Partnering with Nature in Early Childhood: A Guide to Outdoor Experiences

By Patti Ensel Bailie and Catherine Koons-Hubbard

Nature is not simply what we teach. Nature is how we teach.
Join the growing nature-based learning movement! Written for educators by educators, Partnering with Nature turns theoretical ideas about the benefits of nature in childhood into achievable results.
Discover how to meet state-mandated early learning standards while enjoying daily nature-based activities. With a sample class schedule, a list of essential items to carry in a backpack, an outline of seasonal topics, seasonal activities at a glance, and an assessment tool, this practical, inclusive guide demonstrates how nature can support preschool children’s learning. Partnering with Nature is filled with practical advice that will allow early childhood teachers who are new to nature-based education to venture forward with confidence.

• Discover simple approaches to creating a nature-based classroom.
• Learn how to safely and effectively take children outdoors to explore the world beyond your four walls.
• Find tips for meeting some of the ongoing challenges that come with teaching outdoors.

Whether your program is right next to a forest, beach, or park, or your center is in the middle of a large city, you can provide a high-quality environment that meets young children’s developmental needs while initiating them into a lifelong, meaningful relationship with the natural world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gryphon House Inc.
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780876599303

Patti Ensel Bailie

Patti Ensel Bailie, PhD, is one of the leaders in the national nature preschool movement. She is an assistant professor of early childhood education at the University of Maine at Farmington and has worked in early childhood environmental education for 30 years. She is the founding director of the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Preschool and served as the codirector of the Early Childhood Outdoors Institute at the Fontenelle Nature Association in Omaha, NE. She presents at regional and national conferences on connecting young children to nature.  

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