Nature-Based Early Childhood Education: How Emergent Curriculum and Nature Play Support Learning

In recent years a renewed interest to unplug and get back to basics has brought nature-learning to the forefront of early childhood education.Until now, nature-based approaches have been loosely lumped into a bucket of environmental education, outdoor education, or recreation unless a school or program explicitly refers to itself as a forest or nature preschool, forest kindergarten, or something similarly named.This book defines nature-based early childhood education (NBECE) as its own educational philosophy. And while it is already being applied in forest and nature preschools, it is spreading into every imaginable early learning environment.This book will show how the benefits of NBECE for young children are supported by research.It includes guidance for directors and educators to implement seasonal, nature-based curricula with a focus on emergent curriculum and provides practical strategies for indoor and outdoor settings. And it discusses how educators can embrace their own natural