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.
The is designed to support staff to raise their own knowledge and skills to empower them and to celebrate children's voices as guides to the learning possibilities. Highly accessible for anyone working with children from 3 to 11 years old. It provides information, curricular links and progression in learning with benefit risk assessments.
Dr. Julie Ernst created the Flourishing in Nature Research Briefs to summarize her series of studies that investigate the impact of nature preschool on young children’s development, learning, and well-being. The research briefs highlight outcomes such as creative thinking, protective factors associated with resilience, curiosity, executive function skills, physical activity, empathy, learning behaviors, peer play interactions, and vocabulary.
Go beyond linear gardening! The Food Forest games move you beyond the garden row, into the web of relationships that connects plants, insects, animals and people. With these cards you will play fun, challenging games based on relationships found in a real food forest. You begin to understand how to use the complex web of nature to your advantage.
Forest School is an educational approach, and program of delivery, that has existed since the late 1950s, with thousands of programs expanding the world over. This guide reflects what is currently happening in Canadian Forest and Nature Schools.
Cedarsong Forest Kindergarten's director, Erin Kenny shares her journey of learning about what it actually means to provide immersive preschool experience in an outdoor woodland habitat, and takes us deep into the rationale, philosophy, approach and day-by-day management realities of being authentically in the outdoors.
This book is based on the understanding that fostering a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world is important to the development of young children and the preservation of planet Earth. It is also based on the belief that experiences children have early in life impact the attitudes and behaviors they carry with them throughout their lifetime.
This a documentary explores British Columbia's Environmental School, a public school where learning happens outdoors. The film investigates learning styles, ecological involvement, class structure, and the impact of outdoor learning on children.
Four Seasons at a Nature Based Preschool, a resource guide for teachers of young children, is available for purchase. It focuses on seasonal changes in the Upper Midwest, areas of study that have been of interest to children at our preschool, and specific resources available at Dodge Nature Center.
Developed in coordination with early childhood experts and educators, Getting Little Feet Wet is designed to help educators of young children teach about water in fun, age-appropriate ways. This book from Project WET contains 11 interactive, hands-on activities for young learners to explore different aspects of water—from water properties to water sounds.
Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood offers resources to connect young children to nature. Founder Ken Finch speaks, teaches, writes, and consults about the value of nature play and nature preschools. Green Hearts maintains an informative web site with resources related to nature play, nature preschools, and parent resources. Also offers a newsletter and limited publications.
The quarterly Green Teacher magazine offers perspectives on the role of education in creating a sustainable future, practical articles and ready to use activities for various age levels, and reviews of dozens of new educational resources.
Growing Up WILD is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, Growing Up WILD provides an early foundation for developing positive impressions about the natural world and lifelong social and academic skills.
This book offers readers ways to use connections with nature to find strength and inspiration for their personal journeys so they can bring their best selves to their work with children.
This position paper from early Dimensions Foundation work describes a rationale for developmentally appropriate environmental education. A short synopsis of research describes the factors contributing to children’s disconnection from the natural world.
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.