At Wildwood, our entire school day revolves around helping our neurodiverse student population enjoy their time, and get the most from their days at school. Wildwood offers planned, outdoor activities throughout the school year during our 3 recesses per day. In the winter, one of our favourite activities is sledding!
Winter activities during the school day offer numerous benefits for elementary school students, especially when it comes to physical and mental health. Engaging in outdoor activities like sledding helps improve cardiovascular health, coordination, and strength while allowing students to enjoy the fresh air and natural light. These activities provide an excellent opportunity to release energy and boost mood, preparing them to learn and focus for the rest of their day.
Research shows that physical activity in natural environments can enhance concentration and reduce stress for students, especially those with ADHD or executive functioning challenges. For neurodivergent students, winter activities like sledding can help improve focus and reduce anxiety by offering a fun, sensory-friendly break. Studies have shown that outdoor physical activities significantly support emotional regulation in children with Autism. At Wildwood, we take this research seriously, and we see the results first hand! We see these activities during recess and breaks improve the focus, physical, and mental well-being of all of our students.
We look forward to more snow this winter!
