A school relies on a huge variety of furniture to function properly. From desks for students and staff to cafeteria tables and countless chairs throughout the school, every piece of furniture is necessary to make it a functional learning environment for the students. But the furniture a school needs is not limited to what you’ll find inside the school itself. Here’s why outdoor school furniture can be just as important to a school as desks and chairs.
Take Learning Outdoors
Many teachers like to motivate their students by offering small rewards for good behavior. One reward used in many classrooms is the opportunity to have class outside for a certain amount of time. This is difficult to do if there are no seats or tables outside.
The outdoors can provide a relaxed and comfortable learning environment. In fact, many studies among adult office workers have found that working outdoors can actually improve productivity and focus, and it doesn’t seem to be too much of a stretch to assume that the same would be true for students learning outdoors. By having this outdoor furniture available, you make this a possibility for the teachers in your school who wish to use it as a classroom reward.
Offer Options for Students
While many children will choose to use their outdoor time for physical play, every child is different. Some prefer quieter activities. They may choose to read a book, work on homework, or simply sit quietly with another student and share ideas. These activities are just as valid as running, climbing, and engaging in physical play. If you’re providing equipment for the students who choose more active activities, you should also be providing the necessary equipment for those who choose to use their outdoor time in a different way.
It’s simply not fair to make the student who wishes to read a book sit on the ground while those who wish to play have ample equipment to choose from and use. Outdoor furniture like picnic tables and benches allow these students who choose not to engage in physical play to spend their outdoor time in whatever way they choose.
A Place to Relax
While it may seem obvious, outdoor furniture at your school provides a convenient place for students and teachers alike to relax when needed. If a child is playing and finds themselves out of breath, they can sit down to relax and recover. If a teacher on recess duty wants to rest their feet for a time, they can easily do so.
Buddy Benches
Finally, it’s important to consider how the furniture at your school can encourage the children to make new friends and even prevent bullying. Buddy benches are a relatively new idea in schools, but they’ve worked incredibly well. A student without someone to play with can sit on a buddy bench, signaling they would like to play. This allows other students the opportunity to invite the child on the bench to play and minimizes the odds of that child being singled out by bullies.
If you are considering adding a school bench or other kind of outdoor furniture to your school or playground, contact Outdoor School Furniture. We offer a variety of furniture styles from picnic tables to benches and more, and all of our furniture is incredibly durable. Contact us or check out our online catalog.
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