wild learning

By Rachel Tidd

• Get ideas for fun outdoor activities that cover core subject matter already being taught

• Take learning outside, taking advantage of commonly accessible areas, no matter the educational setting

• Help students develop a healthy appreciation of the outdoors and support hands-on learning styles

• Support students’ physical and mental health without sacrificing learning time

Minnesota Children and Nature Connection, and its rockstar team of nature-based early childhood professionals, are thrilled to announce the release of their 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 Nature-Based Early Childhood Program Assessment & Guidebook!

The Nature-Based Early Childhood Program Assessment and Guidebook was developed to provide families, programs, and educators with a tool to assist them in evaluating how a program integrates nature into its philosophy and policies, family engagement and community connections, and the outdoor and indoor classroom environments and practices. 

webinars

• Journaling with Nature

• Slow Birding: Reimagining Our Connections with Birds

• Nature Art and Affirmations for Wellness

• Gratitude Journal through Tassel Bookmaking

Evaluating Natureness

By Rachel A. Larimore, PhDPatti Bailie, PhDArianna E. Pikus, MS

Designed with early education practitioners, researchers, and policy makers in mind, the NAture-Based Education Rating Scales (NABERS) for Pre-K and K–3 let professionals easily collect standardized information to measure the quality of education settings in the areas of:

• Program goals and curriculum practices

• Staffing

• Environment

• Community partnerships

• Family engagement

New schoolyard design guide

A collaboration between Learning by Nature leader Laura Newman and landscape designer Sashie Misner has resulted in a comprehensive illustrated and accessible guide to schoolyard design, aimed at Maine schools, but with clear application to any primary or elementary school.

• What Happened to Play?

• How The outdoor space is “the Third Teacher”

• Choosing Affordances

• Effective Layout and Placement

• Evaluating and Mapping your Site

• Budgeting and Planning a Timeline

• Construction, Maintenance & Use

• Engaging your community in the process

Naturally Inclusive: Engaging Children of All Abilities Outdoors

In this inspiring book, Dr. Ruth Wilson explores the great potential of connecting young children with special needs to the natural world.

• Nature as a teacher and play partner

• Nature for holistic development

• Nature as a healer

• The importance of risk-taking

• Horticultural therapies

• Animal-assisted therapies

• Nurturing connections between children and animals, plants, and habitats

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