Resources
Place-Based Scientific Inquiry: A Practical Handbook for Teaching Outside
Cover image for book Place Based Scientific Inquiry, showing three students touching a soil sample
A new open-access book for educators focused on justice-first and place-based scientific inquiry, following best practices from the Next Generation Science Standards.
How-to Guide for Caregiver & Child Classes
7 Recorded Sessions, View at Your Own Pace Inspired by LEAP Outside, this wonderful, one-of-a-kind resource is for those who wish to create a community-based infant/toddler/preK program. Includes four seasons of lesson plans, pre-recorded coaching sessions from LEAP founder Evie Wilkinson, and MANY, MANY downloadable shortcuts.
We're constantly looking for great resources for our members. Below is a complete list of the resources we've gathered so far. You can select the types of resources you're looking for. To select more than one type of resource, hold the control button while you make your selections.
Howtosmile.org is an award-winning, free access STEM activity website with nearly 4,000 activities for all ages. Activities can be searched by age, grade, cost, time, outdoor or physical activity, and more. Many activities have environmental themes.
Children in rural America struggle to find time and space to play. How can rural families add more play into their children’s lives without needing a playground?
Insect Lore was founded to allow people of all ages to witness the metamorphosis of real, live butterflies in their own homes or classrooms. Today, the Butterfly Garden includes a see-through reusable mesh habitat. In addition to butterflies, Insect Lore offers Ant, Ladybug, Silkworm, Worm and Frog Kits, as well as bug catchers and other exciting items for bug lovers.
The PERMIE KIDs “Inspiration Grows” 26 page e-book (PDF) showcases our permaculture-oriented framework that can help you use interconnected ethical edges, natural thinking tools, community virtues and transdisciplinary concepts to cultivating the “learning landscape.”
This toolkit from the World Forum Foundation's Nature Action Collaborative and Nature Explore contains over 80 pages of activities to use with children ages 3-8 years old. The guide is focused on actions that teachers and children can take together to make the world a "greener" and healthier place.
Inspiring Spaces for Young Children invites teachers to enhance children’s educational environment in a beautiful way by emphasizing aesthetic environmental qualities that are often overlooked in early childhood classrooms, such as nature, color, furnishings, textures, displays, lighting, and focal points.
A peer-reviewed open-access electronic journal promoting early childhood environmental education for global readership and action.
This book is designed to initiate dialog between parents and educators, and their kids, to get children thinking critically about what it means to be prepared, and invites them to share their perspective on planning for the outdoors. In this action-filled, outdoor education adventure book learn about being prepared for safety, protection and emergencies in nature.
KinderNature's Activities page provides great resources for educational group activity ideas for any time of the year.
Find one hundred creative and clever ideas repurposing common household objects into fun, educational, and safe toys and activities for young children. They benefit children's early learning by promoting sensory perception and development in multiple communication areas.
In the full-color Learning Is in Bloom, teachers and caregivers will find 40 hands-on activities effective in engaging young children in investigating nature, both indoors and outdoors, on the school grounds, and on excursions around the neighborhood.
Learning With Nature DVD is a joyful celebration of ways to use outdoor classrooms as an integral part of children's daily learning. See how well-designed outdoor spaces facilitate children's overall development socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. Gain insight into ways to help children make deeper connections with the natural world. 23 minutes.
Book by Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, Nancy Rosenow, James R. Wike, Valerie Cuppens
Learning withOutdoors is a free educational resource for parents and educators to help teach children developmental skills and curriculum content while being immersed in nature. The website is run by two nature-based teachers, with the goal of helping parents and educators utilize the endless learning opportunities found in nature. Learning withOutdoors provides nature-based educational activities, songs and books (with learning extension ideas), and weekly curiosities to support children’s learning in the outdoors. Learning is meant to be fun and messy, preferably withoutdoors!
PEAK is a series of activities that interactively teach elementary school youth the seven principles of Leave No Trace. It is designed to educate children about the outdoors and responsible use of our shared public lands.