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Early Childhood Nature Resources

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This group is a place for all of us who love nature and young children to share resources we have found to be helpful and inspiring. Please post stories, programs, workshop materials, handouts for parents, books, links, and photos.

Website: http://www.hookedonnature.org
Members: 99
Latest Activity: Apr 8

Words of Wisdom

Teaching children about the natural world
should be treated as one of the most
important events in their lives.
Thomas Berry, Dream of the Earth

If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense
of wonder, he needs the companionship
of at least one adult who can share it,
rediscovering with him the joy, excitement
and mystery of the world we live in.
Rachel Carson, A Sense of Wonder

Discussion Forum

Nature Preschools and Kindergartens 1 Reply

Nature Preschools and Kindergartens WorkshopJoin us for a great One-Day Intensive Workshop on Nature Preschools and Kindergartens. Claire Warden and I will be hosting this workshop on Nature…Continue

Started by Paul Roberts. Last reply by Juliet Robertson Jan 11.

Nature Preschools 22 Replies

We are just about to start our second year of our Little Sprouts nature based early learning center and I just wondered if any of you guys are doing this and if you have any BIG ideas for us to…Continue

Started by Debbie Greene. Last reply by Janine Carpenter May 5, 2012.

Join us for our International Green Schoolyard Conference: Sept. 16-18, 2011, San Francisco Bay Area

As many of you know, the green schoolyard movement is growing rapidly and flourishing around the world. Schools near and far are reimagining their grounds, replacing their extensive paved surfaces…Continue

Tags: environment, nature, conference, green, childhood

Started by Sharon Danks Jun 20, 2011.

Let's G.O.! Get Outside 1 Reply

Wanted to be sure you all know about Let’s G.O.! Get Outside. This is a youth-inspired, youth-led campaign unifying all of C&NN's initiatives and partners to Play, Serve and Celebrate together…Continue

Started by Avery Cleary. Last reply by Stephanie Rach-Wilson Mar 4, 2011.

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Comment Wall

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Comment by John Thielbahr on March 16, 2012 at 9:09am: Folks,

On the Natural Teachers Network Group site, Christy Schultz has asked for some guidance on working with Kindergarten kids in Florida. Christy is a Master Naturalist who works a lot with homeschool kids to get them connected with nature. Please send your suggestions to her. If you don't belong to the Natural Teachers Network, please sign up. Many thanks. jt

Comment by Juliet Robertson on February 27, 2012 at 12:28am: Pre-school children mediate naturally when playing in woods - interesting article from Wales http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-17099694

Comment by Jan Hummer on February 25, 2012 at 4:12pm: The next moderator for the Conneting Children to Nature through American Literature Blog is Peggy Christian the author of If You Find a Rock starting this week. I know as a preschool teacher I have used this one and Ms. Byrd Baylor's many times over. Please visit and share your encounter with this book and your little ones. Did you create an activity from it and how did the children respond ?

Kindly,

Jan Hummer

Comment by Margie on February 1, 2012 at 12:02pm: Hey folks,

Here's a great contest I entered in 2010 with my grandson. Try it out with your little ones: EPA's Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest. It's intergenerational.http://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/thesenseofwonder/index.htm

Comment by Juliet Robertson on January 31, 2012 at 1:39pm: That's very interesting - quite in-depth. We have ones that focus on learning outdoors in Scotland but I feel that it's too educationally-generic and misses the finer points. Thanks for sharing.

Comment by Bora Simmons on January 31, 2012 at 10:21am: NEW Publication from NAAEE:

Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale

The Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale (NAAEE 2011), authored by Yash Bhagwanji,provides a collaborative tool for educators and others to discuss their early childhood environmental education program goals, consider strengths and areas of needed improvement, and chart a future direction for development. The Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale is easy to use while also encouraging deep discussions about program philosophy, design and implementation. Building off of NAAEE’s Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence, it is a much welcomed addition to the early childhood environmental education tool kit.

The Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale (ECEERS) is a formative evaluation tool designed to assist programs in improving their environmental education curriculum. Download your copy of both the ECEERS and the ECEE Guidelines (free) at: http://eelinked.naaee.net/n/guidelines/posts/Early-Childhood-Enviro...

Comment by Stephanie Rach-Wilson on November 13, 2011 at 10:28pm: With the weather turning just want to share there are lots of ways to keep kids connected to nature. From morning role play like "How would a Banana slug wake up" to "Growing from a seed to a giant Redwood" we are keeping the great outdoors in the little minds of the children we work with. We have a great CD with five songs that get kids dancing to winding down - we have some extra promo copies if anyone would like to use them in their classrooms.

As you begin your week remember the minute you step outside you are in nature so think of simple ways to help your kids connect: Breathing exercises, swooshing like the wind, hopping like bunnies, swaying like trees. Anything can be done within a small space ...to the trails.

Cheers everyone!

Stephanie

www.letsgochipper.com

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Comment by Connecticut Friends School on October 24, 2011 at 5:11pm: In case anyone lives in southwestern Connecticut, I'd like to invite you to the Admissions Open House at Connecticut Friends School. (And please share with any friends you know in our area who might be interested too.) We are a small, Preschool - Grade 8, coed, independent school. CFS combines outstanding academics, arts and an extraordinary outdoor education and leadership program with Friends (Quaker) values of simplicity, stewardship, peaceful problem-solving, and mutual respect. Our students play outside, on a wooded play area every day. Field trips to nature centers, planetariums, sculpture and botanical gardens, state parks and preserves, wilderness areas, ropes courses, rock climbing venues, and overnight camping trips are all regular and integral elements of our educational program.

Come learn more about our school...

SERIOUS WORK IN A JOYOUS ATMOSPHERE

experiential learning * small, co-ed classes

Call to rsvp for our Open House on November 4, 2011, 1:00 – 3:00

CFS is on Route 106 in the Silvermine area of Wilton.

www.CTFriendsSchool.org

203 762 9860

info@CTFriendsSchool.org

Thanks everybody!

Comment by John Thielbahr on October 18, 2011 at 11:41am: Hello Early Learning professionals. Please see my post about attending the NAEYC annual conference in Orlando Nov. 2-5 where The Children & Nature Network will be sharing an exhibit booth with natural play space designer Adam Bienenstock. Adam will be giving a workshop on Nov. 2. Hope you can attend and raise awareness of the importance of connecting young children to the natural world.

Comment by Margie on May 27, 2011 at 9:29am: Just attended a Growing Up Wild facilitator's workshop. It was great, filled with so many ideas. Check it out at http://projectwild.org/GrowingUpWILD.htm.