The Covid-19 pandemic and the national lockdown which has accompanied it have brought various fundamental changes to our daily lives. Whether this may be limited contact with close family and friends, working from home or even being confined to the boundaries of our house and garden.

These changes have unfortunately had detrimental effects on the UK population and as we finally look to return to normality, there will be some significant changes to our lifestyles which we can expect.

There is no question that one of the biggest impacts which the national lockdown has highlighted is the effect on our mental health. In February 2021, 42% of the UK population felt anxious and stressed due to the pandemic. What is the reasoning for this? Humans are social beings who naturally like to be in the open, so once this social contact is stripped away from us and isolation comes into force, it is therefore with no surprise that these feelings of loneliness and anxiety come into play.

It does not have to be all doom and gloom though. There is one simple thing which can help us all in these hard and turbulent times. Nature. Nature is the theme this year for the mental health awareness week and how connecting with nature can help improve and bolster our mental well-being.

Studies conducted by the mental health foundation showed that 70% of adults in the UK said that being close to nature improved their mental health where going for walks outside was our top coping strategy in the national lockdown.

The mental struggles from the pandemic have affected the younger age group particularly hard where young people have reported consistently lower levels of coping mechanisms compared to those of the general population. In April 2020, figures reached as high as 64% of younger people struggling to cope mentally as a result of the pandemic and the restrictions which it bought with it.

The covid-19 pandemic has highlighted this importance of nature and the positive implications which it can have for all age groups but especially for those younger generations. Nature should not have to be a luxury but rather it should be a resource which is readily available to be enjoyed on a daily basis. In particular teenagers are failing to connect with nature where around 13% of UK households have no access to a garden.

That is exactly why having access to nature through education is, and will be continue to be, pivotal to the mental well-being of children and younger age groups by reducing stress and giving a new perspective to their lives.

Schools are already seeing the mental health benefits which nature can have with education and learning in outdoor spaces. St Mary’s school in Cambridge is leading the way with this movement where their Junior school students will have more lessons outdoors to be able to appreciate their natural surroundings during Mental Health Awareness Week.

At the Hideout House Company, we pride ourselves on sustainability and offering products to schools who are giving children access to an outdoor education from a variety of products which we are able to offer. These products typically involve forest school equipment and shelters, outdoor classrooms, nature exploration kits, fire pit shelters, den making kits etc

Nature is available all around us. So why not use such a powerful resource in your school which not only teaches about sustainability and gives a new perspective for children but also provides a platform to ensure good mental well-being and thereby reduce stress and anxiety in the young.

For further information on the Hideout House Company, please visit www.hideouthouse.com or email info@hideouthouse.com

For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week please visit Mental Health Awareness Week

During the pandemic, the concept of outdoor learning – or simply being outside – has certainly come to the fore as it promotes both mental and physical benefits to children. Plus, of course, the virus is less likely to spread outside than it is inside.

Outdoor learning however is not just a mirror replication of what happens inside the classroom, it is also about recognising and profiting from the multiple benefits of what being outside can offer. Now is the time to explore those areas of the school grounds which have previously not been used perhaps and don’t let the good old British weather put you off!

Every school will have a unique outdoor learning area or environment and sometimes it can be quite difficult to imagine what can be done with it in order to make it more challenging and exciting for the children to use and be engaged in. Teachers now need to think how they can incorporate nature-based learning into the curriculum.

And if funding is tight, you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money. For example, we sold a lot of our outdoor cushions and free-standing woodland benches last year – just somewhere for children and teachers to sit and hold lessons or sessions outside. Or you could easily add a fire pit in the middle of this to add another dimension which could be all part of your forest school initiative.

But on a grander scale, we at the Hideout House Company offer perhaps the most comprehensive range of outdoor classrooms and shelters. Our product range takes in canopies, shelters, nature huts, outdoor classrooms in a open-sided gazebo style, fully enclosed outdoor classrooms which can be used all year round (and can be insulated if so required), unique “pods” in various sizes, outdoor rustic style cabins and special fire pit gazebos and shelters.

There are many options to choose from as well so no one outdoor classroom is really ever the same. We also offer a unique educational renewable energy system which both teaches children how green energy is created from the sun and wind but also allows them to use this energy to power up laptops, tablets, lights etc

And if money or budgets are tight, we are able to help out on funding options and advise of funding opportunities as well.

We can certainly help your school implement a very successful outdoor learning programme as we feel that although the pandemic will one day no longer be here, outdoor learning is here to stay!

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

We introduced a couple of years ago a new range of play equipment made exclusively out of recycled plastic – this mainly involved trim trail and fitness trail items such as stepping stones, traverse panels, log bridges, balance beams, traverse walls etc. This year, we have extended out the range to include mud kitchens, sandboxes, picnic tables and water chutes as recycled plastic is the ideal material to use for these applications where there is a high degree of wear and tear. Recycled plastic lasts so much longer than the more traditionally used timber as it does not rot or decay.

Such has been the success of this range that at the Hideout House Company, we have now introduced our new exclusive maxi play tower system made out of the same materials. This is comprised of three towers (set at different heights) connected with bridges and featuring various ways up and down – such as a slide, rockwall, steps andcargo net. You can even add optional play panels for that extra bit of play value.

Our first installation has been at a school in Buckinghamshire who wanted a new playground equipment system because their old one – made out of rounded post timbers – have deteriorated so badly as a result of rot that it needed badly replacing. The school were quickly sold on the benefits of using recycled plastic as it lasts longer and is very low on on-going maintenance requirements. Of course, it is also very eco-friendly as it is made entirely out of plastic milk cartons which have been through a whole recycling process.

The Hideout House Company will be looking to roll the range out even further next year.

For more information the range, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

Up to 1.5 billion school students worldwide have experienced disruptions in their education as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now more than ever schools must change their teaching procedures to ensure students can safely return to their education as soon as possible.

Since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic, we all have been forced to make changes to our daily lives. Whether this may be using elbow touches for greetings, learning how to operate zoom calls for meetings or singing happy birthday as we wash our hands, covid-19 has forced us to adapt our daily lifestyle.

As soon as pupils return back to school in September, appropriate adaptations will have to occur too. Procedures involving split classes, hand sanitising stations and most importantly outdoor learning will take place.

Outdoor learning will play such an important role in this transition of school procedures. We have already seen its role in countries like Denmark where, since the reopening of schools, there has been minimal negative impact along with Scotland advocating this teaching method to be implemented on the reopening of schools in August.

But why exactly is it that this outdoor learning method is being advocated so heavily you may be asking?

The Hideout House Company suggests that there are five reasons for why schools should implement outdoor learning:

 

1. Enables teaching with social distancing

Without being confined to the limited spaces of a classroom, teaching outdoors will enable social distancing procedures to be put in place.

Social distancing and being outdoors will also reduce the likelihood of infection spreading amongst teachers and students enabling schools to reopen safely.

 

2. Student Mental Health and Well-being

In such unprecedented and uncertain times, many young adults and children will have feelings of anxiety and have concern about their futures after the devastation of the covid-19 outbreak.

With no routine for children and with minimal human contact from lock-down, this will open up the opportunity for mental health issues to occur.

This is where outdoor learning comes into its’ own. Learning outdoors has been proven to reduce stress and improve the mental well-being of pupils by keeping them actively engaged with innovative learning activities.

 

3. Reduce pressure on staff

Outdoor teaching is not only effective in promoting a healthy mind-set amongst the students but also the teachers.

Since the development of the covid-19 outbreak, schools will experience merging of classes and a reduction in the size of their workforce.

Outdoor teaching during one of the best British summers we have experienced will significantly reduce the stress and pressure put on teachers from their work overload.

 

4. Development of risk assessment and resilience

 By providing this new and unique learning environment, students will be able to have an understanding of how to assess risks outside the confines of a classroom and develop resilience.

 

5. The Natural World

Before and during the development of the corona virus pandemic there has been wide speculation about the global environment. With reduced transport and energy usage, there have been noticeable improvements in the natural environment whether this may be the blue skies in Beijing or the clear water canals in Venice, the Earth’s natural beauty is more appreciated.

Outdoor learning can provide such an appreciation of the natural world for children and a first-hand learning of why sustainability will play such an important role in their own lifetime.

 

What the Hideout House for schools after the Covid-19 pandemic?

In these unprecedented times, the Hideout House Company is here to help in this transition period which schools will have to go through in order to reopen their doors safely for students. Our comprehensive range of outdoor classrooms and shelters will enable children to adapt to these changes and to learn outdoors whilst also offering protection from the elements. We can supply something as simple as logs for children to sit on right up to a fully enclosed, insulated outdoor eco classroom.

We feel that these current times will be the new “normal” for quite some time to come yet and schools would therefore be well advised to adapt these procedures early on to allow for a smoother transition to learning outside of the classroom.

For further details, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hidehouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com