"Let Nature Be Your Teacher: Integrating Nature-Based Learning in the Elementary Classroom" advocates for a transformative shift in elementary education through incorporating nature-based learning into the curriculum. In an era dominated by indoor education and heightened screen time, Louise Ammentorp and Helen M. Corveleyn respond to…

Background: Despite access to nature-based recreation, many college students do not take advantage of these experiences to improve their mental and physical health. Virtual reality experiences provide a potential pathway to motivate this population to recreate outdoors, but research is needed to determine whether virtual recreation can lead to…

This paper discusses a study that considered how the quality of three different learning environments, indoor classrooms, outdoor classrooms and forest schools, for children aged 3-5 years, is associated with the quality of their utterances. Adopting a theoretical framework of interactionism it was found that, within the study settings (n = 4),…

Forest School in England is the practice of young children playing outside, rooted in the outdoor kindergartens of Scandinavia and more especially Denmark. Using observation and semi-structured interviews with children and adults in two settings, this case study approach allowed an in-depth look at where, how and what children played in a Forest…

There is growing recognition amongst scholars that addressing the current global ecological crisis requires a new ecological awareness, and a different model of education, in order to live together on a 'planet under pressure'. Against this backdrop, several studies internationally have pointed to initiatives such as school gardens, with the…

The increasing popularity of outdoor learning (OL) amongst researchers and practitioners highlighted the need to further investigate primary teacher trainees (PTTs) perception towards it and how this may be related to their nature connection. Participants were PTTs who were considering attending Forest School (FS) Training Level 1 as part of their…

Direct experience with nature is a primary component of environmental education and especially beneficial for young children. The present study examined the outdoor play preferences of toddlers and investigated the role teachers play in the outdoor space. Toddlers' outdoor play was video recorded by GoPro cameras and coded for preferred play…

How long will it take to get from "Point A" to "Point B"? Estimating the answer to this question is essential for outdoor leaders to accurately and safely manage their outdoor adventure education course. By being able to carefully estimate the amount of time needed to travel a particular route, over the course of a day or an…

An argument can be made that integrating mindfulness practices (MPs) into Outdoor Adventure (OA) programming can help students develop and expand on a variety of social and emotional attributes, such as stress reduction, awareness of the present moment, relationship skills, and maintaining psychosocial equilibrium. However, there is a paucity of…

Extensive research into wilderness therapy has not explored who benefits the most and who does not thrive in these programs. The present study examined demographic, clinical, and familial characteristics that distinguished adolescents who improve most in wilderness therapy programs from those who deteriorate. Using data collected by the National…

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a physical-sports activity program in nature on life satisfaction, emotional intelligence, and anxiety in university students during COVID-19 mobility restrictions. Methods: a controlled trial was conducted involving 40 students from the Faculty of Sport Sciences, randomly assigned to either…

This descriptive exploratory qualitative study reflected on family and social relationships during outdoor adventure activities. The general context was Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Six preselected children, aged 5-12, who regularly participate in outdoor adventure activities, as well as one parent who supports their activities was…

This scoping review explored, what kind of educational environments and practices have been used when children's nature connectedness in early childhood education has been studied. While the beneficial influence of forest preschools -- and others alike based on substantial nature contact -- is well-established, little is known about how ordinary…

Although early childhood theorists agree on the importance of spending time in nature and the outdoors, it unfortunately appears that today's young children do not always have sufficient opportunities to experience and strengthen this connection. Lack of time spent in nature, combined with the health issues associated with large quantities of time…

High-quality outdoor environments (OEs) are essential for young children's physical, emotional, and intellectual development. The goal of this study was to explore the attributes of high- and low-quality OEs in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings identified by different stakeholder groups. We conducted 41 focus groups/interviews…