Outdoor learning continues to gain momentum in K-12 education, fueled by a growing understanding of how time outside supports creativity, collaboration, movement and well-being. Schools are seeking solutions that make outdoor learning environments not just possible, but purposeful and dynamic-spaces where students engage, connect and discover.

Envisioned by renowned industrial designer Rodrigo Torres, the Take-Out connected seating line has quickly become a favorite for its modern simplicity, modularity and human-centered approach. With new additions like Take-Out mini, Take-Out tall and Take-Out wedge, the line now spans an even greater range of scales, postures and interaction types, inviting students of all ages to learn, gather and engage outdoors.

Take-Out is defined by lightness—physically and visually. Its clean lines, sculptural profiles and approachable forms are designed to be moved, rearranged and reimagined with ease. For educators, that flexibility translates into an adaptable toolkit for shaping outdoor learning: one day, a reading circle; the next, a collaborative small-group breakout space; and the next, an outdoor learning lab for STEAM activities. Across the full Take-Out line, a range of adaptable silhouettes—including wheelchair accessible units—support a diversity of social postures, interactions and group sizes. As Torres explains, “Design has the power to guide human relationships. The shape of an object can influence how people connect, communicate and share space.” With Take-Out, arrangement becomes an instructional strategy, encouraging educators to help students build unique relationships with one another and with the world around them.

The new Take-Out mini extends this philosophy specifically to the K–5 environment. Ergonomically proportioned for younger learners, it brings the beloved geometry, durability, adaptability and playfulness of Take-Out to smaller-scale applications. Torres shares, “The mini brings all the positive aspects of the original design to the little ones. It’s charming, joyful and invites children into a world of imagination.” Whether used on its own or layered with full-size Take-Out units to create multi-age campus environments, it helps animate outdoor areas with delight, engagement and movement.

For older learners, the line's other new additions-Take-Out tall and Take-Out wedge -bring this same sense of purposeful adaptability to middle and high school environments. Standing-height units support quick meetups, light outdoor study sessions and casual group presentations, while wedge units come together in unique configurations specifically designed to enhance interpersonal connection and face-to-face collaboration. Together, these pieces introduce greater ergonomic variety to learning environments, supporting the fluid, choice-driven postures preferred by teens and young adults-from informal perches to spaces that encourage deeper conversation. In doing so, Take-Out evolves with students as they grow, creating campus environments that feel more collegiate, more relevant to their needs, and more supportive of independent, project-based learning experiences.

Beyond the outdoor classroom, Take-Out is equally at home in school courtyards, library patios, playground perimeters and outdoor dining areas—areas that may previously have not been used to their fullest potential. Durability and USA-made craftsmanship ensure long-lasting performance in active educational settings, while a shared design language and vibrant range of powdercoat colors help unify spaces across campus. For administrators and facility managers, Take-Out offers a high-value, low-maintenance way to bring learning outdoors—with the added benefit of adaptability not found in fixed infrastructure.

But perhaps the most impactful aspect of Take-Out in K-12 environments is how it helps students build relationships with each other and with nature. Torres reflects, "When children spend time outside, they become more aware of their environment, more curious and more connected to what really matters. Inviting kids to learn and play outdoors is beautiful and meaningful." When outdoor spaces are comfortable, welcoming and thoughtfully tailored to their needs, students are more likely to unplug, explore and experience the joy and wonder of learning outdoors.

As schools embrace outdoor education for its academic, social and emotional benefits, Take-Out offers a flexible, intuitive and beautifully simple solution. The line invites educators to purposefully shape outdoor space-and reshape the learning experience for the better.