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Download the Recommendations
The Recommendations for Licensing Outdoor, Nature-Based Early Learning and Child Care Programs is a resource designed to help communities, including licensing agencies, expand children’s access to safe and high-quality outdoor and nature-based learning. The Recommendations were developed with input from a wide range of experts in nature-based education and early learning systems.
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View the Webinar
In October 2025, recommendations author Dr. Aliza Yair and Natural Start Policy Advisor Kit Harrington provided an overview of the Recommendations when they were released in draft form. Watch the recording and view related resources, including the presentation slides.
About the Recommendations
The Recommendations draw from the expertise and collective review of representatives of the outdoor, nature-based (ONB) early learning professional community across the Natural Start Alliance and allied organizations. The draft also incorporates guidelines from relevant national regulatory agencies, and findings from recent research into children’s health and education.
The Recommendations provide a holistic and detailed collection of ONB program licensing policy and practice options to inform state regulations for child safety and healthy development in outdoor settings, but they do not describe all considerations for running a high-quality program. The following topics are covered in the draft Recommendations:
Basics of ONB Curriculum
Hazards and Risks
Benefit-Risk Assessment
Types of ONB Programming
ONB Licensing Pathways
Location Assessment and Program Planning
- Site Assessment and Selection
- Benefit-Risk Assessment for Activities at a Proposed Site
- Shelters and Other Structures
- Shelters in Emergency Responses
- Access to Natural Spaces and Use of Public Lands
- Sharing Public Spaces
- Storage and Carrying Supplies
Health and Hygiene
- Drinking Water
- Food
- Handwashing
- Toileting
- Sleep and Rest
- Medication and First Aid
Weather Safety
- Weather Considerations and Program Adjustments
- Clothing
- Temperatures - General
- Heat
- Cold
- High Winds
- Air Quality
- Severe Storms
- Lightning
- Flash Flooding
- Tornados
Emergency Planning
- Evacuation
- Shelter in Place/Lockdown
- Communications to Prevent or Respond to Hazards
- Missing Children Protocols
- Dangerous Animals, Plants, and Other Species
- Earthquakes
Outdoor and Nature-Based Curriculum and Activities
- Benefit-Risk Assessment in Activity Planning
- Program Materials
- Inclusion and Belonging
- Disability
- Honoring Indigenous Sovereignty and Knowledge
- Setting Boundaries to the Play Space
- Climbing Natural Features
- Campfires
- Proximity to Bodies of Water and Water Activities
- Foraging
- Gardening and Farming
- Hand Tools
- Play at Higher Speeds
Staff Training, Qualifications, and Supervision Requirements
- Workforce Development for ONB and Outdoor Safety
- Pre-Service Training Additions for ONB Program Staff
- In-Service Training Additions for ONB Programs
- Supervision Outdoors and During Risky Play
- Staffing Ratios and Risk-Based Adjustments
Family and Caregiver Engagement
- Communicating about Health and Safety
- Ensuring Children are Dressed for the Weather
- Communicating with Families about Program Locations
- Child Records