This article provides insight into the process and implementation of a professional development workshop that was created for and provided to educators who were interested in implementing more playful pedagogies in their educational settings. The workshop focused primarily on meeting the needs of all learners through meaningful and engaging…

The literature proposes that Forest School, which is a form of outdoor and environmental education, can improve the children's overall wellbeing. Yet, the implementation of this promising and distinctive educational concept can be hindered by several barriers. In this paper, I draw on relevant resources to introduce the main obstacles to the…

In this article, we explore inconsistencies in the implementation of outdoor learning across Australian early years' education. The benefits of outdoor learning justify regular employment of this pedagogical approach in both early childhood education and primary school settings. Early childhood education services provide daily outdoor learning…

Nature field trips stand out as pedagogical experiences because of their benefits in science learning, even in early childhood education (ECE). However, previous studies have found that teachers often do not make use of their full educational potential. The present research offers a descriptive exploration of ECE prospective teachers' enactment of…

A wealth of evidence shows that exposure to the natural environment and nature-based learning can benefit children's physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Despite this, children are spending less time in nature and nature-based learning remains an underutilised pedagogical tool. Several barriers are frequently reported by teachers,…

The present study was carried out to examine the impact of the outdoor activity-based values education program on the effective citizenship values of sixth-grade secondary school students. In addition, the implementation process for the outdoor activity-based values education program was examined within the context of student, teacher, and parent…

The purpose of this qualitative narrative multiple case study was to address gaps in the research by exploring student engagement in a nature-based school in Georgia and a Missouri school moving to nature-based education. By considering three key dimensions of student engagement, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional, this in-depth investigation…

Over the last decade, interest in nature-based educational programs has been growing in Canada, yet there has been little research on the nature of these programs and how they are being implemented. This small-scale study provides baseline information on the characteristics of Canadian Forest Schools, the challenges that educators face in starting…

Outdoor adventure education (OAE) has been a passion of the author since being a student teacher. Currently, he serves both PETE majors and teaching OAE at a local high school. His dual perspective as a teacher of secondary students and PETE students has given him a unique lens on how PETE programs teach initial physical educators OAE. The…

This work presents an assessment of pre-service teachers' argumentative practice, after implementing a novel teaching-learning sequence on soil health including a citizen science programme, which was applied outdoors at the university garden. The sequence was implemented at five Spanish universities with 351 undergraduates studying Early Childhood…

Education outside the classroom (EOTC) has a rich and celebrated history in Aotearoa New Zealand. This article takes a solutions-focused approach that supports teachers and school leaders to reconnect with the value and magic of EOTC. Despite the recent and on-going challenges to the provision and delivery of EOTC, there are many examples of the…

More than 50 years have passed since the first programs emerged in the United States for outdoor leaders. In that time, the Wilderness Education Association (WEA) has equipped countless outdoor leaders to plan and implement safe, enjoyable expeditions in the backcountry with minimal environmental impact (Petzoldt, 1984). In 2017, the WEA Board of…

The Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) policy was an evidence-informed, eight-item institutional-level policy document targeting children's physical activity, outdoor play, and sedentary time. Nine childcare centers in London, Ontario, participated in this cluster, randomized controlled trial. Early Childhood Educators allocated to the…

Growing a nature kindergarten that can flourish takes a community, careful planning, and sustained support. In 2011, the Sooke School District in British Columbia, Canada undertook the project of creating a nature kindergarten when outdoor programs of this kind did not exist in the Canadian public school system. Inspired by the well-established…

Day camps are a powerful context for youth development. The American Camp Association and Leave No Trace have been integral in supporting youth development by identifying outcomes associated with participation in outdoor recreation. Recreation majors in the programming class used the camp as a service-learning component of the class that offered…