Natural-terrain schoolyards reduce children's stress

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-07/uoca-nsr072214.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 22-Jul-2014
Contact: Louise Chawla
University of Colorado at Boulder
Natural-terrain schoolyards reduce children's stress, says Colorado University-Boulder study

Playing in schoolyards that feature natural habitats and trees and not just asphalt and recreation equipment reduces children's stress and inattention, according to a University of Colorado Boulder study.

Working on class assignments or gardening in such settings also provide stress-reducing benefits for youth, according to a paper published in the journal Health & Place. The study is one of the first of its kind to focus on the relationship between student access to green settings and stress.

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Natural-terrain schoolyards -- with dirt, scrub oak and water features, for example -- foster supportive relationships and feelings of competence, the researchers found.

Combination schoolyards that have at least some natural-habitat landscaping, even if they include built structures as well, can have positive impacts on children, said Chawla, who also is the director of CU-Boulder's Children, Youth and Environments Center.

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