On a spring Friday morning, your preschool children are outside for play and exploration. One child crouches beside a puddle and watches the ripples form as he puts rocks into the water. Another child calls you over to show you a line of ants carrying bread crumbs across a path to their home.
In these small learning moments, you notice that everyday outdoor experiences can allow children to foster their curiosity and wonderings about the world around them naturally through a nature-based approach.
What is Nature-based Education?
In nature-based education, natural elements are integrated into the philosophy, curriculum, and educational environments. Its approach embeds the natural world at the core of learning, using nature and outdoor settings to foster academic, social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Children are actively learning in the natural world, with regular opportunities to interact with nature.
Research findings suggest that children learning through nature-based education have: (Johnstone et al., 2022)
- Increased physical activity compared to indoor settings, resulting in improved motor development
- Improved self-regulation skills as children see themselves as capable learners throughout their outdoor play environment
- Enhanced cognitive skills such as attention and creativity
- Improved social skills and emotional development as children diversify their play
Nature Integration for All Seasons
Each season brings unique opportunities for inquiry. For example, simple explorations of melting ice in the winter, observing new growth in spring, investigating insects in the summer, or noticing changes in leaves in the fall, are all experiences that foster children's curiosity of the natural world around them.
Providing outdoor play and exploration across all seasons throughout the year has also shown to improve mental health and well-being, and provides children with overall cognitive, social, and physical health benefits.
For educators, nature integration supports responsive, curriculum-connected programming that is not only engaging, but is rooted in real-world experiences.
Fall
- Leaf or stick maze - Invite children to help build a maze with either leaves or sticks
- Leaf catching - Challenge children to catch the leaves as they fall from the trees
- Find the tree - Challenge children to find trees that match with certain leaf patterns
- Symmetry exploration - Invite children to explore leaves and other nature items
- Acorn or pinecone ramp - Gather materials and invite children to create a ramp to roll them down.
- Acorn or pinecone toss - Challenge children to stand and throw acorns into a bucket or in a large circle marker.
Winter
- Snow kitchen - Provide children with pretend or real kitchen supplies and encourage them to create snowy treats through outdoor dramatic play
- Paint the snow - Invite children to create art in the snow by using different spray bottles and food colouring
- Frozen art - Gather containers and ask children to go on a hunt for natural objects. Fill the container with water and leave it outside to freeze. Make observations and predictions.
- Icy bubbles - Offer children bubble solution and wands. Invite them to try blowing bubbles outside. Make predictions. If the weather is cold enough (below freezing), the bubbles will crystallize.
Spring
- Mud painting - Collect mud from outside and provide children with paper and paintbrushes to create art (don't forget to cover and protect children's clothing!)
- Rain soup - Put different containers outside and ask them which will fill up first. Make predictions. As an extension, collect nature items with the container.
- Nature journal - Invite children to draw or keep track of observations during a nature walk. Point out any wild life, tracks, animals, or other nature items.
- Planting seeds - Invite children to plant a seed as a class. Ask questions and encourage children to make predictions and observations as the plant grows. What do plants need to grow?
Summer
- Shadows - Engage in shadow exploration with sidewalk chalk to mark off and measure their shadows
- Ice sensory bin - Fill a water table with water and ice cubes outside. Invite children to explore with scoops, cups, bowls and stirring utensils.
- Tin foil river - Use tinfoil to shape a river into a bucket or container. Pour water down the river. Offer children to help make the river or invite them to use manipulatives that float to explore the river.
- Sensory scavenger hunt - Challenge children to find different textures or with different movements on a nature walk. Can they find something fuzzy, smooth, or rough? Can they find something to safely jump over or climb?
Always encourage children to extend their learning by naming observations and asking lots of closed and open-ended questions to challenge them and foster their curiosity.
Some questions might include:
- What do you notice?
- What do you see/think/wonder?
- How does it make you feel?
Nature Ideas for Core Areas
Outdoor learning in early childhood settings supports children in developing hands-on thinking skills, including exploring, questioning, predicting, and testing ideas. It also strengthens early math understanding, such as number sense, spatial awareness, comparing, and estimating, though real-world experiences. (Cordiano et al., 2019) Natural environments also encourage creativity and imagination by providing open-ended materials that inspire dramatic or inventive play.
How can we use nature in each core subject area?
1. Math
- Counting: Count different nature items or wild life on a nature walk (e.g. How many ducks do you see in the pond? If one duck swims away, how many are left?).
- Spatial Sense: Observing objects from different perspectives by looking at things from above, getting eye-level, or peering from under it (e.g. Do things look the same? How do they look different?).
- Measurement & comparison: Measure and sort natural items by colour, texture, shape or size (e.g. What shapes do you see? Is it big or small? What colours are they? How can we measure this tree or this leaf?).
- Patterns & Symmetry: Look for textured patterns in their surroundings. Have students then make their own patterns with nature items (e.g. What pattern do you see? How might they feel on your hand?).
2. Literacy
- Letter recognition: Encourage children to point out where they might see letters around them (e.g. What letter do you see on this STOP sign? What sound does the letter S make?).
- Vocabulary growth: Instead of just seeing images of leaves or moss, find some outside and encourage children to safely touch it and use descriptive words, such as "squishy", "damp", "wet" (e.g. Can you say "moss"? How does the moss feel on your hand?).
- Early writing skills: Children can use sticks or different nature materials to formulate letters and practice letter shapes (e.g. What lines are in the letter A? Can we find some sticks or rocks to make the letter A?).
- Storytelling and imagination: Read a book outside or tell nature stories and encourage children to close their eyes to visualize the story (e.g. What sounds might you hear? What might happen next?).
3. Science & Inquiry
- Sink or float: Explore nature items in a body of water and ask the children what objects they see and what might be under the water (e.g. Do the objects sink or float? What animals might live under the water?).
- Insect observation: Watch different birds or insects, such as ants, worms, butterflies, and ask the children about their habitats and document their wonderings (e.g. Where do they live? What do they eat? What are they doing?).
- Build a shelter/nest: Encourage children to use nature materials to build a shelter for an animal, insect, or themselves (e.g. Who might live there? How do we make our home strong?).
- Plant seeds: Invite children to plant a seed as a class. Ask questions and encourage children to make predictions and record observations as the plant grows (e.g. How do we take care of our plant? What do plants need to grow?).
- Weather predictions: Notice daily weather changes with children and record weather patterns together, like exploring clouds, leaves in the wind etc. (e.g. What does the weather feel like today? What do we wear to protect ourselves?).
4. Arts
- Leaf printing: Collect leaves of different shapes, sizes and patterns, and encourage the children to paint and press them onto paper (e.g. What patterns do you see? What colours did you use?).
- Rock painting: Children can collect smooth stones and decorate them with patterns, shapes, and colours (e.g. What did you draw on your rock? Is the rock smooth or rough?).
- Collage art: Children can collect different nature items and use glue to create any type of art piece (e.g. What can you make with sticks? Can you tell me more about your art?).
- Nature sun catchers: Use contact paper and have children stick different nature items onto it, like leaves or flower petals, to put up against the window (e.g. What colours are the leaves and flowers? Which flower is the biggest?).
5. Physical Health and Wellbeing
- Obstacle course: Use different sized stepping stones, logs, and pathways to integrate gross motor skills in a safe obstacle course (e.g. Can you stick your arms out to balance?).
- Natural play spaces: Consider natural playgrounds, including log tunnels, grass, short wooden platforms etc. to run, jump and play games to stimulate children's physical health, safety, and creativity (e.g. Can you pretend to be a bear? How does a rabbit move?).
- Music & movement activities: Use homemade instruments, such as pots and pans, outside to encourage different movements and musical patterns (e.g. Does it make a loud sound or a soft sound? How can you move your body to the beat?).
- Nature scavenger hunt: Encourage children to find different nature items that might be hidden around your environment in a nature walk. Collect the items in a bag and share together afterwards (e.g. Can you find an ant? Where might you look to find a bird's nest?).
6. Social-Emotional Learning
- Fire-breathing meditation: Invite children to sit with their eyes closed in a comfortable spot outside. Encourage them to breathe in, then exhale slowly as if they are releasing a spark into a fire (e.g. How might we try to breathe fire with our breath like a dragon?).
- Cloud watching: On a cloudy day, encourage children to lie down in a grassy area to observe shapes of clouds (e.g. What shapes do you see? What does this cloud look like?).
- Animal yoga: Allow children to use their bodies safely to pretend to be different animals. Encourage them to use their breath and balance poses (e.g. How can we use our arms to balance?).
- Nature sketch: Bring paper outside and give children an opportunity to colour and draw their surroundings (e.g. What colours do you notice? What nature items do you see around you?).
How should we consider risks and safety in a natural environment?
Nature-based education provides young children with meaningful opportunities to explore, discover, and learn through outdoor experiences. While there are many benefits that outdoor learning offers, we must also be careful and consider potential safety risks, and take appropriate precautions to create a safe learning environment for our children.
Risk management is a crucial part of our job. As educators, we have the responsibility to not only supervise our children, but also assess outdoor spaces, prepare for different weather conditions, and teach children how to interact safely with natural materials and environments. We also want to teach them to take appropriate risks through activities, such as climbing, balancing, exploring, and investigating natural elements in a safe way.
Some hazards in outdoor learning environments are natural and may cause harm if it is not properly identified and managed. This might include plants and animals. Nature environments may expose children to unknown or potentially dangerous plants, such as poison ivy or thorn bushes. Always ensure the area is assessed before allowing children to explore. Be aware of large or small animals, like bugs and insects, and with parental permission, consider applying insect repellent if needed.
As educators, we must regularly assess outdoor spaces and take precautions to help keep children safe, while still allowing opportunity for play and exploration. There may be unfamiliar objects found in nature, such as garbage or sharp litter, or broken glass. Teach children not to touch these objects and to tell an educator right away. Before allowing children to explore a natural space, assess the area to ensure that there are no hidden hazards.
How can I use digital tools to support core areas?
Interactions with technology and media should be playful and support creativity, exploration, pretend play, active play, and outdoor activities. Play is central to children's development and learning.
Children's interactions with technology can also enhance foundational learning in core areas, such as literacy, math, STEM, creative arts, physical health and wellbeing, as well as social and emotional learning.
1. Literacy
- Interactive storybooks
- Phonics and alphabet learning games or apps that promote phonological awareness and early literacy skills
- Drawing or digital writing tools
- Voice recording or digital storytelling
- Songs, rhymes, and videos that promote sound awareness and vocabulary
2. Math
- Ask the children about what they notice in the photos or videos (e.g. how many trees are in the photo? How many people do you see? What colour are the cars?)
- Show children photos taken on a tablet about different patterns and shapes in the real world and ask the children to find something similar around the classroom
- Use interactive math games, puzzles, or apps that promote early math skills
- Play songs, rhymes, and videos and ask children to dance or sing along
3. STEM Learning
- Record children's thoughts and ideas from a sink or float experiment using a digital tool
- Explore growth of their own seeds and plants through photos and videos
- Record weather patterns and asking questions about their wonderings or how they might dress
- Use a drawing app to record what they notice or see from an experiment
4. Creative Arts
- Use a drawing app to draw a picture about a curiosity, wondering, or observation
- Create an art exhibition or gallery walk to showcase all of children's digital artwork
- Play songs, rhymes, and videos and ask children to dance or sing along
- Use videos and audios to create stories in dramatic play
5. Physical Health and Wellbeing
- Have children participate and imitate yoga or dance movements guided in videos as a whole or small group
- Practice guidance of breathing exercises using digital tools
- Use their fingers to drag, drop, move, or trace interactive activities to enhance fine motor skills
- Use digital maps for walking or tracking to count steps when going on an outdoor nature walk
- Use a scavenger hunt where children need to find and take a photo of specific items around the classroom (guided by an educator)
6. Social-Emotional Learning
- Digital storytelling and read alouds that focus on recognizing emotions or self-regulation strategies
- Promoting turn taking and sharing when using digital tools together in large or small group settings
- Recording reflective check-ins for children to share to educators or to their families
Accessibility Considerations from an Inclusive Lens
Nature-based education can support and benefit children with varying abilities. It naturally supports differentiated instruction because activities can be adapted in many ways to meet individual needs, by expanding the ways they engage, communicate, move, explore, and demonstrate learning.
Some inclusive supports and accommodations for children with mobility differences, English language learners, or children who have communication or sensory needs may include:
- Incorporate lots of hands-on learning that builds understanding without only relying on words (e.g. children can touch leaves, plant seeds, collect rocks, observe insects, which can help connect meaning to vocabulary words)
- Enhance opportunity for nonverbal communication through gestures, pointing, collecting, observing, drawing, and using visuals to support outdoor learning
- Reduce overstimulation and noise by allowing a larger controlled space for children to freely and safely explore
- Provide lots of opportunity for children to make their own choices and/or give them options to decide how they might use natural materials
- Consider accessible trails and pathways, and smooth surfaces for mobility devices and transportation in outdoor spaces
- Provide different sized and levelled nature tools to support intentional accessibility (e.g. raised or lowered garden beds, adjustable water or mud tables, kid friendly garden tools with grips and adjustable handles etc.)
Reflect on it
Reflective practice helps educators refine their approach and continuously improve the quality of their teaching.
You might consider the following self-reflection questions as you think about nature-based education and how to support children through nature learning opportunities in your classroom.
- How might you incorporate nature-based learning experiences to support your children's development across core areas in all seasons?
- How would you balance children's opportunity for acceptable risky play with your responsibility to maintain safety and supervision?
- In what ways can your outdoor learning space be adapted to support inclusion and accessibility for children with varying abilities and needs?
Conclusion
There are many benefits of nature-based learning experiences for young children. Through hands-on play, exploration, and connection with the natural environment, children are able to develop their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills in meaningful and engaging ways.
Further Learning with Lillio
For educators seeking to further their understanding of nature-based education in the classroom, Lillio Academy offers the course "Learning Beyond the Classroom: Nature-based Education". This course will explore the principles of nature-based education and integrate seasonally responsive learning experiences across core subject areas in more detail. Educators will also explore outdoor classroom design, why risk management is important, and strategies to integrate environmental education while considering barriers and accessibility from an inclusive lens.
Educators may also consider watching the free Lillio Learning webinar called "Learning Outside for Every Season" to learn more about how to provide outdoor activities for each season, essential safety tips, suggestions for smooth and efficient outdoor-to-indoor transitions, and communication between your setting and children's homes.
Whether you're new to this method or looking to refine your skills, these learning offerings are excellent resources for your professional growth!