Parents, lawmakers and county leaders across Hawaiʻi have made a recurring request to the education department in recent years: open up school playgrounds and fields for the public when classes aren’t in session.

The ask seemed to be gaining traction at the start of this year, with lawmakers introducing multiple proposals to require the Department of Education to make recreational facilities available to communities. Halfway through the session, however, the Legislature is moving in the opposite direction with a bill to crack down on school trespassing that may also criminalize parents.

Under Senate Bill 2611, families who set foot on school grounds on weekends or holidays could face  without even receiving a warning from police or school administrators. Consequences could include up to a year in jail and $2,000 in fines. The bill passed through the Senate and is now awaiting a hearing in the House. 

Not all after-hours visitors intend to vandalize school campuses, said parent Maya Childress. School playgrounds can be a weekend gathering place for families, especially in communities without city parks in walking distance.

“People are just trying to get their kids out of the house and into a safe and controlled environment,” Childress said. “It’s just making it more difficult.” 

Some school districts on the mainland have gone the other way, opening up their campuses for more public use. For example, in the San Diego Unified School District, people can use many school fields and playgrounds on the weekends as well as in the afternoons. In exchange, the city helps upkeep the campuses.

But two bills to expand the public’s weekend access to Hawaiʻi schools died in the House and Senate Education Committees last month. Rep. Trish La Chica, who authored one of them, said she’s determined to find a compromise that allows families to use campus facilities for recreation, while still addressing schools’ concerns about liability and safety. 

“The perception is that there’s nothing we can do to promote recreation and physical activity,” La Chica said. “I feel like we should be willing to work through the logistics of that to grant more access to our community.” 

Changing Families’ Behavior? 

In recent legislative hearings, principals have raised concerns about worsening vandalism, homelessness and unsanitary conditions on their campuses. Property damage and trash left on campuses put an additional burden on teachers and custodians, and principals say schools need to hold trespassers accountable for damaging school spaces on the weekends.  

“Every Monday morning, my staff is forced to deal with a staggering array of vandalism and biohazards before students can safely step onto campus,” Kaimukī High School Principal Lorelei Aiwohi said in written testimony to the Legislature.

Under the current law, individuals can be charged for trespassing on campuses on the weekends or holidays, but they need to have first received a warning from administrators or law enforcement. No warning is required to charge people trespassing on school campuses at night, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

DOE doesn’t track the number of calls to the police regarding trespassing after school hours, Communications Director Nanea Ching said.  

If passed, Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in his written testimony, Senate Bill 2611 could protect against harassment and violence against school employees — a growing problem that gained  after a parent assaulted a high school athletic director last year.

Eliminating the warning requirement for trespassers could help schools more effectively address aggressive or unsafe behavior on campus, said Kāneʻohe Elementary Principal Derek Minakami. 

While schools may have cameras and alarm systems installed on campus, Minakami said they don’t always have the 24/7 security needed to catch intruders and call the police. In some cases, he noted, things don’t have to go that far because written warnings to families and community members about trespassing on campus have been enough to deter unwanted behavior. 

At Holomua Elementary in ʻEwa Beach, Principal Christopher Bonilla said he’s hopeful that changing the state trespassing law will discourage the public from entering school campuses on the weekends. If the bill passes, he said, schools and lawmakers would need to clearly communicate the change to their communities to impact people’s behavior.  

“If the public is more aware of this, they’ll think twice,” he said.

But Childress said she’s skeptical that changing the trespassing law will deter families from visiting school playgrounds on the weekends, especially in communities with limited alternatives. Families are drawn to local elementary schools that can offer safe spaces for their kids to play and socialize, she said, and are willing to chance a rare encounter with the police. 

“People are going to still go. They’re going to chance it,” Childress said, adding that she has actually never been approached by police or school administrators when taking her three children to play at ʻAikahi Elementary’s playground on the weekends.

Limited Outdoor Options

Some lawmakers and county leaders have argued that the solution to improving campus safety and community well-being is more public access to schools, not less.

 proposed a four-year pilot program that would have required schools to make their outdoor facilities available for public use on the weekends without fees or permitting applications. It required schools to post signs notifying visitors that the DOE is not responsible for injuries that occur on the weekends.

While DOE already  for vetting public requests to use their campuses, the approval process can be inconsistent across schools, the bill said,  on the issue. Community members also need to have insurance and pay hourly fees covering the costs of utilities, custodial staff and facility rentals.

“The current system for granting access is highly principal-driven, discretionary, and inconsistent across campuses,” the bill said. The measure died in the House Education Committee. 

 can range from $2 for an unlit parking lot to more than $230 for a large, air-conditioned auditorium. Renting a school playfield costs $5 an hour, according to the DOE. 

Opening up campuses to the public for free would remove the bureaucracy communities currently face when trying to access schools, La Chica said, adding that city parks are often overcrowded with sports leagues’ practices and games. 

But Minakami said the application process for facilities ensures that outside activities aren’t overlapping with school events while helping schools hold people accountable if they damage facilities or bring tobacco or alcohol on campus. 

DOE leaders raised similar concerns in their testimony against that bill, arguing that allowing public use of playgrounds and fields could lead to costly repairs. Schools have faced significant damage to their campuses, including vandalism at ʻAikahi Elementary’s playground in 2021 and a fire intentionally set at  in 2023. 

“That’s like managing a park,” said Deputy Superintendent Jesse Souki in a recent legislative hearing about the bill. “That’s a huge amount of energy and resources.” 

La Chica said opening campuses to the public could in fact encourage community members to take better care of campuses. 

“There’s always going to be risk attached to it, but if we open spaces for families, for youth, for neighbors to use responsibly, I feel like we see the opposite of vandalism,” she said. “When the community feels that a space belongs to them, they take care of it.”

More than 20 years ago, state leaders advocated for a similar change — and found a solution at Farrington High School. 

A pilot program in 2005 allowed the City and County of Honolulu to run free exercise programs on Farrington High School’s campus several times a week, inviting students and community members to take free classes such as volleyball, hula and aerobics. 

Under the agreement between the city and DOE, the Kalihi campus was open for community activities after school as well as Saturday mornings. The city provided staff to run the classes, while the school offered the recreational space at no charge. During the pilot, the school did not report any cases of vandalism, Department of Health Administrator Lola Irvin said in a recent legislative hearing. 

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi labeled the , with more than 80% of participants reporting they found a safe space to exercise during the pilot and increased their physical activity. But the initiative was short-lived after funding for the city’s exercise classes ran out. 

The Honolulu parks department and DOE have not entered any similar partnerships since the Farrington pilot, although city leaders have pushed for more cooperation between the agencies in recent years. Earlier this year, lawmakers  on behalf of the Hawaiʻi State Association of Counties asking DOE to open its outdoor campus facilities to the public when classes aren’t in session.

Those resolutions have not yet been scheduled for hearings in the House or Senate.

Childress, a mom of three, remains skeptical that state and county agencies will be able to come to an agreement in the near future.  

“If they could get some kind of agreement on paper and expand access to playgrounds on weekends or off school hours, that would be amazing,” she said. “Then we wouldn’t have to jump a fence.” 

In the winter, students can snowshoe, icefish or bust out new snowtubes at a nearby hill as their classmates calculate speed and acceleration. 

Pandemic era funding allowed schools to get creative with bringing students back to the classroom. At Limestone, led to the formation of an outdoor science program, principal Ben Lothrop said.

“Everything is connected to the curriculum,” Lothrop said. “They’re certainly having fun and they’re learning lifelong skills, but they’re actually learning about math and science too.”

About four hours away, Maine Academy of Natural Sciences’ outdoor programming is the school’s “bread and butter,” said Evan Coleman, the school’s director of curriculum and instruction. The high school campus in central Maine is host to several greenhouses, a collection of beehives and a sugar shack, outdoor programs that have been expanded through COVID funding.

In the years since the pandemic, however, the purpose of spending time outdoors — or “green time” — has become a possible next step toward reengaging students and boosting mental health and academics — the same goal behind a growing movement of cell phone bans and restrictions. Schools are also being seen as key in closing the “nature gap,” where low-income communities have less access to green space than wealthier families.

“You don’t need a giant swath of green space or forest to get a lot of these mental and physical health benefits,” said Lincoln Larson, an associate professor at North Carolina State University’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. “Sometimes just a tree on the sidewalk can yield a lot of the same benefits, or a little pocket park. It doesn’t have to be this giant well-planned thing.”

Some barriers exist, including in the most extreme cases where urban schools are located on – areas that lack green space and absorb heat. For other schools that may not be as limited by environmental factors, large outdoor programming has slowed down because of the expiration of school COVID relief money in Sept. 2024. Holding classes outside can even be challenging sometimes as schools navigate teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and limited flexibility with curriculum. 

Research shows a correlation between time spent outside and students’ , skills and academic and , so although “technology isn’t going away” and “much of it is really important for learning,” said Page Nichols, the chief innovation officer at the Maine Department of Education, time outdoors “really speaks for itself and how it’s supporting a student holistically.”

Local have pushed for the importance of incorporating green space on school campuses. Earlier this year, and joined state and in signing laws aimed at establishing more outdoor programs for students. 

By early 2026, Maine’s education department plans to issue outside learning recommendations to schools to help them expand programs that may boost student well-being with little to no cost and where they may have limited outdoor space.

The hope is that the work means outdoor time won’t have to become “this big extra lift because it’s really a part of the [school] day,” Nichols said. It may be a model for other states to follow, “but, it takes a while to get there.”

Schools as an equity bridge for the ‘nature gap’ 

Getting a child outside isn’t always as easy as it sounds as dedicated outdoor space is changing quickly. 

Jenny Rowland-Shea, the director for public lands at the , said the United States is losing natural land at a rate of a football field every 30 seconds and “it is disproportionately affecting communities of color and low-income communities.”

Communities of color are three times more likely, at 74%, than white communities (23%) to live in nature deprived areas, defined as places with less nature than the state average. About 70% of low-income communities live in nature-deprived areas, which is 20% higher than those with higher economic stability, according to a Rowland-Shea conducted. 

“We’re also finding that families with children are more likely to live in these areas that are nature deprived,” Rowland-Shea said. “That’s only compounded when we look at families with children who are people of color and that are low income.” 

There’s a hope that schools may be able to bridge the “nature gap.”

“Kids may not have a park in their backyard or that’s walkable in their neighborhood, but pretty much all kids go to schools and they spend a lot of time there, so the idea is that if you can have green school yards, then that’s a way to provide equitable access to nature for all,” said Kathryn Stevenson, an associate professor at the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University. 

Just 10, 15 minutes helps

While children are spending less time outdoors, they’re also spending over seven hours in front of cellphones and computers, to the National Recreation and Park Association.

It’s a mental health double-whammy as studies show that excessive screen time and heightens stress reactions while time outside has the on the brain.

The and theories are “two prevailing” proposals that explain the benefits of outdoor time on the human body, Larson said.

The theories suggest “that when we’re constantly bombarded by electronic stimuli … our minds are just frantic,” Larson said. But, time outdoors has a natural effect on the brains that lowers stress levels. For students specifically, this means better memory, concentration, mood and overall well-being.

“Nature gives us space, gives us time and gives our brains just an opportunity to reset – to restore our attention – so that we can deeply engage with things,” Larson said. “You could stare at a tree and your mind slowly calms down.” 

An appetite for the outdoors from students and educators

Like many other states, Maine signed that requires schools to have policies around cell phone use by 2026. 

Administrators at both Limestone Community School and Maine Academy of Natural Sciences have not implemented full bell-to-bell bans, but allow students to have access to their phones during lunch. They say their programming has helped keep students off their phones naturally.

 “I won’t say the problem is gone across the board, but kids got on board really quickly, especially when they’re doing things that they’re engaged in,” said Coleman of the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences. “Bringing back the joy of that type of learning in the physical world is something … that keeps students interested in what we do as a school.”

Since establishing their outdoor science program , Limestone principal Lothrop, said he’s seen an increase in attendance and improvement in classroom behavior.

“The kids want to be here,” Lothrop said. “They don’t want to miss anything. They know today we might be making syrup, or they know in English class they might be reading this book that they’ve gotten into.”

Tracy Larson, a former teacher who now works at , a Minnesota based nonprofit that provides outdoor programming to schools, said from her experience, outdoor education has also become a way to fill the opportunity gap affecting low income students. 

“For students who are not intrinsically motivated to learn in the classroom when they go outside …,” Larson said, “you start to see them tapping into their curiosity, wanting to connect with others and maybe finding that this is really where they thrive.”

The appetite for outdoor learning extends across the country and is something students have expressed interest in for years.

In September 2020, researchers at the University of Michigan to 14-24 year olds that asked the youth to respond with their thoughts on time spent in nature and well-being. 

With over 1,000 respondents, the study found nearly 90% wanted to spend more time in nature, over 50% said nature made them feel calm and 22% said it reduced stress and anxiety. About 22% of responses also said there were barriers toward spending more time outside, including busy schedules, the pandemic and their environment. 

“A big takeaway was that the youth did see nature as like a real resource that could support mental and physical health,” said Astrid Zamora, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine and a coauthor of the report, “but accessing it wasn’t always an option.”

How do we get today’s kids active and in tune with nature? And if the current generation of young parents missed out on personal experiences with nature, who will teach their children?

To find out, Early Learning Nation caught up with , co-founder and chairman emeritus of the , recipient of the Audubon Medal and author of 10 books, including The Nature Principle: Reconnecting With Life in a Virtual Age and Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life. Louv’s National Bestseller, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, sparked a national debate and an international movement to reconnect kids and nature. He coined the term nature-deficit disorder, influenced national policy and helped inspire campaigns in over 80 cities, states and provinces throughout North America. His tenth book, Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives—and Save Theirs, is due out in November 2019.

In this interview, Louv discusses cultural changes, the dangers of “risk-free environments and the far-reaching benefits of wet hands and muddy feet.

Have American children ever been as alienated from nature as they are now?

Human beings have been moving more of their activities indoors since the invention of agriculture and, later, the Industrial Revolution, and through a continuing increase in urbanization. Social and technological changes in the past three decades have accelerated that change, not only in cities but in rural areas as well.

What kind of changes?

Poor design in neighborhoods, homes, schools, workplaces; media-amplified fear of strangers, and real dangers in some neighborhoods, including traffic and toxins; and fear of lawyers—in a litigious society, families, schools, communities play it safe, creating “risk-free environments” that create greater risks later. Also, the “criminalization” of natural play through social attitudes, community covenants and regulations, and good intentions.

What are the underlying cultural assumptions at work here?

Much of society no longer sees time spent in the natural world and independent, imaginary play as “enrichment.” Perhaps the main trend is that technology now dominates almost every aspect of our lives. Technology is not, in itself, the enemy, but our lack of balance is lethal. However, I should add that our culture may be changing. We’re seeing new appreciation for these issues among parents, educators, pediatricians, mayors, and others.

So is there a sliver of hope for those of us who see our kids glued to their smartphones on a beautiful day?

If children are given the opportunity to experience nature, even in simple ways, interaction and engagement follow quite naturally. But parents can sometimes push too hard. Nature time should never be seen by kids as a punishment for, say, spending too much time in the electronic world.

What strategies would you recommend to parents and caregivers?

Perhaps the best way to do this is by example. When parents rediscover their sense of wonder, so do most kids. One thing I should add here is that many parents tell me that the same kids who complained on the way to the camping trip often, later when they’re young adults, recall that camping trip as one of their fondest memories–which, as you might guess, causes mixed emotions in the parents! One thing to keep in mind: people seldom look back on their childhoods and recall the best day they ever spent watching TV.

What are the opportunities when it comes to toddlers?

There are countless opportunities for toddlers to connect with nature, which can be little to no cost, such as playing with sticks, leaves, dirt; sleeping under the stars with the family. Outdoor play of any sort is good, but the quality of the nature experience depends on how direct the experience with nature is. Are kids getting their hands wet and their feet muddy? Are they experiencing nature directly? Some suggestions can be found in my book, .

How can we make sure that urban kids get exposed to nature and to animals? What are the best scalable solutions?

As of 2008, more people live in cities than in the countryside—in the whole world. This is a huge and largely unremarked moment in human history, and it means one of two things: either the human connection to nature will continue to disintegrate, or we’ll work to create a new kind of city, one with new kinds of workplaces and homes that actually connect people to nature, one in which cities become incubators of biodiversity.

Nearly are obese, and have been diagnosed with ADHD. How can we make sure that urban kids get exposed to nature and to animals? What are the best scalable solutions?

As of 2008, more people live in cities than in the countryside—in the whole world. This is a huge and largely unremarked moment in human history, and it means one of two things: either the human connection to nature will continue to disintegrate, or we’ll work to create a new kind of city, one with new kinds of workplaces and homes that actually connect people to nature, one in which cities become incubators of biodiversity.

How is that accomplished?

We all can create new natural habitats in and around our homes, schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, cities and suburbs, so that, even in inner cities, our children grow up in nature–not with it, but in it. We need to imagine a future in which our lives are as immersed in nature every day as much as they are in technology, and this includes a new kind of city that incorporates nature into every building and on every block–which serves to restore residents psychologically, physically, even spiritually. That vision requires advanced, even futuristic thinking.

Is there a connection between being in nature and academic performance? Is mental health the key?

Learning in nature has long been associated with better cognitive functioning. The reasons why are not entirely clear, but one correlation is that nature calms kids and helps them focus, increasing attention span. Also, without independent play, the critical cognitive skill called executive function is at risk. Executive function is a complex process, but at its core is the ability to exert self-control, to control and direct emotion and behavior.

More supportive research comes out almost weekly. has compiled a large body of studies, reports and publications that are available for viewing or downloading.

Your 10th book will be out in November, 2019. How does build upon your previous work?

We have an outdated view of our relationship with other animals. How can our species, and each of us, move beyond our current approach, which has reduced our understanding of animals to scientific details and facts; removed us to a habitat separate from other creatures; contributed to an increasingly impersonal and ineffectual environmentalism; threatened the replacement of animal life by technology and robotics; and aggravated a growing epidemic of human loneliness?

What do you hope to achieve with Our Wild Calling?

It is meant to start a national conversation exploring how our encounters and relationships with other animals influence our mental and physical health, touch our souls, help us find a path back to the warmth of human kinship and community, and strengthen our resolve to protect other species.