Do Homework Outside – 5 Benefits That are Hard to Deny

Since my last blog post, I’ve had some readers reach out about how excited they are to start officially tracking their outside hours but are waiting until January. Of course you can start any time but we did the same thing and I totally get it—I love the feeling of resetting in January.

I do think August has similar “new year” vibes as far as goals and intentions. After years and years of going back to school in August, I often times find myself wanting to “get back on track” in the fall. Whether it’s with new meal ideas, waking up a little earlier, or getting organized for the influx of school papers coming home.

So, I wanted to suggest a little “challenge” to for anyone who wants to start this August.

Back to school time, for us, means way more inside time verses the summer day program my kids attend. There is the school day itself with lots of indoor time and then the homework afterwards.

I decided the easiest way to boost our outside hours this fall is to do homework outside!

Going over spelling words while on a hike

Reading on a blanket under a tree

Doing worksheets on your patio or balcony table

Working on sight words or math problems with sidewalk chalk

Practicing multiplication tables while your child climbs a tree

I’ve put together 5 perks of outdoor homework that just might convince you to make this switch with us:

1. Fresh air! I think we can all agree just some basic fresh air is a need in this day and age of Covid 19 spread. After being inside a full classroom possibly with a mask on all day, going outside to breathe fresh air is a must.

2. To soak up the Vitamin D. The worldwide Vitamin D deficiency makes sense when you think of how often we are indoors compared to say, 200 years ago. Just by swapping homework from inside the kitchen table to the backyard a few days a week we can help combat this. Absorbing Vitamin D through sunlight helps with bone growth and development as well as a strong immune system, just to name a few.

3. The feel-good stuff, Serotonin! Bright light helps stimulate the production of serotonin which helps regulate mood. Since homework can occasionally bring the mood down…why not give yourselves the advantage by being outside?

4. Better distractions! I won’t say there will be less distractions outside, but I think they may at least be better ones. Inside homework is often times not too far from a shut off tv, computer, or iPad screen, and those distractions can taunt kids. I remember my oldest trying for find a good quiet spot for homework while his 3-year-old brother watched cartoons and that was HARD. Maybe getting up to go down the slide or swing every so often isn’t so bad. Or maybe appreciating the sight of a rabbit in the yard is the right kind of distraction.

 5. Improved attention span. I have been reading so much lately that children who struggle to pay attention in classrooms or have ADHD tendencies actually listen better outdoors. This side by side study shows that outside might actually be the best place to learn.

A bonus reason:

All of these benefits impact not only your child, but also you! Sign me up for all the stress reducing, mood boosting and immune supporting goodness there is, please.

Obviously, this is not always feasible because of weather or because of shortening daylight hours. But,there are plenty of days in the school year you could pull this off. 

Whether we end up doing homework outside daily, once a week, or even just on the prettiest days that demand we get out of the house, this is an idea I’m really excited for! Post

Check out my IG (mid.century.mom)and tag your outside homework along with us this school year! Use hashtag #homeworkoutside

Good luck to all the students, parents, and teachers, I hope you all have a wonderful back to school experience.