Why Camp Mákemáke Agrees with Peter Higgins: Children Need More Time Outdoors

Something exciting happened in Chile this week.Peter Higgins, one of the world's leading experts in outdoor education, came to Chile to talk about something we at Camp Mákemáke have believed in for years: children need opportunities to learn, play and grow outdoors.

Higgins is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Edinburgh and has spent more than 25 years researching outdoor education and sustainability. During his recent visit to Chile, he met with educators, school leaders and the Minister of Education, and visited Parque Tricao to see outdoor education happening here in Chile. What he had to say really resonated with us. “Children learn better outdoors”

One of Higgins' main messages during his visit was simple:

“We believe that children learn better outdoors, and the evidence demonstrates this clearly.”

He also explained that learning outdoors can help children participate more, learn more effectively, be physically active and develop their own ways of learning.

At Camp Mákemáke, we see this every summer. Children are naturally curious. Give them a new place to explore, something to try, and the freedom to discover—and they start learning without even realizing it. They learn by doing. They learn by asking questions. They learn by trying, failing and trying again. And they learn from each other. What made Higgins' visit especially interesting for us was seeing how this conversation is also growing here in Chile.

During her meeting with Higgins, Chile's Minister of Education, María Paz Arzola, spoke about the importance of thinking differently about where learning happens.

As she put it:

“The place of teaching does not have to be taken for granted.”

We couldn't agree more. Why should learning always happen inside four walls?

A forest can be a classroom. A team challenge can teach cooperation. A new activity can build confidence. And simply spending time outdoors can help children become more curious about the world around them.

Outdoor education is about more than nature

For us, outdoor education isn't just about getting children outside.

It's about what happens when they are outside. At Camp Mákemáke, children have opportunities to make new friends, work as a team, try activities they have never done before and become a little more independent. Sometimes that means getting outside their comfort zone.Sometimes it means helping a friend.

Sometimes it means discovering that something they thought was difficult is actually possible. These are important experiences.And they are experiences that stay with children long after summer is over.

“A methodology that helps us rethink education”

María Luisa Orellana, director of Chile's CPEIP, also spoke about Higgins' visit and the growing interest in outdoor learning in Chile.

She described it as an opportunity to put outdoor learning at the centre of education and to “rethink education from this approach.” That is exactly what we love about camp. We aren't trying to recreate school outdoors. We are creating something different: a place where children can learn through experience, movement, adventure, friendship and nature.

Why this matters now

Children today have so many opportunities to be entertained indoors.

They have screens, games, videos and endless digital content.

But there are some things technology can't replace:

The feeling of completing a challenge with your friends.

The excitement of trying something for the first time.

The confidence that comes from doing something you didn't think you could do.

The sound of children laughing outside.

The feeling of being tired after a day of playing.

The memories made together.

These are the experiences we want children to have at Camp Mákemáke.

We already know what Peter Higgins is talking about.

Hearing Peter Higgins speak in Chile was exciting because so much of what he said sounded familiar. We've watched children arrive at camp a little nervous and leave feeling more confident. We've seen friendships form between children who didn't know each other a few days earlier. We've watched kids encourage one another, take on challenges and discover new interests. And we've seen how quickly children become engaged when they're given the opportunity to explore and experience the world around them. That's why we agree with Peter Higgins.

Children don't just need more time to learn. They need more opportunities to experience, explore, move, connect and discover. And sometimes, the best place for that to happen is outside. This is what Camp Mákemáke is all about.