The Importance of Play
Winter Weather …. Challenges and joys
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
TEACHING RESOURCES
PROFESSIONAL READING and WATCHING
Remove the Bubble Wrap: Why Overprotection Hinders Healthy Child Development
“One of the biggest barriers to outdoor play is that our American society has become litigious over the years, and it is starting to take a toll on child development. Schools and even towns are implementing more rules and banning classic childhood pastimes like playing tag, sledding, playing on monkey bars, and jumping off swings. The reason? Some child somewhere got hurt, and now the school or town is fearful of being sued. The easy solution is to get rid of the equipment and forbid the activity. This may be a good short-term solution; however, we have forgotten the importance of allowing children to participate in these activities.” Angela Hanscom
Winter Weather…challenges and joys
“I remind myself by recognizing that there are so many benefits that come with all the challenges associated with being outside in the winter. The two hours I spent in the snow with a group of 4 year olds this past week were filled with wonderful opportunities for learning and development. The snow sparked the children’s creativity to explore the outdoor space in a new way and provided a means for great physical exercise!” Caylin
A History of the UK & US Forest School Movement (Forest Schooled)
Outdoors in Winter: Inside – Outside Antioch University New England
>New Position Statement from Inside-Outside Advisory Group: “Outdoor Learning In Cold Weather – Keep Moving Through Winter and Covid – 19″
>Resources for outdoor classrooms in winter.
Flourishing in Nature forum – North American Alliance for Environmental Education
“For years, Professor Julie Ernst at the University of Minnesota-Duluth has been exploring how nature preschools affect children’s curiosity, creativity, executive function skills, and more. In a recent forum, she joined Natural Start to share her research and new tools she has developed that help make the case for nature-based education.”
Not only is this research valuable for developing and justifying nature preschools, but it is critical in supporting parents and educators who have elementary aged children they want to help flourish, not just survive.
Connecting to Nature is Good for Mental Health, by Louise Chawla
TED-Talk Cherry Creek: Megan Patterson | The Nature of Education
Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health,
PEER, 2018 Nature Play Lit Review
“Running Free in Germany’s Outdoor Preschools,” By Alice Gregory, New York Times, May 18, 2017.
“Preschool without walls,” By Lillian Mongeau, New York Times, Dec. 29, 2015
“You Can’t Bounce Off the Walls if There Are No Walls: Outdoor Schools Make Kids Happier–And Smarter,” David Sobel, Yes Magazine, March 28, 2014
Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv
The Nature Principle, Richard Louv
The Geography of Childhood, Gary Paul Nabhan & Stephen Trimble
“Look, Don’t Touch,” David Sobel, Orion Magazine, July 2012
Changing Education Paradigms, with Sir Ken Robinson
School’s Out: Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten
Ecophilia and How to Create a Place-Based Curriculum for your Early Childhood Program
Journeys Out Yonder, LLC 
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