Why Schoolyards Matter
Schoolyards are where children spend up to a quarter of their school day. They are central to play, movement, social connection, and restoration—yet they remain one of the most overlooked spaces in education systems.
For many children, the schoolyard is their primary daily opportunity for play, movement, social connection, and restoration.
Clear Evidence
A Systems Challenge
A Systems Challenge
High-quality schoolyards and recess environments:
- Strengthen mental health, belonging, and peer relationships
- Reduce conflict, exclusion, and behavioural challenges
- Support physical activity across abilities and ages
- Improve readiness to learn and classroom engagement
- Advance equity, especially in under-resourced communities
A Systems Challenge
A Systems Challenge
A Systems Challenge
Schoolyard quality is often shaped by:
- Inconsistent policy guidance
- Reliance on parent fundraising
- Limited professional preparation for staff
- Lack of design standards or evaluation tools
This results in patchworks of opportunity rather than equitable access.
When schoolyards are poorly designed or unsupported, they can instead become sites of exclusion, loneliness, and inequity.
A Better Approach
A Better Approach
A Better Approach
Treating schoolyards as essential infrastructure allows systems to:
- Embed schoolyards and recess into education policy
- Align with mental health, physical activity, and climate goals
- Invest sustainably rather than episodically
- Ensure inclusive, high-quality environments for all students
Our Role
A Better Approach
A Better Approach
Schoolyards for Thought advances research, design, professional learning, and policy to help education systems reimagine schoolyards as inclusive, climate-ready infrastructure that supports the whole child.
Want to explore related work? Try the following:
Why Schoolyards Matter (pdf)
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