Webinars

The Natural Start Alliance offers hour-long webinars on topics of key interest to early childhood professionals that aim to support the programs in this growing field. 

Upcoming webinars will be listed below and recordings will be posted, after the event. 

Webinars

Child in pink snowsuit outside in snow, sticking out at camera

Flourishing in Winter: Guidance for Cold-Weather Play

Join us for a webinar on Tuesday, December 9 at 1 PM ET to learn about Flourishing in Winter, a new research-based guidebook resource for early childhood cold-weather play.

Resource Type

  • Webinar
children sitting in a line on a tree branch in winter gear

Natural Start Alliance Recommendations for Licensing Outdoor, Nature-Based Programs

In this webinar recording, hear from Dr. Aliza Yair and Kit Harrington about about the new comprehensive policy recommendations resource for communities, including regulatory agencies, in expanding children’s access to safe and high-quality outdoor and nature-based learning through policy.

Resource Type

  • Resource Collection
  • Webinar
little boy crouched down looking at plants through a magnifying glass

Seeing Ourselves in Nature

Watch the webinar recording highlighting Jessica Fong's recently published resource, Seeing Ourselves in Nature.

Resource Type

  • Webinar
blueberry award 2024

Announcing the Blueberry Literary Award Winners

The Natural Start Alliance continues its partnership with the Evanston Public Library to bring you the best in children’s books about nature connection and environmental stewardship!

Resource Type

  • Webinar
Confident, Satisfied Visionary Kid in Tree

Intro to Wilderness Mental Health First Responder

Natural Start and Nicole Thurrell of IWEM held this webinar (March 2025), exploring the very best of what is known about nervous system regulation and how we can bring our best, most resilient selves to the world.

Resource Type

  • Webinar
mother hugging child

Reimagining The Role of Teachers

Join authors, Dr. Claire Warden and Dr. Rachel Larimore of Reimagining The Role of Teachers in Nature-Based Learning: Helping Children be Curious, Confident, and Caring, to learn how educators can identify and embody their many roles when implementing nature-based strategies.

Resource Type

  • Webinar
digging into nature book cover

Digging into Nature

Dr. Tandon and Dr. Glassy offered a wealth of suggestions for nature-based activities and suggestions for overcoming common challenges busy families face when trying to increase their outdoor time. The authors addressed the importance of nature for children’s health at every age from infancy through adolescence and linked their suggested activities to key developmental milestones.

Resource Type

  • Webinar
blueberry award 2024

Announcing the Blueberry Literary Award Winners

The Natural Start Alliance is happy to continue its partnership with the Evanston Public Library to bring you the best in children’s books about nature connection and environmental stewardship. The Blueberry Award is a literary award that honors books about nature — the first of its kind. During a webinar on March 15, 2024, the award committee, organized through Evanston Public Library, reviewed 2023 Blueberry Award book winners and honors with the Natural Start community!

Resource Type

  • Webinar
fork in path in forest

Non-Profit or For-Profit? Finding the Best Path for Your Program

As programs navigate all of the varied considerations in operating a nature-based education program, an important question is: Should my program operate as a non-profit or for-profit venture? This webinar provides an overview of a new resource to help programs considering their options.

Resource Type

  • Webinar
children reading on grass

Multiple Language Learning in Nature-Based Classrooms

Nearly a quarter of all children in the US speak a language other than English in the home. In some states, that percentage is over a third, and in some urban areas, more than half of children may be learning multiple languages. How can we best support children in their language learning outdoors, and are there elements of nature-based, outdoor learning that are particularly helpful in language learning? Join us to hear some of the latest research and learn from programs that have made nature and language learning central in their curriculum.

Resource Type

  • Webinar