The students at Aiken Elementary School like getting their hands dirty.
The school has an outdoor classroom where teachers can take pupils throughout the year. Angela Clifford, a kindergarten teacher, said the classroom was built decades ago through a grant and teachers have taken care of it over the years. The classroom features different aspects to encourage learning.
“(There’s) a trail that goes around the border so they can take a walk, we have a story walk up and then there’s different areas, there’s a water source that runs through a drainage system,” Clifford said. “We have a bunch of different gardening flower beds, there’s seating in three locations, there’s seating by our water, under the woods and then we have picnic tables.”
Clifford said the outdoor classroom allows for a variety of activities including gardening, scavenger hunts and mud kitchens. The possibilities are endless, she said.
“Ultimately what you want is just for the teachers to come out and just take their class outside for learning,” Clifford added.
Clifford said the kids love the outdoor classroom.
“Kids were telling me yesterday this is their favorite place,” Clifford said. “It gives you a reset, it’s rejuvenating, and anything you can do in the classroom you can do out here and I think that they process it more, it’s more meaningful.”