Outdoor & Nature-Based Learning Curriculum

Whole-Child Teaching

In nature-based programs, environmental education concepts and practices are integrated into the curriculum and focus on teaching the whole child (Ardonin & Bowers, 2020). Whole-child teaching refers to how the curriculum addresses all areas of learning, including social, emotional, physical, and cognitive learning (Warden, 2019).

The Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress are the developmental learning standards educators use to inform curriculum development. The Approaches to Learning standards identify foundational skills children develop that influence all developmental domains. These approaches share many characteristics with the values highlighted in outdoor and nature-based educations.

Approaches to Learning:
  • Curiosity and Inquisitiveness
  • Attentiveness
  • Imagination
  • Processing and Using Information
Info graphic depicting childhood areas of development and how the overlap with each other and are encompassed by approaches to learning, stating that outdoor and nature-based learning supports the whole child.
Created using Canva.com.

Emergent Curriculum

Children’s interests and abilities inform the development of the curriculum and opportunities for observations and learning assessment. This approach to curriculum development is commonly referred to as emergent curriculum because it emerges from children's interests (Larimore, 2019; Warden, 2022).

​A daily routine is followed, but flexibility allows for changes based on the child's interests and developmental needs. Children’s inquiry is encouraged to promote curiosity, creative thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, and other higher-order thinking skills (NAAEE, 2019). These approaches to learning provide opportunities for children to see themselves as capable learners.

Building Community & Caring

​Teachers help children observe and understand patterns and changes from season to season, building on concepts of the interconnectedness of human life with the natural environment (NAAEE, 2019). Children see how teachers model caring for the environment and nature, and together, the group develops sustainability practices for their community, connecting them inside and outside.

Inside, Outside, & Beyond

​Author Claire Warden (2019), in the book Green Teaching, identifies this as learning inside, outside, and beyond. Supporting children’s learning inside, outside, and beyond means challenging traditional beliefs about learning only in indoor classrooms (Larimore, 2019; Warden, 2019).

Supporting Infants & Toddlers

:​For infants and toddlers, much of their learning occurs within the learning environment and the adults who are part of their daily routines. Several studies of nature-based programming recommended experiences for infants and toddlers that:
  • allow for freedom of movement
  • have spaces that encourage different types of movement like climbing and crawling
  • include multi-sensory experiences
  • provide exposure to natural materials
  • encourage imaginative play,
  • offer language-rich active play
  • support engaging with peers and excited adults
(Adams, 2013; Kemp & Josephidou, 2023; Morrissey & Wishart, 2015).

An emergent curriculum is perfect for  infants and toddlers who are strongly motivated by their own interests. Inviting young children to engage in activities based on things they are interested in promotes active engagement, attention, and opportunities for practicing and mastering new skills. When interesting activities are offered and shared with trusted adult caregivers and peers, strong healthy relationships are developed. Doing these activities inside, outside, and beyond provides endless novelty and stimulating sensory rich experiences for infants and toddlers. 

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