outside. See our guidance on using and programming outdoor spaces in the Teaching and Learning Outdoors chapter, which includes articles about Outdoor Classroom Management, Taking Curriculum Outside, an Outdoor Spaces Scheduling Template, and more.

Plan to serve school meals outside. Since students need to remove their masks to eat, serving meals outdoors helps to reduce virus transmission. Read about strategies for serving and eating meals outside.

Consider creative seating strategies. A comfortable place to sit is often key to successful outdoor lessons. Should seating be portable or permanent? Natural or manufactured? Get creative with the ideas for Outdoor Seating and Work Surfaces in our library.

Learn about shade and shelter strategies. Open-sided shelters make outdoor spaces more comfortable and protect classes from sun and rain, increasing outdoor time. Read about materials, location, and permit rules in the Shade and Shelter resource.

Choose outdoor teaching supplies and storage. Consider outdoor teaching supplies–such as what might be needed for multiple classes and for individual students–and how to store supplies conveniently. The Supplies and Storage for Outdoor Teaching resource has great ideas.

You may not need much to try taking learning outside. Here, students sit on individual cushions under the shade of trees.

Seating made from repurposed logs and stumps are ready for school to begin at Monterey Bay Charter in Pacific Grove, California.

After you have identified your goals and made a list of what you need, the tools below will help you turn those goals into a visual plan to share with your school community.

Estimate the size and type of outdoor spaces. Use our Outdoor Classroom Configuration Options tool to consider where seating will fit and to estimate how many students can be accommodated. (Note: this tool includes six foot spacing between students to accommodate pandemic-related physical distancing guidelines during, which may no longer apply but can still give you some classroom layout ideas.)

Bring outdoor learning to life with our Augmented Reality Visualizer. Use this tool to create eye-catching images that insert conceptual outdoor classrooms into real photos of your own school grounds. Click here to learn more and try it. (Note: This tool requires a recent iPhone running Safari.)

The Augmented Reality Tool was used to visualize how an arrangement of stump seating might look at this campus.

Outdoor Learning Diagram
(Template)

The template seen below is available in Google Slides or MS PowerPoint format. Click on either link to download an editable copy and create your own outdoor learning diagram. Follow the directions, adding an aerial image of your school along with site photos, images from Google Street View, or photos of the school grounds taken with the Augmented Reality Visualizer. Refer to the resources from the National Outdoor Learning Library to help guide your choices.

Outdoor Learning Diagram
(Example)

Below is an example of an outdoor learning diagram that highlights outdoor learning opportunities and incorporates ideas from the National Outdoor Learning Library. It was created by arranging an aerial of a school from Google Maps, Street View images, site photos and Augmented Reality photos on our template. Work with your principal and remember to involve and get feedback from staff and the school community. Download a copy of the template—available in Google Slides or MS PowerPoint format—to create your own!

The Augmented Reality Tool was used to visualize a tent and seating arrangement in a snowy schoolyard in Chicago, Illinois.

CONSIDER OTHER FACTORS

Need more space? Consider using an off-campus location like a park to accommodate some classes or activities if space is limited. See the Outdoor Learning Offsite chapter for ideas.

What about weather? Outdoor learning can happen in all climates when you plan ahead to ensure that everyone is equally warm (or cool) and dry. Read our general guidance for managing weather, and specific considerations for hot weather and cold weather.

Implement Your Outdoor Learning Plan

Make a budget for materials and estimate costs. Download the Outdoor Infrastructure Cost Estimate Tool (MS Excel) to create a preliminary budget for your outdoor learning plan. Adjust your options to fit your financial needs.

Think about fundraising. Read our case studies to learn how other schools found funding for outdoor learning. Explore the federal funding opportunities described on this page and in this webinar. Tap into your community’s resources to creatively find lower-cost and natural materials, in-kind donations, and volunteer assistance with setting up outdoor spaces. Involve the community so everyone feels comfortable, ready, and excited for outdoor learning.

Select appropriate plants. Even in temporary outdoor classrooms, plants placed in containers or in the ground add visual screening, noise buffers, and opportunities for shade, play, art, and exploration during the pandemic and beyond. Read about planting strategies and plant lists for different climates.

Use what you have to get students outdoors now. You can use a temporary arrangement — such as classroom tables and chairs arranged outside under a tent — as you plan for long-term outdoor learning goals, like the beautiful school garden pictured above.

Shaded breezeways, existing tree canopy, and picnic tables are ready for outdoor learning or lunchtime.

More Resources and Support

Hear success stories and be inspired. From June 2020 to May 2022, our “Community of Practice’’ gathered schools and districts biweekly to share practical strategies for implementing outdoor learning during the pandemic and beyond. You can find many recorded past presentations on the Community of Practice page here.

Connect with others. Our “COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Forum” on Facebook offers another way to connect.

Share your good work! We would love to see and hear about your success with outdoor learning. Share photos and information about your outdoor spaces when they are up and running by emailing us at support@greenschoolyards.org.

If you have questions about how to use any of the resources in this Toolkit, please reach out to us at support@greenschoolyards.org.