Mega Adventure Aerial Park in South Australia has launched an outdoor educational program that aims to highlight the mental and physical benefits of being outside to students.
The curriculum-based outdoor program helps to get students active and encourages them to conquer their fears in a safe but challenging environment.
“Students learn transferable life skills through team building games, exercise, physical activity and exposure to unique emotional and social scenarios. Teachers should consider less homework time and more active time to enhance a child’s development,” said Stephen Grundy, General Manager of Mega Adventure Aerial Park.
He added that active learning is also a great way to get students away from devices. He highlighted a poll conducted by The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, in June 2017, which found Australian children aged 13 to 18 are spending an average of 43.6 hours a week behind screen devices.
“This is unacceptable,” Mr Grundy said. “It’s more than full time working hours for an adult. Over a third of children are spending excessive periods of time on social media, watching TV and playing video games and parents are concerned about the impact that will have.”
Mega Adventure has incorporated a range of activities that aim to provide tangible learning outcomes that encourage kids to take a break from screens.
The educational programs are in conjunction with the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) learning outcomes for students from Year 6 through to Year 12.
Operations Manager, Rebecca Jarvis works closely with Adelaide schools to tailor the programs accordingly to maximise student’s learning and development on the day.
“It’s a great feeling seeing students coming to our park and working with their classmates as well as learning to take risks in a safe environment. Our programs are teaching kids valuable life skills and we get the gratification of seeing them leave Mega Adventure with a new found confidence to step out of their comfort zones,” Ms Jarvis said.