Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Gentle: Nature-based Play and Learning through the Seasons – SUMMER Sylvia Kennedy-Godin February 7, 2019

This series will engage early childhood professionals in the best practices for authentic play in nature for children and the learning that it fosters. We’ll explore the adult role in this learning, discuss risk and benefit, describe some approaches to getting all students ready to be outside learning together, identify how to document and extend the learning, and discover how the language and experiences of outdoor play can help us build more compassionate children and peaceful communities. We’ll do this while spending time outside looking for signs of the seasons and learning how to involve young children in “doing science” – observations, questions, sharing discoveries. Summer investigations outside are full of bugs and flowers and dirt. Learning Objectives: Learn how nature-based play outdoors is critical for children’s overall development; Learn best practices for authentic play in nature; Explore the adult role in outdoor learning environments and identify how to document and extend outdoor learning.