Use of natural and outdoor learning environments to enhance sensory and social-emotional development
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Educational contact with nature has gained renewed importance due to its potential to foster holistic learning. This article presents a narrative systematic review on the use of natural and outdoor learning environments and their impact on sensory and socio-emotional development from early childhood to secondary education. PRISMA and JBI guidelines were followed for the search and synthesis of empirical studies and reviews published between 2000 and 2025 in Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and Dialnet. Convergent evidence indicates that outdoor interventions are associated with improvements in attention, self-regulation, executive functions, and social bonds, as well as with stress reduction and increased well-being. On the sensory-motor level, play in natural settings enhances proprioception, balance, and coordination. At the socio-emotional level, progress is observed in cooperation, empathy, classroom climate, and coexistence. Explanatory mechanisms (Attention Restoration and Stress Reduction), implementation conditions (safety, inclusion, curriculum), and educational policy recommendations for Latin America are discussed. The conclusion is that re-naturalizing schools and planning regular nature-based learning experiences constitutes a cost-effective and equitable pedagogical strategy.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Usted es libre de:
- Compartir — copiar y redistribuir el material en cualquier medio o formato para cualquier propósito, incluso comercialmente.
- Adaptar — remezclar, transformar y construir a partir del material para cualquier propósito, incluso comercialmente.
- La licenciante no puede revocar estas libertades en tanto usted siga los términos de la licencia
Usted debe dar crédito de manera adecuada , brindar un enlace a la licencia, e indicar si se han realizado cambios . Puede hacerlo en cualquier forma razonable, pero no de forma tal que sugiera que usted o su uso tienen el apoyo de la licenciante.
How to Cite
References
Alvarsson, J. J., Wiens, S., & Nilsson, M. E. (2010). Stress recovery during exposure to nature sound and environmental noise. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(3), 1036–1046. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7031036
ANEP. (2024). Orientaciones: Habilidades socioemocionales. Administración Nacional de Educación Pública (Uruguay). https://www.anep.edu.uy/
Aromataris, E., & Munn, Z. (Eds.). (2024). JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. JBI. https://synthesismanual.jbi.global
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207–1212. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x
Bisbicus, M. N. (2024). Fortaleciendo el cuidado ambiental a través del huerto escolar. Revista Tecné Episteme y Didaxis, 55, 1–18. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/9935173.pdf
Bølling, M., Otte, C. R., Elsborg, P., Nielsen, G., Bentsen, P., & Mygind, E. (2019). The association between education outside the classroom and pupils’ social relations. International Journal of Educational Research, 94, 29–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.02.014
Brussoni, M., et al. (2015). What is the relationship between risky outdoor play and health? IJERPH, 12(6), 6423–6454. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120606423
Chawla, L. (2015). Benefits of nature contact for children. Journal of Planning Literature, 30(4), 433–452. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885412215595441
Cuenca Sánchez, C. (2022). Patios naturalizados: propuesta de innovación didáctica [TFM]. Universidad Católica de Murcia. https://repositorio.ucam.edu/
Dadvand, P., et al. (2015). Green spaces and cognitive development in primary schoolchildren. PNAS, 112(26), 7937–7942. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1503402112
Dankiw, K. A., et al. (2020). The impacts of unstructured nature play… PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0229006. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229006
Ellinger, J., et al. (2023). Nature-based education and social-emotional outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1031693. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1031693
Fjørtoft, I. (2001). The natural environment as a playground for children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29, 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012576913074
Fjørtoft, I., & Sageie, J. (2000). The natural environment as a playground… Landscape and Urban Planning, 48(1–2), 83–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00045-1
Freire, H. (2011). Educar en verde: Ideas para acercar a niños y niñas a la naturaleza. Graó.
García González, E., & Schenetti, M. (2019). Las escuelas al aire libre y la educación científica en el nivel inicial. Revista Eureka, 16(3), 3203. https://doi.org/10.25267/Rev_Eureka_ensen_divulg_cienc.2019.v16.i3.3203
Gutiérrez-Pérez, B. M., Ruedas-Caletrio, J., Caballero Franco, D., & Murciano-Hueso, A. (2024). La conexión con la naturaleza… Teoría de la Educación. Revista Interuniversitaria, 36(1), 31–52. https://doi.org/10.14201/teri.31397
Herranz, I. M. (2021). Los huertos escolares en los centros de España: educando para el cambio. Didácticas Específicas, 24, 95–114. https://revistas.uam.es/didacticasespecificas/article/
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2
Kuo, M., Barnes, M., & Jordan, C. (2019). Do experiences with nature promote learning? Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 305. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00305
Lama, L. F. (2025). Huerto escolar: aprendizaje y convivencia. REICOMUNICAR, 9(1), 45–58.
Lanza, J., et al. (2023). Connection to nature is associated with social-emotional learning of children. npj Science of Learning.
Mann, J., Gray, T., Truong, S., et al. (2022). A systematic review of nature-based outdoor learning and mental health. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 877058. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.877058
Martínez, J. A. V. (2024). Huerto escolar orgánico: innovación educativa... Revista de Educación Ambiental y Sostenibilidad, 6(1), e10564. https://revistas.uca.es/index.php/REAyS/article/view/10564
Ministerio de Educación del Ecuador. (2024). Inserción Curricular: Educación socioemocional. https://educacion.gob.ec/
MITECO – CENEAM. (2024). Transversalización de la educación ambiental para la sostenibilidad (PAEAS). https://www.miteco.gob.es/
Mygind, L., et al. (2019). Clases al aire libre y salud mental: revisión sistemática. Health & Place, 58, 102118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.05.014
Otte, C. R., Bølling, M., Mygind, E., & Elsborg, P. (2019). Education outside the classroom and reading performance. International Journal of Educational Research, 97, 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.06.009
Page, M. J., et al. (2021). PRISMA 2020 statement. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Prins, J. T., et al. (2022). Nature play in early childhood education: Systematic review. IJERPH, 19, 14804. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214804
Rodríguez-Marín, F. (2021). El huerto educativo: recurso didáctico para los ODS. Revista Estudios (monografía). https://www.redalyc.org/journal/920/
Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., et al. (1991). Stress recovery… Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80184-7
UNESCO/OREALC. (2021). Aportes para la enseñanza de habilidades socioemocionales. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000388352
UNESCO/OREALC. (2022). Transformar-nos: Marco para la transformación educativa basada en ASE. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383816
UNICEF Chile. (2021). Lineamientos para el apoyo socioemocional en las comunidades educativas. https://www.unicef.org/chile/
Wells, N. M. (2000). At home with nature: Effects on children’s cognitive functioning. Environment and Behavior, 32(6), 775–795. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139160021972793