May is Living Schoolyard Month! This annual celebration of school grounds was first established in 2014, as part of a California state resolution that encourages school districts to design and construct schoolyard green spaces and use them to teach standards-based curriculum. The annual celebration component of California’s Living Schoolyard Month is also intentionally aligned with ISGA’s annual May festival, International School Grounds Month, so students around the world will celebrate their school grounds simultaneously.

Living schoolyards are spaces designed to promote physical activity, connect children with nature, and foster a sense of community. Whether you’re a child, teacher, administrator, or parent, you can celebrate Living Schoolyard Month by getting outside and experiencing all the benefits they bring!

Every year during Living Schoolyard Month, we share activities and resources that encourage outdoor activity and play in a variety of outdoor spaces. Many of these come from our Schoolyard Activity Guides, a set of free digital resources designed to encourage schools across the United States, and around the world, to take their students outside during the month of May—and throughout the year— to celebrate their grounds and use them to their fullest. Others come from our new Schoolyard Forest System Resource library!

This year we will be putting a special focus on helping students and educators engage with trees, as part of our efforts to bring living schoolyards to more children across the country through the Schoolyard Forest System℠. This initiative aims to increase tree canopy on public school grounds to shade and protect PK-12 students from extreme heat and rising temperatures due to climate change.

Keep your eyes out for activities and other ways to celebrate later this month. We can’t wait to hear about how you celebrate!

Learn more about the Living Schoolyard Month Resolution