Green-blue schoolyards

Are you planning to replace your schoolyard pavement with nature? Or to green your school rooftop? A wonderful idea! Green schoolyards challenge children to engage in creative play and to make discoveries, much more so than in paved areas. For example, green schoolyards offer more opportunities for climbing, clambering, and playing hide-and-seek. In addition, they boost children’s exposure to nature and thus can be used for nature education. Furthermore, green schoolyards are conducive to biodiversity and help to protect the school against severe downpours, heat, and extreme drought. Here are some helpful tools to green your schoolyard:

1. The Springzaad website (in Dutch) contains an inspiration box and folder of ideas with photo collages of green schoolyards. In addition, it contains a step-by-step plan for realising your own green-blue schoolyard and a wealth of background information.
2. On the Green-blue Schoolyards website (in Dutch), primary schools can find tips and inspiration relating to green-blue schoolyards. In what ways can you increase children’s exposure to nature? And how can you combat waterlogging and heat? The website contains a step-by-step plan that helps you construct a green-blue schoolyard, as well as examples of potential measures. It also presents model projects of schools with green-blue schoolyards and free lesson kits for teachers interested in providing outdoor lessons.
3. The From grey to green workbook (in Dutch) of the Pieter Vermeulen Museum and the municipality of Velsen contains detailed step-by-step plans for constructing a green schoolyard and greening your school rooftop. In addition, it provides tips on how to fund your plans, a helpful list of inspirational websites, and an overview of businesses, designers, and experts to help you with the construction. The folder provides a summary of the information contained in the workbook and a clear overview of the 10-step plan to green your schoolyard.