Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens: The Handbook for Outdoor Learning

by David Sobel, Patti Bailie, Ken Finch, Erin Kenny, Ann Stires

Overview

Environmental education expert David Sobel joins with a variety of colleagues to share their experiences and steps for creating a successful forest kindergarten program. Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens walks you through the European roots of the concept to the recent resurgence of these kinds of programs in North America.

Going well beyond a history lesson, these experts provide the framework to understand the concepts and build a learning community that stimulates curiosity and inquisitiveness in a natural environment. This helpful guide provides the curriculum, ideas, and guidance needed to foster special gifts in children. It also gives you the nuts and bolts of running a successful nature preschool business, such as potential obstacles, staff and curriculum design, best practices for success, site and facility management, and business planning.

Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens provides the mentorship and guidance to become a leader in nature-based education.

David Sobel has spent the last twenty-five years working in the field of child development, place-based education, and parenting with nature. He currently serves as senior faculty in the education department at Antioch UniversityNew England in Keene, New Hampshire. His expertise and passion have led him to authoring seven books and being identified as one of the "gurus and rock stars of environmental education" by Teacher magazine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605544298
Publisher:	Redleaf Press
Publication date:	12/01/2015
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

David Sobel has spent the last twenty-five years working in the field of child development, place-based education, and parenting with nature. He currently serves as Senior Faculty in the Education Department at Antioch UniversityNew England in Keene, NH. His expertise and passion has led to authoring seven previous books and being identified as one of the “gurus and rock stars of environmental education” by Teacher magazine.

Editorial Reviews

This book will change how you think about early childhood. The authors combine scholarship and experience to make the case for nature-based learning for young children, and offer a practical guide for how to do it. It's a must-read for anyone interested in connecting children to nature.—John Flicker, Prescott College President

Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens: The Handbook for Outdoor Learning provides a fine alternative to indoor digital classroom settings and advocates developing an outdoor program for preschool and kindergarten groups. It advocates a different, nature-based approach to learning that encourages kids to get down and dirty outdoors, blending theories about nature-based learning with discussions of nature centers, curriculum, language development, and understanding the risks and benefits afforded by nature-based play. The result is a powerful blend of research, theory and applications that will allow parents and teachers to take the next step in linking a child's natural enthusiasm for the outdoors to a play environment that makes the most of this instinct.—Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review
 

From the Publisher