Outside whatever the weather!

January and February are the coldest months of the year, and this year seems to be no exception. We’ve had wind, buckets of rain and sub-zero temperatures so far.

We’re just sad not to have had any snow yet, but there’s still time!

Outside whatever the weather!

At Running Deer, we’re outside with our students whatever the weather. While we do have some very beautiful new pods which can be helpful if we’re doing work on a computer or paper, we try and spend the majority of the day outside and keep warm by exercising or lighting a fire.

They say firewood keeps you warm three times. You get warm when you cut it, warm when you split and stack it and then finally warm when you burn it. Here’s a photo of R proving this, keeping warm by cutting the wood!

Most young people’s education, except for occasional outdoor PE lessons, is conducted entirely inside, often sat still on a chair. However, we know that there are so many benefits from being outside and moving our bodies. It can lower blood pressure, fight depression and improve our health.

I can almost feel the magic working, when my student and I are stood around a fire, smelling the smell of woodsmoke, watching a robin or a tree creep hopping around outside camp.

Did you know that lots have research has shown that especially for children being outside improves eyesight, reducing near-sightedness? Although in a very British way, we all complain about the weather, we can all probably agree that we’d rather be in the woods rain or shine, than sat down at a desk to learn.

At the moment we’re feeling especially lucky to be outside. In the midst of the third national lockdown, being an outdoors school makes us much safer, as we know the virus doesn’t spread as much outside.

Unlike many schools who are closed to the majority of students at the moment, our special model means we’ve been able to find a safe way of opening to all of our students.

With the closing of many of the indoor venues we normally go to at this time of the year, perhaps one of the few positives of lockdown is it will get more of us, young and old, enjoying some of the health benefits of being outside more.