Local Organizations and Programs
At Home in Nature Outdoor Preschool, San Diego, CA. At Home in Nature programs give children the opportunity to learn through their senses and through the natural process of discoveries. To know and understand their world, children must have a chance to have blocks of unstructured time in nature. Teachers observe and record what children are interested in and will support those interests by providing materials, information and tools to extend on their learning where needed or desired. More information at www.athomeinnature.com.
Outdoor Play and Learning Environments. Designing for Children’s Outdoor Play and Learning Environments, presentation by Ilisa Goldman at Schoolyard Habitats Teacher Workshops. Presentation OPALE Aug. 2013.
Request a School Garden Consultant from Master Gardeners of San Diego County to advise schools and early childhood centers on planning gardens and native habitats, at Schoolyard Habitat Page.
National Organizations and Programs
Natural Learning Initiative, North Carolina State University (NCSU). Founded in 2000 to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience of all children, through environmental design, action research, education, and dissemination of information, is a research and professional development unit at the College of Design, NCSU. www.naturalearning.org The NLI GREEN DESK is a resource for early childhood educators, childcare providers, administrators, and professionals seeking the latest information to create high quality, healthy outdoor environments for young children.
Growing Up Wild. Project Wild offers workshops and resources that focus on young children’s sense of wonder about nature Growing Up WILD is an early childhood education program of Project Wild that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.
Natural Learning Initiative, promoting nature in the daily experience of all children,http://www.naturalearning.org/.
Pathways for Play, Integrating play into communities and bringing play back into nature,http://pathwaysforplay.org/.
NatureGrounds, designing nature back into playgrounds, https://landscapeforlife.org/health/
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, “Loose Parts – Natural Play Spaces Elements – Children In Nature” www.dnr.state.md.us/cin/nps/Loose_Parts.asp