At Park, outdoor experiences are not viewed as separate from learning — they are an essential part of it.
Across all grade levels, students engage with the outdoors in ways that support physical development, social-emotional growth, curiosity, confidence, and community-building. Whether climbing and imagining in PreK, exploring ecosystems in Grade 5 science, or participating in leadership and challenge experiences in Upper Division, students experience the outdoors as a place for discovery, connection, and joy.
For Park’s youngest students, outdoor play is a vital extension of the classroom. PreK teacher Yuka Terada explains that through activities like climbing, running, building, and imaginative play, children develop gross motor skills, social-emotional awareness, and problem-solving abilities. Time outside “encourages curiosity and connection to nature, supporting children’s overall well-being while fostering a lifelong love of learning.”
In Kindergarten, outdoor time continues to serve as an important space for growth and relationship-building. Kindergarten teacher Keisha Jones Riley describes outdoor play as “so much more than just recess,” noting that some of the richest learning of the day happens outside. Outdoor experiences help children build community, strengthen cognitive and social-emotional skills, develop friendships, and experience moments of “pure joy.”
As students grow older, outdoor learning opportunities expand alongside them at Park. In Grade 5, science comes alive through ecosystem scavenger hunts, pond investigations connected to the Charles River, and trips to Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge where students meet Blanding’s turtles firsthand. Upper Division Science teacher Megan Armour also highlights the importance of the Grade 5 trips to Hale Reservation, where students participate in team-building activities and experience their first overnight trip together in yurts. These experiences foster wonder, friendship, confidence, and a sense of adventure, while strengthening the connection between curriculum and the world around them.
Across divisions and disciplines, outdoor experiences at Park help students connect more deeply with themselves, one another, and the world around them.
Outdoor play and movement are also deeply embedded into Park’s Physical Education program. P.E. teacher Kara Fonseca describes the turf field as a “game changer,” allowing students to spend more time outside throughout the year while creating opportunities for multiple age groups to learn and play alongside one another. Additions such as the high ropes course and opportunities to explore beyond the field encourage students to see outdoor play as both joyful and challenging, helping them develop a lasting love of being active outdoors.
According to Lower Division Head Tina Fox, outdoor experiences at Park are “intentionally designed to support students’ development and sense of belonging. Time outside provides opportunities for movement, exploration, collaboration, creativity, and healthy risk-taking, all while strengthening social-emotional growth and academic curiosity.” What makes these experiences especially meaningful, she notes, is the continuity across grade levels — from relationship-building and imaginative play in the early years to leadership, challenge, and adventure as students grow older.
That progression continues throughout the Upper Division. UD Head Jimmy Manyuru explains that Grades 5–8 are years of significant personal growth, when students are discovering “who they are, who they want to be around, and what they are capable of.” Outdoor experiences meet students in that developmental moment through team-building, hiking, and civic engagement opportunities like beach cleanups. Rather than existing apart from the classroom, these experiences are woven into Park’s broader educational approach, helping students learn how to think, lead, contribute, and belong.
Across divisions and disciplines, outdoor experiences at Park help students connect more deeply with themselves, one another, and the world around them. Whether students are exploring the pond, collaborating on the field, creating in the woods, or challenging themselves through new adventures, these moments foster resilience, curiosity, confidence, and community — skills and experiences that stay with them long after they leave Park.