Educating Children Outdoors: Lessons In Nature-Based Learning

Educating Children Outdoors is a resource for educators interested in spending extended periods of time in nature with their students.

Bringing over two decades of experience working outdoors with teachers and students, author Amy Butler offers curricular guidance on nature-based lessons that align with K–3 education standards and build on children’s innate curiosity and wonder for the natural world.

We thrive when we have time in nature.

With twenty-five lessons in five units of study spread out across a seasonal school year, and appendixes that offer templates for learning, Educating Children Outdoors is essential for educators looking to harvest the benefits of a nature-based curriculum.

  • "In recent years, outdoor education — from forest schools to the occasional outdoor classroom — has moved into a new era, both in popularity and in new practices. Amy Butler (Coyote) offers a research-based guide to expanding children’s connection to the natural world and to their own true natures. Her book is a must-read for teachers, parents and anyone who works directly with children."

    — Richard Louv, author of “Our Wild Calling” and “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder"

  • “Amy Butler shows us her wisdom in guiding teachers how to integrate Nature immersion into K-3 classes. The tried-and-true interdisciplinary lessons meet academic standards while cultivating a sense of place on Earth. The book demonstrates that every teacher can foster deep caring for self, other people, and the rest of Nature.”

    —Darcia Narvaez, author of The Evolved Nest

  • "Amy Butler enters into the forest with a clear mind and an open heart, deftly weaving a bridge between trauma, resilience, and the social ecology of children and teachers in the woods. In challenging us to be vulnerable and present, Amy opens the door to the fullness of children’s experience while providing foundational practices to support nature-based educators at every stage. You will return to these stories again and again."

    - Kit Harrington, Outdoor Preschool Policy Consultant, Natural Start Alliance