"What looks like “sharing” on the surface is something much deeper. When children collaborate, they are not simply learning to take turns or be kind. They are reorganizing their relationship to materials and to each other. As children negotiated and worked together, the ownership softened. The control loosened. The materials stop being extensions of the self and begin to act as invitations for collective thinking."

Ready to move beyond themes? Learn how to start play-based learning with 5 simple steps that bring more curiosity, connection, and ease in your day.

This article highlights the concept of play through the lens of Foucault and describes key benefits that can support the academic achievement of students as they continue on to later grades by changing the regimes of truth on play. This research highlights three major developmental aspects of play and their impact on early childhood development. Specifically, language development in Monolinguals and DLLs, self-regulation, and emergent literacy skills. 

This workshop is for educators and program leaders who want to integrate meaningful, evidence-based outdoor learning into real-world educational settings—whether they’re enhancing a classroom, leading a program, or building something new.

• Session #1: Foundations of Forest School Practice
• Session #2: Nature and Neuroscience: Brain Development Through Outdoor Learning
• Session #3: Addressing Common Challenges in Outdoor Learning Environments
• Session #4: Adapting Forest School Principles for Conventional Educational Settings

In this webinar, we will discuss practical ways to make the most out of your sand area. We will reinforce the many developmental benefits and work through the challenges that sand play may offer at your centre. We will review the basics of constructing your sand space to make it sustainable and simple to maintain, plus add key design elements to ensure that you have shade, water, and loose parts. Learn how to streamline your sand tools and figure out how to create a storage system that works for both children and educators. Most importantly, create a space that provides ownership and can be utilized during all four seasons.

The Natural Start Alliance's annual conference brings together educators, administrators, researchers, and advocates from across the U.S. and around the world to advance equitable nature-based early learning. Through engaging presentations, hands-on workshops, site tours, and bold conversations about leadership and policy, participants gain practical tools for their daily work while exploring the systems change needed to expand access for all children.

A summer course to set you up for a sensational back to school classroom, with a greater level of engagement, collaboration, and participation from the children in your care.

In this episode, we explore the benefits of risky play and why opportunities for challenge, exploration, and manageable risk are so important for children’s development and regulation of their nervous systems. We discuss the six elements of risky play, simple ways to begin incorporating risky play in an ECE classroom, and practical tools to support implementation. This conversation is led by two of our STARS coaches after completing the Embracing Risky Play course through Canada's Outdoor Learning School and Store and facilitating a provider community of practice focused on risky play.

Working with Wood in ECE with Pete Moorhouse Woodworking in early childhood can feel like a big leap - for educators and for programs. In this episode, I sit down with early years creative consultant, researcher, and author Pete Moorhouse to explore what woodworking can actually look like in practice – and why it matters.

Listen to this episode from Mindful Turtle on Spotify. As nature-based early educators rush to compile documentation at the end of the year, this episode invites use to reframe from a task to a meaningful practice that honors the emotional memories of their students.

This episode is all about nature play, living soil, school forests, and why children need more than a break from screens.