One of the best ways to get ideas for environmental education in early childhood is by connecting with other educators! Stay on top of resources and opportunities for environmental education in early childhood through the Wisconsin-based early childhood list-serv! Send an email to [email protected] or send an email to [email protected] and request to be added.

Other ways to connect with early childhood educators interested in nature include: 

Children & Nature Network Trailhead Community (online community website) – Join the early childhood group within this community to talk with educators in Wisconsin and across the country. 

Natural Start (website) – is a free network within the North American Association for Environmental Education designed to specifically address the needs of outdoor learning in early childhood. 

North American Association for Environmental Education’s (NAAEE) Early Childhood EE Pro Community (website) – provides webinars, trainings, and curriculum resources to support outdoor learning. 

Additional resources: 

National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (website) – provides many articles with real-world examples about using the outdoors to support education. 

Story Edventures (website) – utilize a picture book as a launching point for outdoor exploration. Each Story Edventure provides resources for educators and includes a recorded webinar featuring the author.

North American Association for Environmental Education’s (NAAEE) Natural Start(website) – has a collection of resources available that can assist providers in designing outdoor spaces, assessing healthy risks, and more.

Natural Wonders: A Guide to Early Childhood Environmental Education Natural Wonders (pdf) – provides information on how to design developmentally appropriate environmental education programs for young children.

Updated 2/22/2024