Day: March 25, 2022

Director’s Corner – Supporting Staff as They Enhance Nature-Based Learning Opportunities

If you don’t currently work in a nature-based preschool or forest kindergarten, extended periods of nature-based learning may not be built into your program’s routine. There are a few ways that programs can incorporate nature-based learning experiences:

• Build them into the existing outdoor playtime
• Increase the amount of time spent outdoors
• Provide different materials that promote nature exploration
• Schedule regular community field trips or nature walks
• Increase the number of natural items and learning experiences that are present inside

It is quite possible for leaders to unilaterally make changes to class schedules and purchase additional materials, but to ensure buy-in, it is better to involve staff members in the planning process.  If boosting nature-based learning is a goal for your program, here are some things you can do:

• Start the conversation: About a week before your next staff meeting, share an article with your staff that introduces nature-based learning and its benefits. Several appropriate articles are available in this newsletter and you could find others online. Ask participants to review the information in preparation for a conversation that you will be having during the next staff meeting.
• Brainstorming: During the staff meeting, ask for feedback on the contents of the article. Review your program’s philosophy or mission statement. Ask staff to identify how the philosophy and nature-based learning align. If it is not clear, consider making revisions.  Also, ask team members to come up with a list of opportunities and challenges that they will face as your program moves forward with enhancing children’s experiences in nature. What materials might they need? What changes to the daily routine are necessary and realistic? It may even be beneficial to have teachers reflect on any aversion they have toward spending time in nature. Finally, ask for volunteers to sit on a committee that will focus on creating policies and practices that will be used moving forward.
• Create an action plan: As conversations continue, you and your committee will have to answer the what, when, where, why, and who of this endeavor. What are the most important tasks that must be accomplished? What materials are needed and what is the budget and plan for purchasing them? What changes need to be made to playground schedules? What nature-related resources and locations exist in your community? Will the program adopt a nature-based curriculum or will teachers come up with ideas on their own? Are there field trip policies and procedures that need to be created or updated? Set the committee to work answering these questions and others that arise during your conversations. Create priorities, timelines, and due dates.
• Engage families: One of the action items should include how you will communicate this enhancement to families. Be sure to share resources that support your decision to increase nature-based learning opportunities. Talk about the benefits and provide activity ideas that families can try at home. Additionally, efforts should be made to engage families in your nature-based learning experiences, either as field trip chaperones or volunteers.  Perhaps family members work in nature-related fields.  These individuals can be invited to share their knowledge with staff and children.
• Involve the children: Sometimes, teachers will be able to identify children’s interest in nature simply by observing their play. It could also prove helpful to have conversations with children during meals or group meetings to find out what children are interested in learning about.
• Continue to learn: Share books and resources with your team so that they can continue to learn about activity ideas and best practices for nature-based learning. Seek out professional development opportunities related to nature exploration. Work with individuals and teaching teams to implement enhanced learning experiences.

By enrolling your staff in the planning of enhanced nature-based learning experiences, you will be creating enthusiasm and accountability. This practice is essential to the success of the project.

For the main article Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Benefits of Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Materials for Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Nature-Based Learning Tips, CLICK HERE

Nature-Based Learning Tips

One of the most important things to keep in mind about nature-based learning experiences is that they should be based on children’s interests.  They should also be hands-on and promote exploration, observation, and documentation. Educators should avoid lengthy “lessons” about nature and instead, act as a facilitator of children’s learning.  Supervision and safety remain the top priorities, but there should also be a high degree of independence and child-initiated investigation.

There are hundreds of activity ideas that we could list here but since we don’t know the children in your program or their interests, we’ll use this space to share some other key practices to keep in mind.

• Watch for choking hazards – Be sure to provide materials that are appropriate for the age of the children in your program.
• Wash hands – Ensure children and adults practice proper handwashing after exploring in nature.
• Do no harm – Encourage children to observe nature with their eyes, ears, and noses. They should ask to pick up unfamiliar items and should be careful not to harm or damage the things they are exploring.
• Become familiar with your environment – Learn about the plants, animals, and insects that are common in your area. Inspect your nature space often and remove any hazards.
• Do thorough research prior to field trips and nature walks- Gather as much information as possible about the site, availability of water and restrooms, and terrain. Visit the site before visiting with the children to get a solid lay of the land.
• Engage with the children – Ask children questions about their exploration. Talk about their observations and encourage children to document what they see. This can be done in a nature notebook. Introduce new vocabulary words and learning concepts, while continuing to allow the children to take the lead.
• Challenge your comfort level – Not everyone is comfortable sitting in nature, touching dirt, or picking up items from nature. While it is not necessary for teachers to jump in mud puddles with children, they should be sure that their aversion to nature does not impede children’s learning opportunities. Work with a mentor or member of your leadership team to determine how you can best support children’s learning.
• Plan activities each week – Make space on your lesson plan for nature exploration activities. Identify the materials you will make available and how you will document what children are learning.

Childhood by Nature has created a list of activities that you can explore to help you implement nature-based learning experiences.

For the main article Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Benefits of Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Materials for Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Director’s Corner – Supporting Staff as They Enhance Nature-Based Learning Opportunities, CLICK HERE

Materials for Nature-Based Learning

Before you create the materials list for enhanced nature-based learning, it is a good idea to review some of the resources that are available. Childhood by Nature has compiled a list of Top FREE Nature-Based Learning Curriculums for Schools and Homeschools.  By reviewing these resources, you will have a better idea about the types of materials that you will need.

Some of the materials may come in a standard science kit, such as magnifying glasses and bug observation boxes.  Other materials may be collected from families or community marketplaces such as Freecycle or Craigslist. Sometimes, the only materials children require are their eyes, ears, noses, and hands.  Here is a list of just a few of the items that you could introduce to the children in your care:

• Garden tools – shovels, spades, rakes, watering cans, gloves, etc.
• Seeds and planter boxes, indoor plants (Check the poisonous plant list to avoid dangerous plants)
• Buckets, baskets, sifters, and funnels
• Carts and wheelbarrows
• Books about nature topics
• Binoculars and magnifiers
• Bird boxes, houses, feeders, etc.
• Butterfly gardens and plants that attract butterflies
• Outdoor seating or mats
• Sand and water tables or bins, sound garden from repurposed pots and pans, mud kitchen
• Art supplies, notebooks, pencils
• Various nature-related loose parts and figurines
• Lumber, stumps, tires, recycled boxes
• Weather tools – thermometer, rain gauge, windsock, etc.
• Measuring tools – rulers, measuring tapes, measuring cups/spoons, etc.

For more material ideas, check out these offerings from Discount School Supply.

For the main article Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Benefits of Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Nature-Based Learning Tips, CLICK HERE

For the article Director’s Corner – Supporting Staff as They Enhance Nature-Based Learning Opportunities, CLICK HERE

Benefits of Nature-Based Learning

Researchers have long studied the benefits of nature for both adults and children. In 2019, a team of researchers, led by Ming Kuo, associate professor at the University of Illinois, reviewed hundreds of studies related to the benefits of exposure to nature.

The results of the review identified several positive benefits that nature has on students in the following areas:

• Physical activity and fitness
• Self-discipline and motivation
• Stress reduction
• Resilience
• Attention and perseverance
• Engagement and enjoyment
• Cooperation and teamwork
• Creativity
• Exploration
• Independence
• Critical thinking
• Leadership
• Environmental stewardship or caring for the planet

These studies align with the many studies on the benefits of nature for adults that have documented the stress-reducing and health-promoting effects of spending time in nature.  The fact that so many areas are positively impacted by nature reinforces the idea that it is possible to enhance student outcomes through nature-based learning.

Even if individual children do not experience all of the benefits, the potential that children will experience some of these benefits makes the effort worthwhile. For example, if nature can help reduce stress in a child’s life, they will be better able to engage in learning experiences and interact with peers, even if they never become a steward of the environment.  And when that child’s stress is reduced, they are likely to be less disruptive in the classroom, creating a more calm and safe learning environment for all children.

You can learn more about the finding of the research review here:  Do Experiences with Nature Promote Learning? Converging Evidence of a Cause-and-Effect Relationship.

For the main article Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Materials for Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Nature-Based Learning Tips, CLICK HERE

For the article Director’s Corner – Supporting Staff as They Enhance Nature-Based Learning Opportunities, CLICK HERE

Nature-Based Learning

Outdoor play is an exciting part of the routine in most early learning programs. You can sense a change in the air as playground time approaches. Have you ever stopped to wonder why that is?  What is it about the outdoors that inspires such interest and engagement?  Is it the sliding board or the tricycles?  Perhaps it is the freedom to run and jump and roll around.  Or maybe it is the opportunity to discover, observe, and interact with nature.  Whatever the reason, children get really excited when it is time to go outside, and where there is excitement, there is the opportunity for learning.

Being mindful of not stripping away the child-led, free-play nature of outdoor time, there are ways that programs can adopt a nature-based learning approach: According to an article by Childhood by Nature.

Nature-based learning includes learning about the natural world but extends to engagement in any subject, skill or interest while in natural surroundings.

It’s more than bringing items from nature into the classroom, which should be a normal practice.  It is about creating engaging learning experiences outdoors. In this month’s newsletter, we will explore how this can be accomplished.

For the article Benefits of Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Materials for Nature-Based Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Nature-Based Learning Tips, CLICK HERE

For the article Director’s Corner – Supporting Staff as They Enhance Nature-Based Learning Opportunities, CLICK HERE