Elizabeth Beaven, Ed.D.
Alliance for Public Waldorf Education
Expert
Equity
IL Practice
Place-Based
- Organization
- Trust for Learning | Alliance for Public Waldorf Education
A comprehensive guide for educators on integrating nature-based learning into early childhood education, inspired by the “Nurturing All Children in Nature: Ideal Learning in the Natural World” brief.
Goals and Rationale
Nurturing All Children in Nature: A Practitioners Guide to Ideal Learning and Nature-Based Learning is a resource aimed at helping educators foster children’s positive connections to the natural world, promoting equity, exploration, and environmental stewardship. It emphasizes the importance of outdoor play, personalized instruction, and the educator’s role in facilitating these experiences, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all children. This guide serves as a simplified, actionable companion to the initial brief, offering hands-on advice for educators to implement nature-based learning effectively.
This guide outlines the significance of connecting young children with nature for their health, development, and well-being. Emphasizing the alignment with the principles of ideal learning, it provides actionable strategies for applying these principles through nature-based experiences.
How to Use It
As a practical resource –
- to enrich educational practices by leveraging nature’s learning opportunities.
- to enrich outdoor classroom settings and activities, making the most of the natural environment as a dynamic learning space.
- to foster the confidence and skills of educators as a tool in facilitating nature-based learning.
- to strategize collaboration between educators, families, and communities, in creating a cohesive approach to nature-based education.
