Playful by Nature
Play-based nature education for young children and their adults
Play-based nature education is about exploring and having fun in the natural world. For young children, it is not yet about learning the names of rocks or how plants grow. First, they need to feel curious and try new things. Experiencing nature is an important early step towards respecting and caring for the world around them.
- Audience
- CaregiverEducator
- Subject
- Nature & Outdoor
- Age
- InfantKindergartenPre-KPreschoolToddler
- Languages
- Brazilian PortugueseEnglishHaitian CreoleSimplified ChineseSpanishVietnamese
Resources in the Playful by Nature collection
CaregiverActivityMaking Bug Homes
Creating a home for someone else encourages taking care of other living things, and thinking about what makes someone else feel comfortable. Children apply their own knowledge and concept of what a home is, and think imaginatively about how this concept relates to insects based on their needs.
CaregiverActivityPainting with Rain
Paintings will change in the rain, and colors will mix together. Children can be imaginative with the design of their paintings, and enjoy the process of mixing colors. Learning to accept unpredictable outcomes and/or try again is a great lesson.
CaregiverActivityNature Bracelets
Collect objects from nature and arrange the items to create a personalized bracelet that showcases children’s discoveries and preferences.
CaregiverActivityPaper Tube Binoculars
By making and using binoculars, children will closely engage with the natural world as they explore. Encourage them to notice the small details such as colors, shapes, and patterns as they explore different items, animals, and so much more!
CaregiverActivityPumpkin Hammering
Children will figure out how to get the golf tees in and out of the pumpkin and how to hold the tee and use the mallet safely and accurately. Offering the opportunity for children to try something new that can be challenging.
CaregiverActivityScavenger Hunts
Encourage children to explore, observe their surroundings using their senses and tools (magnifying glasses), and ask questions about what they notice. Find all the items on their scavenger hunt checklist can promote a sense of independence as well.
CaregiverActivityMaking Seed Balls
Being able to watch the growth of seeds that you planted yourself is a great way for children to appreciate nature. First we mix ingredients, next we watch a seedling grow, then we see a flower bloom!
CaregiverActivityPainting Snow
Children can paint freely across a unique surface and see where their ideas take them. Experiencing textures and temperatures you feel, like the hard ground, cold snow, and frozen, slippery ice.
EducatorGuidePlayful by Nature – Playgroup Guide
A way to talk to caregivers about the impact of nature play. You can document the children’s experiences, explain the skills they are practicing, and maybe ask them about their own memories of nature play, too.
EducatorGuidePlayful by Nature – Educator Guide
You can incorporate nature-based education anywhere! You don’t need to live in a rural area, or have a forest in your neighborhood, or even have a yard at all. Nature can truly be discovered in unexpected places.
For Caregivers
Nature is everywhere!
Some people live near a forest. Others live in the city. No matter where you live, nature is all around you! You can find plants growing in a crack in the sidewalk. You can feel the wind, listen to birds, or care for a potted plant inside your home. You can also bring natural objects indoors, like leaves, sticks, or rocks, and explore them together with your child.
Explore in different weather
Weather is part of nature, too! Sunny, rainy, hot, or cold-each day is a new opportunity to explore. Even "bad" weather can bring some special opportunities like puddles on rainy days and snowballs in winter. Dress in layers so your child stays comfortable. Use a raincoat or umbrella on wet days. Some days may not be good for going outside, and that’s okay. You can look at trees, raindrops, or shadows from a window. Nature is always there to discover!
Tips for exploring
Care for nature: Nature is full of living things. Encourage your child to care for them by picking up leaves, flowers, or sticks from the ground, not pulling them from plants.
Items to bring: Outdoor play can be messy-and that's okay! Wear clothes that can get dirty. Bring helpful items like extra clothes, wipes, water, sunscreen, and bandages. Tool like containers, small shovels, or magnifying glasses can make exploring more fun!
Stay safe: Watch for small items like acorns going in mouths, and avoid plants like poison ivy. Use bug spray if needed. But don’t be too afraid to explore! Small messes, bumps, and bruises are part of the fun of learning.
Not a fan of nature? It’s okay to not like bugs or rainy days. But your child is just starting to learn about nature, so try to explore with an open mind together! You can look at bugs from far away or touch them with a stick instead of your hand. Outdoor clothing like boots and gloves can help manage cold or muddy weather.
Ways to support your child
“How does it feel, smell, or sound?”
“What did you notice?”
“I’m not ready to touch it, but I’ll look at it first.”
For Educators
What is nature-based education?
When you hear the phrase “nature-based education” you may have questions about what it means. Is it learning from experiences with natural materials? Could it involve science or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) focused activities? Is it learning in an outdoor setting? Is it bringing nature into an indoor learning environment? Or is it simply playing at the park? In truth, nature-based education can include all of these things! There is no single or “right” way to do nature-based education, and in fact children can benefit from a wide variety of ways to access and engage with nature. Playful by Nature is a set of resources designed to support educators and caregivers in engaging young children with the natural world.
Playful by Nature resources include:
- Educator Guide for use in mixed-age group settings with infants to 5 year-olds
- Playgroup Guide for use with children and their caregivers
- Activity Cards to support family learning (in 6 different languages)
- Materials lists
- Book list
Download the Educator Guide for Mixed-Age Group Settings
You can incorporate nature-based education anywhere! You don’t need to live in a rural area, or have a forest in your neighborhood, or even have a yard at all. Many engrossing experiences can be had in a city park, on the sidewalk in front of your setting, or even indoors with natural materials in a sensory table or on a tray. Our goal with this guide is to provide you with ideas about how to make nature-based education work best for you and the children in your program. Comprised of 16 engaging activities, Playful by Nature helps young learners develop a relationship with the world around them.
Download the Playgroup Guide
Looking to provide nature-based education playgroups based on the Playful by Nature resource? Download this guide for educators!
What's included in this guide? This outline offers general tips on leading playgroups around nature education with infants to 5 year-olds and their caregivers, as well as some specific ideas for each of the eight Playful by Nature sessions. Please feel free to adapt the materials and ideas in the ways that work best for you and your families.
Important! You will also need the eight Playful by Nature Family Activity Cards to facilitate this playgroup. Feel free to combine activities or choose specific ones to best fit your specific playgroup pacing.
Download the Activity Cards
This resource is filled with ideas to help your child develop and practice a range of skills as they explore nature.
About this Collection
For Caregivers
Nature is everywhere!
Some people live near a forest. Others live in the city. No matter where you live, nature is all around you! You can find plants growing in a crack in the sidewalk. You can feel the wind, listen to birds, or care for a potted plant inside your home. You can also bring natural objects indoors, like leaves, sticks, or rocks, and explore them together with your child.
Explore in different weather
Weather is part of nature, too! Sunny, rainy, hot, or cold-each day is a new opportunity to explore. Even "bad" weather can bring some special opportunities like puddles on rainy days and snowballs in winter. Dress in layers so your child stays comfortable. Use a raincoat or umbrella on wet days. Some days may not be good for going outside, and that’s okay. You can look at trees, raindrops, or shadows from a window. Nature is always there to discover!
Tips for exploring
Care for nature: Nature is full of living things. Encourage your child to care for them by picking up leaves, flowers, or sticks from the ground, not pulling them from plants.
Items to bring: Outdoor play can be messy-and that's okay! Wear clothes that can get dirty. Bring helpful items like extra clothes, wipes, water, sunscreen, and bandages. Tool like containers, small shovels, or magnifying glasses can make exploring more fun!
Stay safe: Watch for small items like acorns going in mouths, and avoid plants like poison ivy. Use bug spray if needed. But don’t be too afraid to explore! Small messes, bumps, and bruises are part of the fun of learning.
Not a fan of nature? It’s okay to not like bugs or rainy days. But your child is just starting to learn about nature, so try to explore with an open mind together! You can look at bugs from far away or touch them with a stick instead of your hand. Outdoor clothing like boots and gloves can help manage cold or muddy weather.
Ways to support your child
“How does it feel, smell, or sound?”
“What did you notice?”
“I’m not ready to touch it, but I’ll look at it first.”
For Educators
What is nature-based education?
When you hear the phrase “nature-based education” you may have questions about what it means. Is it learning from experiences with natural materials? Could it involve science or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) focused activities? Is it learning in an outdoor setting? Is it bringing nature into an indoor learning environment? Or is it simply playing at the park? In truth, nature-based education can include all of these things! There is no single or “right” way to do nature-based education, and in fact children can benefit from a wide variety of ways to access and engage with nature. Playful by Nature is a set of resources designed to support educators and caregivers in engaging young children with the natural world.
Playful by Nature resources include:
- Educator Guide for use in mixed-age group settings with infants to 5 year-olds
- Playgroup Guide for use with children and their caregivers
- Activity Cards to support family learning (in 6 different languages)
- Materials lists
- Book list
Download the Educator Guide for Mixed-Age Group Settings
You can incorporate nature-based education anywhere! You don’t need to live in a rural area, or have a forest in your neighborhood, or even have a yard at all. Many engrossing experiences can be had in a city park, on the sidewalk in front of your setting, or even indoors with natural materials in a sensory table or on a tray. Our goal with this guide is to provide you with ideas about how to make nature-based education work best for you and the children in your program. Comprised of 16 engaging activities, Playful by Nature helps young learners develop a relationship with the world around them.
Download the Playgroup Guide
Looking to provide nature-based education playgroups based on the Playful by Nature resource? Download this guide for educators!
What's included in this guide? This outline offers general tips on leading playgroups around nature education with infants to 5 year-olds and their caregivers, as well as some specific ideas for each of the eight Playful by Nature sessions. Please feel free to adapt the materials and ideas in the ways that work best for you and your families.
Important! You will also need the eight Playful by Nature Family Activity Cards to facilitate this playgroup. Feel free to combine activities or choose specific ones to best fit your specific playgroup pacing.
Download the Activity Cards
This resource is filled with ideas to help your child develop and practice a range of skills as they explore nature.
Playful by Nature Collection: 10 items
Resources in the Playful by Nature collection
CaregiverActivityMaking Bug Homes
Creating a home for someone else encourages taking care of other living things, and thinking about what makes someone else feel comfortable. Children apply their own knowledge and concept of what a home is, and think imaginatively about how this concept relates to insects based on their needs.
CaregiverActivityPainting with Rain
Paintings will change in the rain, and colors will mix together. Children can be imaginative with the design of their paintings, and enjoy the process of mixing colors. Learning to accept unpredictable outcomes and/or try again is a great lesson.
CaregiverActivityNature Bracelets
Collect objects from nature and arrange the items to create a personalized bracelet that showcases children’s discoveries and preferences.
CaregiverActivityPaper Tube Binoculars
By making and using binoculars, children will closely engage with the natural world as they explore. Encourage them to notice the small details such as colors, shapes, and patterns as they explore different items, animals, and so much more!
CaregiverActivityPumpkin Hammering
Children will figure out how to get the golf tees in and out of the pumpkin and how to hold the tee and use the mallet safely and accurately. Offering the opportunity for children to try something new that can be challenging.
CaregiverActivityScavenger Hunts
Encourage children to explore, observe their surroundings using their senses and tools (magnifying glasses), and ask questions about what they notice. Find all the items on their scavenger hunt checklist can promote a sense of independence as well.
CaregiverActivityMaking Seed Balls
Being able to watch the growth of seeds that you planted yourself is a great way for children to appreciate nature. First we mix ingredients, next we watch a seedling grow, then we see a flower bloom!
CaregiverActivityPainting Snow
Children can paint freely across a unique surface and see where their ideas take them. Experiencing textures and temperatures you feel, like the hard ground, cold snow, and frozen, slippery ice.
EducatorGuidePlayful by Nature – Playgroup Guide
A way to talk to caregivers about the impact of nature play. You can document the children’s experiences, explain the skills they are practicing, and maybe ask them about their own memories of nature play, too.
EducatorGuidePlayful by Nature – Educator Guide
You can incorporate nature-based education anywhere! You don’t need to live in a rural area, or have a forest in your neighborhood, or even have a yard at all. Nature can truly be discovered in unexpected places.