Nature Education: Articles

Nature by Rachel Grob, MA, PhD
This article is an excerpt from The Wisdom Of Play – a new staff development resource free from Community Playthings.
We Need More Sticks and Grass! We Need More Beauty!
by Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin

Nature Education: Resources

Last Child in the Woods Richard Louv (Algonquin Books March 17, 2006): “In this landmark work, Louv brings together studies that point to the direct exposure to nature as essential for a child’s healthy physical and emotional development. This book will change the way you think about our future and the future of our children.”

The Great Outdoors. Restoring Children's Right to Play Outside. Rivkin, Mary S. (1995, second printing 1999): “The immense wonder and learning that takes place for children in nature are too precious to give up. Yet for many children, outdoor play in nature is becoming a rare luxury. This book offers practical ideas for bringing nature to your school.”

Discovering Nature with Young Children. Chalfour, Ingrid and Worth, Karen. (2003): A thoughtful and carefully researched curriculum to help teachers guide young children in exploring the wonders of nature. It also includes workshops on teaching science, as well as strategies for teacher support through mentoring and guided discussions.

Earth Child 2000: Earth Science for Young Children, Games, Stories, Activities, and Experiments Kathryn Sheehan and Mary Waidner, Ph.D: Updated and expanded for the new millennium, this book is a classic treasury of resources for teaching young children about the environment. Sections include Parts of a Flower, Gardening and Seeds; and The Food Chain, just to name a few. Plus, there’s
a 116-page illustrated teacher’s guide you won’t want to miss!

Reclaiming Childhood William Crain: Today’s children are pushed harder than ever to perform. Child development expert William Crain argues that we need to give children time and opportunities to develop the special qualities of the childhood years – without pressure.

Environmental Education Gets a Push in Congress by Robynne Boyd: The No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) is determined to swap computers for grass and dirt. Spaghetti does not grow on trees, but carrots do grow in dirt. Here are some excellent ideas of how we can help our children re-connect to nature and reality.

Children's Outdoor Play & Learning Environments: Returning to Nature By Randy White & Vicki Stoecklin: What would a playground look like if the kids designed it? Research of children’s preferences suggests it would be far different that those patches of wood chips bedecked with a large metal climbing structure.

Nature nurtures learning by Peter Dizikes: “At most schools, a bug in the classroom is something a janitor or computer technician has to deal with. At the Dennis C. Haley Elementary School in Roslindale, bugs are part of the curriculum.” Read on….

Children & Nature Network (C&NN): The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working worldwide to reconnect children with nature. C&NN provides access to the latest news and research in the field and a peer-to-peer network of researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being.

Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization. A million members, donors, and partners support the Arbor Day Foundation programs to
make our world a greener, healthier, and happier place.

Nature Action Collaborative for Children (NACC): A growing number of children in today's world are being adversely affected by their diminishing connection with the natural world. The purpose is to convey possibilities for connecting children with nature. Developed by the World Forum Foundation.

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