Do you remember your childhood?Do you remember your childhood?

Was it free range?

Did you have a special place?

A special memory?

Why Nature?Why Nature?

Asthma

Allergies

Obesity

Medications

Research

Fun and mostly free

Why Not NatureWhy Not Nature

Fear of strangers

Fear of disease

Fear of dirt

Fear of the unknown

Outdoor Management

Discuss the activity before you go outside

Discuss any rules

Create boundaries

Notify the main office before leaving the building

Can you touch a booger?Can you touch a booger?

Then you can touch a worm or other type of critter!Then you can touch a worm or other type of critter!

“I don’t have time…”

The truth is, you don’t have time not to take the kids outside!

Research shows that: Children with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are better able to concentrate after

contact with nature (Taylor et al. 2001).

Children with views of and contact with nature score higher on tests of concentration and self-discipline. The greener, the better the scores (Wells 2000, Taylor et al. 2002).

Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced motor fitness, including coordination, balance and agility, and they are sick less often (Grahn, et al. 1997, Fjortoft & Sageie 2001).

When children play in natural environments, their play is more diverse with imaginative and creative play that fosters language and collaborative skills (Moore & Wong 1997, Taylor, et al. 1998, Fjortoft 2000).

Exposure to natural environments improves children's cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning and observational skills (Pyle 2002).

Nature buffers the impact of life's stresses on children and helps them deal with adversity. The greater the amount of nature exposure, the greater the benefits (Wells & Evans 2003).

Play in a diverse natural environment reduces or eliminates bullying (Malone & Tranter 2003).

Nature helps children develop powers of observation and creativity and instills a sense of peace and being at one with the world (Crain 2001).

Early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and the sense of wonder (Cobb 1977, Louv 1991). Wonder is an important motivator for life long learning (Wilson 1997).

Children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other (Moore 1996).

Natural environments stimulate social interaction between children (Moore 1986, Bixler et al. 2002).

Outdoor environments are important to children's development of independence and autonomy (Bartlett 1996).

Play in outdoor environments stimulates all aspects of children development more readily than indoor environments (Moore & Wong 1997).

An affinity to and love of nature, along with a positive environmental ethic, grow out of regular contact with and play in the natural world during early childhood. Children's loss of regular contact with the natural world can result in a biophobic future generation not interested in preserving nature and its diversity (Bunting & Cousins 1985; Chawla 1988; Wilson 1993; Pyle 1993; Chipeniuk 1994; Sobel 1996, 2002 & 2004; Hart 1997; Wilson 1997, Kals et al. 1999; Moore & Cosco 2000; Fisman 2001; Kellert 2002; Bixler et al. 2002; Kals & Ittner 2003; Schultz et al. 2004).

•

Nature ExperiencesNature ExperiencesChildren don’t get outside enough

Free play and exploring time in nature is vital for the development of school age children.

They are not getting that time at home.

Why?

What can you do as a family?

• Take a hike or walk• Make a snow man• Have no plan• Create a story• Watch clouds• Go on a winter beach

hike• Build a fort• Go on a nature

program

What can you do with students?What can you do with students?

NOW WHAT? Think of the outside as an extension of your classroom!

Bring blocks outside

Have centers outside

Enjoy snack outside

Lie down under a tree

Have students find shapes, numbers and letters in nature

Music and movement

Read a book outside

Bring puzzles and games outside

Bring projects outside

Use the seasons as a guide

Go for a “Spring, Fall, or Winter Treasure Hunt”

Paint outside

Simply take a nature walk and enjoy the fresh air

Everyone has a pair of garden gloves

Take trash bags outside and clean up the front yard

We painted and assembled a bird feeder

We filled the feeder with seed

We planted a Shepard's hook in the ground

We hung the feeder and sat back to observe the birds

Bring Nature Inside as much as possible too…

Have live plants and animals in your classroom for

children to care for and interact with.

Teach children respect for plant life

Responsibility each day

Seed emergence and the growth process

Open Space Stewardship Program

In January of 2006, the Office of Educational Programs (OEP) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory launched the Open Space Stewardship Program as part of its GREEN Institute. GREEN stands for "Gaining Research Experience in the Environment." The program fosters partnerships between schools and land stewards in their local communities. Students in grades K through 12 perform environmental research on undeveloped land owned either by a public or private agency.

(Retrieved from http://www.greenossp.org/)

This program is designed to:- help students to learn about the scientific process through working with real-life data in the field- benefit land stewards in the management of their property- promote science literacy- encourage students to consider careers in science and technology- foster a sense of civic responsibility and respect for open space property.

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

A research based essay contest to promote participation and communication in science. Students will plan and conduct a scientific expedition that will provide questions, data, observations, and conclusions on a self-selected topic in the field of Biology, Earth Science, or astronomy.Website: www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/

Progress , Problem Solving and Leaf Packs at Pardees Pond…

Testing levels of dissolved oxygen to determine water quality…

Leaving the pond a bit cleaner than we found it…

The Point

• Any curriculum can be adapted to integrate the outdoors

• It takes the dedication of one person to make a difference

• It’s worth it!