Green spaces can improve cognitive development in children. A one-year study of 2,593 Barcelona schoolchildren indicated that exposure to green space at home, while commuting, and in schoolyards is associated with improved cognitive development outcomes including improved working memory and reduced inattentiveness. Green space at schools was determined to be the most powerful contributor to these effects.
Payam Dadvand, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, Mikel Esnaola, Joan Forns, Xavier Basagaña, Mar Alvarez-Pedrerol, Ioar Rivas, Mónica López-Vicente, Montserrat De Castro Pascual, Jason Su, Michael Jerrett, Xavier Querol, and Jordi Sunyer (June 2015) PNAS 112 (26) 7937-7942. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1503402112