All Outdoor Content

Young girl smiling
The cover for the publication, Teaching Young Children, Summer 2021.
Issue
Teaching Young Children
Vol. 14, No. 4
July 1, 2021

Summer 2021

Empowering Educators & Programs: A Blueprint for Excellence
Teaching Young Children is NAEYC's magazine for anyone who works with preschoolers. Colorful, informative, and easy-to-read, TYC is packed full of teaching ideas, strategies, and tips.
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A young boy in a classroom taping an image to block.
Article
Young Children
May 1, 2020

Transforming Our Community with STEAM

The preschool bucket brigade took place four weeks into an intensive study surrounding the unit Our Community. While this topic is very common in preschools, for these teachers, this community unit was almost all new. This was their first experience with

Authored by

Authored by: 
Lea Ann Christenson, Jenny James
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Girl with mud on hands
Article
Young Children
May 1, 2019

Rocking and Rolling. Fresh Air, Fun, and Exploration: Why Outdoor Play Is Essential for Healthy Developmentالهواء النقي والمتعة والاستكشاف: أهمية اللعب الخارجي في التطور الصحي للأطفال

Ensuring that outdoor play is an integral part of your child care and education setting’s daily schedule supports early learning across all domains and unleashes a whole lot of joy—for you and for children!

Authored by

Authored by: 
Kathy Kinsner
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Two young girls at the lake scooping water into buckets
Blog
August 6, 2019

Gone Fishing

I think about being a parent and a teacher and observing children. Even experts can forget that there is a time to model and guide, and also a time to give space for the kind of learning that happens with uninterrupted play and exploration.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Julia Luckenbill
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Three children looking at leaves
Blog
August 6, 2019

Connecting our Nature Walks to the Classroom

If the environment is the third teacher, there is no better classroom environment than the outdoors. I use our experiences and my notes and pictures as inspiration for our curriculum.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Daniela Silver
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Two children measuring a tree
Blog
July 11, 2019

How to Create a Forest Classroom Experience

Here are some tips to help you create meaningful forest experiences for the children in your care—no outdoor classroom required!

Authored by

Authored by: 
Daniela Silver
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Children sitting in woods
Article
Young Children
May 1, 2019

From Fear to Freedom: Risk and Learning in a Forest School (Voices)

As an outdoor educator and “nature elder,” Heather Taylor tells two stories that stretched her personal views of what it means to allow children to have the freedom to make their own choices as they study nature.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Heather B. Taylor
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Teacher and student at a preschool in the park
Article
Teaching Young Children
April 1, 2019

Preschool in the Park: Place-Based Learning in Unexpected Spaces

Schools like Tiny Trees that offer place-based education rely on the surrounding landscape to teach life skills, such as staying warm and contributing to the community.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Rachel J. Franz
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Three girls playing in leaves
Blog
February 6, 2019

Nature-Based Mindfulness for More Calm & Peaceful Kids

As children explore and observe nature, they become more aware of, and empathetic to, the plants and animals who share the natural world. Try these nature-based mindful activities indoors or outdoors with your tots!

Authored by

Authored by: 
Monica Wiedel-Lubinski
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Mud kitchen materials in outside patio
Article
Teaching Young Children
February 1, 2019

Getting the Most out of Your Mud Kitchen

Read our top tips for getting the most out of mud play in your setting.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Claire Martin
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Child playing with rocks
Blog
January 2, 2019

Spotlight on Games—Kindness Rocks!

As early childhood educators, we often have stories to tell about our own children as we play and learn with them at home. Here is a story from Julia Luckenbill about her family’s experiences with a rock hiding and finding activity.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Julia Luckenbill
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Teacher and two students observing pigeons
Article
Young Children
November 1, 2018

From Puddles to Pigeons: Learning about Nature in Cities

Parents, educators, and other primary caregivers might not realize that a small patch of grass, a single tree, and a walk to the store are opportunities to observe nature, generate questions, and conduct experiments to find answers.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Marion Goldstein, Lisa Famularo, Jamie Kynn
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