For ten years, the municipality of Tilburg and the education sector have been working together to make school environments greener and use them as play and learning environments for children. This benefits children's health and nature.
Agreements have been made about the management and maintenance of the schoolyards. In most cases, the schools themselves are responsible for this.
Benefits for pupils
A green environment has a positive influence on children's play and learning behaviour. Pupils perform better at school with more sports and games, physical activity and more free playtime. Primary school pupils who have played outside behave better in class; they are more task-oriented. A green environment also contributes to better mental health and reduced stress.
Benefits for nature
A green environment is essential not only for mental and physical health. It also makes the area more climate-resilient. Green school environments are cooler in summer and water can soak into the ground. This helps reduce heat stress and flooding in the city.
By now, more than 50 schoolyards in Tilburg have been made greener. An overview of the schools involved can be found here.
For each location, there is not only a photo but also a brief description of what was done in the schoolyard.