This book will inspire you to create extraordinary outdoor places for young children without highly complex play contraptions surrounded by a sea of wood chips or gravel... Places for children that tickle the imagination and surprise the senses...Places for young ones of all abilities to discover themselves and the world around them... Natural places where the entire space is filled with art, hills, pathways, trees, herbs, open areas, sand, water, music, and more... Where children find places to run, climb, dig, pretend, and hide, with opportunities to bellow or be silent. This magnificent 316-page resource contains close to 500 color photographs and illustrations.

“A magnificent resource for transforming backyards into stimulating environments which enhance children’s creativity, learning, and fun.” —Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, The Nature Principle, and Vitamin N Access to technology has created a generation of children who are more plugged in than ever before—often with negative consequences. Unrestricted outdoor play reduces stress, improves health, and enhances creativity, learning, and attention span. In Nature Play at Home, Nancy Striniste gives you the tools you need to make outdoor adventures possible in your yard, school, and neighborhood. With hundreds of inspiring ideas and 12 illustrated, step-by-step projects, this hardworking book details how to create playspaces that use natural materials—like logs, boulders, sand, water, and plants of all kinds. Projects include hillside slides, seating circles, sand pits, and more.

Access to technology has created a generation of children who are more plugged in than ever before—often with negative consequences. Unrestricted outdoor play reduces stress, improves health, and enhances creativity, learning, and attention span. In Nature Play at Home, Nancy Striniste gives caregivers the tools they need to make outdoor adventures possible in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. With hundreds of inspiring ideas and 12 illustrated, step-by-step projects, this hardworking book details how to create playspaces that use natural materials—like logs, boulders, sand, water, and plants of all kinds. Projects include hillside slides, seating circles, sand pits, and more. Accessible, research-based, and timely, Nature Play atHome is a must-have for modern parents and caregivers.

"From foraging and hunting for food to (more recently) finding solace and peace in a beautiful vista, humans have long interacted with the natural world. Though a connection to nature runs deep in our DNA, however, people of the modern age are indoors almost 93% of the day. With that said, there is a growing evidence suggests that the natural world promotes mental and physical well-being, including stress relief, improved mood, and neurological benefits. Ecotherapy, a steadily developing but lesser-known construct in mental health, explores the reciprocal relationship humans have with nature and its capacity to build strength and provide healing. Nature Is Nurture provides an overview of the theoretical concepts and empirical bases of ecotherapy via historical considerations and recent research within the discipline. Chapters share practical ways to incorporate ecotherapy with children, adults, and veteran populations; within schools; and in group work. Descriptions of modalities such as animal-assisted, equine-assisted, horticultural, forest-bathing, green-exercise, and adventure-based therapy are also included alongside case examples, techniques, and practical and ethical considerations. In examining the impact of improved physical and mental wellness for all clients, this book provides counselors, therapists, social workers, and psychologists with the knowledge and techniques to infuse ecotherapy into everyday practice."

National Outdoor Book Award Winner: A fun, practical guide to outdoor play that sparks a connection to nature vital to children’s healthy development. Today children and families are often plugged into electronics and disconnected from direct experiences in nature. This beautifully photographed resource offers tangible approaches to nature-based learning and play for children. Parents and teachers can discover the benefits of outdoor learning and simple ways to facilitate unplugged nature connection in every season. Inspired by nature preschools, forest kindergartens, and forest school models the world over, this guide also includes “Voices from the Field” with advice from experienced nature-based educators. Balancing nature play experiences with hands-on projects using natural materials, it’s an ideal jumping off point for immersive nature play. Examples include: Wildlife observation and tracking Nature sounds, songs, and poetry Gardening and cooking with wild edibles Printmaking, charcoal drawing, dyeing, and shadow play Journaling inspired by nature “Voices from the Field” includes more ideas and tips contributed by leading educators, including: Sally Anderson, Sol Forest School, Tijeras, New Mexico * Yash Bhagwanji, Florida Atlantic University * Lauren Brown, Asheville Farmstead School * Peter Dargatz, Woodside Elementary School, Sussex, Wisconsin * Monica French, Wild Haven Forest Preschool and Childcare, Baltimore, Maryland * Patricia Leon, Miami Nature Playschool * Sheila William Ridge, Shirley G. Moore Lab School, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota * Beth Savitz, Irvine Nature Center, Owings Mills, Maryland * Maria Soboleski, New Mexico School for the Deaf * Paige Vonder Haar, Bunnell House Early Childhood Lab School, Fairbanks, Alaska * Susie Wirth, Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Foundation

Fully updated to reflect the current status and understandings regarding outdoor provision within early childhood education frameworks across the UK, this new edition shows early years practitioners how to get the very best from outdoor play and learning for the enjoyment, health and education of young children up to age seven. This invaluable resource gives sound practical guidance for providing: play with water, sand and other natural materials; experiences with plants, growing and living things; movement and physical play; construction, imaginative and creative play; and explorations into the locality and community just beyond your garden. This full-colour third edition has been further developed to act as a comprehensive source book of relevant materials, books and resources supporting the core ingredients of high-quality outdoor provision, while each chapter also includes extensive collections of children’s picture books relating to the themes within each chapter. Playing and Learning Outdoors has become the essential practical guide to excellence in outdoor provision and pedagogy for all early years services. This lively, inspiring and accessible book will help every educator to develop truly successful and satisfying approach to learning through play outdoors for every child.

There has been a growing academic interest in the role of outdoor spaces for play in a child′s development. This text represents a coordinated and comprehensive volume of international research on this subject edited by members of the well-established European Early Childhood Education Research Association Outdoor Play and Learning SIG (OPAL). Chapters written by authors from Europe, North and South America, Australasia and Asia Pacific countries are organised into six sections: Theoretical Frameworks and Conceptual Approaches for Understanding Outdoor Play & Learning Critical Reflections on Policy and Regulation in Outdoor Play & Learning Children′s Engagement with Nature, Sustainability and Children′s Geographies Diverse Contexts and Inclusion in Children′s Outdoor Play Environments Methodologies for Researching Outdoor Play and Learning Links Between Research and Practice

In the face of our planet's escalating environmental crisis and climate change, humanity stands at a crossroads, urgently requiring a transformative response. The task of averting environmental destruction necessitates not only a shift in our economy and technology but, more fundamentally, a profound cultural transformation. This imperative transformation involves a collective move from the self-centered "Ego" to an ecologically conscious "Eco." To unravel the complexities of this metamorphosis, scholars are turning to the potent tool of environmental education, recognized for its capacity to foster personal and social growth while promoting environmental conservation. Enter Fostering an Ecological Shift Through Effective Environmental Education, a groundbreaking exploration into the transformative power of education in the pursuit of sustainable change. As readers embark on this scholarly journey, the book reveals the profound psychological connection to nature achievable through environmental education. It scrutinizes the connection between heightened nature awareness and the adoption of sustainable practices, providing valuable insights for educators at various levels. The chapters traverse diverse topics, from the historical roots of environmental education to the role of indigenous knowledge, yoga, and eco-spirituality within nature education. The book's comprehensive approach extends to eco-therapy, forest school programs, and the influence of parents in environmental education. By scrutinizing case studies and global movements, this work illuminates the achievements and challenges of environmental education on both national and global scales.

A thought-provoking re-examination of children's play drawing together insights and experiences across fields such as education, sociology, philosophy and psychology to encourage an inter-disciplinary approach.

Develops ideas and offers new approaches to the topic of trade theory.