World of Wonder: An International Nature-Based Early Learning Conference
By Anna Patterson, Teacher
“Just as children need good nutrition and adequate sleep, they may very well need contact with nature.” ―Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Children building a fort with sticks, discovering a fallen bird’s nest, splashing in a nearby stream, squishing mud through their fingers: These are some of the scenes depicted in nature-based early learning environments. For four days in early August, 400 professionals who represent a growing nature-based education movement gathered in Chicago to explore various perspectives in their field. Held at the Brookfield Zoo, the “World of Wonder” conference was hosted by the Natural Start Alliance, a coalition of educators, parents, organizations, and others who want to help young children connect with nature and care for the environment.
Keynote speaker Claire Warden, an author and educational consultant, suggested that “it’s a child’s right to be in nature.” In a world where children spend less time outdoors and more time looking at screens, we’re seeing increases in childhood obesity rates and diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and decreases in children’s confidence levels, independence and creativity. In her talk, Warden inspired the audience to advocate the need for children to get outdoors and encouraged teachers to help children flourish in a natural environment by linking the “inside,” “outside” and “beyond.” She pointed out that learning can happen while meandering back and forth between indoor and outdoor environments, and that connecting children with nature isn’t always determined by landscapes, but instead can be achieved in simple moments like watching a beetle crawling around a flowering plant. This concept of creating special moments or situations in nature is what Warden considers the “beyond.”
One of the most insightful presentations at the conference was a session titled “Learning from Nature: Getting Young Gifted Kids Outdoors.” Professors Patti Ensel Bailie and Leigh Anne Fish from the University of Maine at Farmington detailed the myriad benefits of connecting children with nature. Although the talk specified implications for gifted children, it maintained that the core value of getting children outdoors can be applied to all children.
First off, as children engage in outdoor play, their social skills improve. Bailie and Fish presented an example in which a group of children worked together over an extended period of time to build a fort with sticks. When children work toward a common goal, they negotiate, communicate and collaborate. As the children shared their ideas for the design of the fort, worked together to transport sticks, and problem-solved solutions when the fort collapsed, it was evident that they were gaining valuable social skills. Secondly, as children spend time outdoors, it enhances their emotional well-being: Research has shown that time spent in nature reduces stress and anxiety and has a calming effect. Bailie and Fish pointed out that simple acts such as caring for animals or tending a garden can help children develop a sense of empathy. And getting outdoors helps children learn about risk-taking, resilience and grit. For me, this brought to mind moments at Bing when children work through challenging tasks, from learning to climb trees in the grove area in Center Room to solving the dilemma of raccoons digging up the Bing yard at night.
Another benefit of connecting children with the outdoors is that it can give them a “cause” and a connection to having a positive impact on their environment. Bailie and Fish warn parents and educators not to overwhelm children with issues that are too big, but instead to encourage projects that are appropriate to a child’s age—projects that show they can make a difference. For example, when children think about how they can conserve water in their classroom or set up a system for composting in their yard, it can give them a sense of justice, of responsibility for their environment and of giving back to their community.
Perhaps one of the most obvious but often overlooked benefits of getting children outdoors is better physical health. Adequate time for movement outdoors, according to Bailie and Fish, has proven to be crucial to success in academics. In particular, movements that cross the midline of the body (e.g., raking, crawling or climbing a tree) have been important for brain development. Lastly, spending more time outdoors nurtures children’s creativity and imagination. Bailie and Fish noted that children experience moments of awe and fascination in nature, and with those emotions come the ability to think expansively and to increase their capacity for imagination.
Bing’s founding director Edith Dowley strongly believed in “giving back to children some of the things modern life has tended to take away from them.” The World of Wonder conference truly mirrored this conviction, inspiring attendees to be advocates for getting children out in nature—to give them the time, space and freedom to explore their natural surroundings and learn with nature.