A growing body of evidence supports the claim that green schoolyards, or access to safe, natural areas, improve health across a wide variety of areas, including heart health, mental health, weight management, ADHD, and stress among children. But what is a green schoolyard?

"Green schoolyards can include outdoor classrooms, native gardens, storm water capture, traditional play equipment, vegetable gardens, trails, trees and more," says Stephen Pont, MD, MPH, FAAP, medical director, Dell Children's Texas Center for the Prevention & Treatment of Childhood Obesity and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, UT-Austin Dell Medical School. "And outside of school time, these schoolyards can be open for the surrounding community to use, benefiting everyone."

Read the source article at Children & Nature Network