SAFETY FIRST: Outdoor Education is as safe as necessary. Please read the Canadian Paediatric Society's post here: Position Statement on Outdoor Risky Play
RESOURCES
My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in a corner of nature.
Claude Monet
If you purchase resources through the Outdoor Learning Store, a charitable social enterprise, 100% of proceeds will go back to outdoor learning non-profit initiatives.
More books!
Check out Lauren Maclean's e-newsletter for book recommendations. I have placed them on this page.
NOTE:
The Canadian Children's Book Centre is a resource for books! Although these books don't necessarily have a nature theme, books of any theme read outdoors still provides the benefits of being outside! Here is the link to their site.
BOOKS I HAVE USED
These are books I use often for outdoor lessons. Please remember you can read any of your read aloud books outside to the students; the book does not have to have a nature theme. Simply reading a book out loud to your students outside or them reading their own book outside allows for students (and you!) to experience increased physical, social, mental, and academic health. Please see Benefits tab for more details on these benefits and References below for articles on these benefits.
Wild Learning by Dr. Rachel Tidd
My go to book for ideas, lessons, and inspiration of all things for outdoor education.
The Big Book of Nature Things by Jacob Rodenburg
A seasonal guide to activities, information, stories & games to take learning outside.
Walking Together by Elder Dr. Albert D. Marshall and Louise Zimanyi
Connecting to the Land. Good for all ages. Beautiful illustrations.
Has many things that might be familiar to students but shows them through a different lens. Two-Eyed seeing.
Me and My Sit Spot by Lauren MacLean. Her site is Teach Outdoors.
Heartbeat of the Earth by Laura Purcell. This book I use to play games with an Indigenous theme.
The following books I have used in a Read Aloud, please view this section to learn of how I used them in a Read Aloud
In the Red Canoe by Leslie A. Davidson
A grandfather takes his grandson on a quiet canoe trip observing wildlife.
Monsters Can Mosey: Understanding Shades of Understanding by Gillia M. Olsen
A fun story to act out the various ways a monster moves. Just like animals move in a variety of ways.
Be a Tree by Maria Gianferrari
A story comparing a tree and its part to a human and its parts.
Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
I learned of this book through my mentorship program with the Outdoor Learning Store.
Wings, Waves, and Webs by Robin Mitchell Cranfield
I learned of this book through Rachel Tidd's Instagram account. She often posts lessons and ideas.
The following books I have used in a Read Aloud as well, but on this site these are within Lessons with an Indigenous lens so as not to overwhelm either sections (there are so many great books for your an outdoor education read aloud! Please email me with one you use!)
The First Blade of Sweetgrass A Native American Story by Suzzanne Greenlaw and Gabriel Frey
You are Sacred by Sarah-Ann Tourond
The Land Knows Me: A Nature Walk Exploring Indigenous Wisdom by Leigh Joseph
Sila and the Land by Ariana Roundpoint, Shelby Angalik, and Lindsay DuPré
NATURE JOURNALING
Please see the Academics Language Arts tab for an introduction into Nature Journaling.
A Walking Curriculum Evoking Wonder and a Sense of Place by Gillian Judson This book can also be purchased at the Outdoor Learning Store which supports outdoor learning. Please also visit Gillian Judson's website for more articles bestowing the benefits of outdoor education. Click on publications.
A Walking Curriculum for the Early Years by Michelle McKay and Klara Redford. This book includes 33 walking themes paired with cognitive tools to engage emotion and imagination in learning. Could be used for schools with nature or without nature. A walk could be around the school's neighborhood. Available at the Outdoor Learning Store (or other places).
Claire Walker Leslie - Keeping a Nature Journal Our Journey Westward Her site showcases more resources for outdoor education.
John Muir Laws website with resources and lessons
Getting Started with Nature Journaling on You Tube by John Muir Laws
Click the Inclusion tab for information on books by Henry Winkler.
I received a grant to buy wildlife puppets for my lessons. I use puppets for read aloud, science lessons, Indigenous stories, and explore play. All my students enjoy these high quality realistic puppets.
Tip: Puppet Power: When I have worked with students who display selective mutism sometimes they will talk through the puppet! The puppet provides a "mask" for them. I actually get to hear their voice!
Cabela's Bass Pro shop's site sells soft toys of birds that look and sound like the actual bird. They have a cardinal, blue jay, and a black bird. My students enjoy them quite a bit, especially when they press the bird's back to hear their particular sound.
Junior and High School Resources
RESOURCES
These are resources I have learned about through Outdoor Education courses, webinars, or conversations. I have not used these yet, but if you do please send an email so we can showcase your lesson.
BOOKS with various themes:
Indigenous theme
Be A Good Ancestor by Leona Prince and Gabrielle Prince
This is a good book to use when creating a land acknowledgement with your students. The book can be revisited multiple times. It has so many layers. There is always something new. The illustrations are beautiful and they show us aspects of Turtle Island through different seasons. The words show how the animals, the land, and the two legged are connected to each other. It is about connectedness and reciprocity.
Encounter by Brittany Luby
Looking at things from someone elses perspective. Based on the real journal kept by French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534, Encounter imagines a first meeting between a French sailor and a Stadaconan fisher. As they navigate their differences, the wise animals around them note their similarities, illuminating common ground.
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp
Words based on the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address.
How Chimpmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac & James Bruchac
Picture book a tale of bragging & teasing. A retelling of an oral story told by many nations.
Artistic Response/Experimenting with similar artistic expression to the art within the text. Experimenting with colour and the meaning behind the colours.
Mi'kmaw Daily Drum Mi'kmaw Culture for Every Day of the Week
This is a small board book by celebrated artist Alan Syliboy The book teaches young readers Mi’kmaw concepts and a Mi’kmaw word for each day of the week. This could be used during calendar time to teach the day of week in English and in Mi'kmaw.
Mothers of Xsan series by Hetxw'ms Gyetxm (Brett D. Hudson)
Stories from Northern British Columbia Gitsan peoples. Series of 6 books about the traditional lands, stories and animals that live in their territory (Sockeye, Grizzly, Eagle, Frog, Wolf and Raven). Traditional language is embeded in the text and vocabulary, science, art, liturate connections are highlighted at the end.
Owls See Clearly at Night by Julie Flett
Making connections to the environment of that within the images.
Animal theme
Animals Tadpole's Promise Jeanne Willis and Tony Rosshttps
Follow the love story of a caterpillar and tadpole to vow to never change, through their lifecycle stages. Beware, it is a surprise ending!
British Columbia SPCA humane education department has curated and recommends these books: BOOKS! for their authentic content, connections between people, animals and nature, as well as inspirational message to youth. A list of various authors for a variety of ages, reading levels and topics.
Chickens Aren't the Only Ones Ruth Heller
Egg laying animals. We let the kiddos gather and count chicken eggs every day. BC SPCA recommended literature list
Have You Seen Birds? Joanne Oppenheim
Learn about different kinds of birds in all four seasons.
Chickens Aren't the Only Ones Ruth Heller
Egg laying animals. We let the kiddos gather and count chicken eggs every day. BC SPCA recommended literature list
Tree theme
A Tree is a Home by Pamela Hickman
Nonfiction tree as a habitat. (Gr. 4 science unit of Habitats) Readers follow along as the tree and the animals — a raccoon, opossum, acorn weevil, gray squirrel, blue jay and chipmunk — change and adapt through all four seasons, from one autumn to the next. Meanwhile, a human family moves into the empty house nearby, and we see their story unfold, and grow, at the same time as their animal neighbors.
Because of an Acorn by Fran Preston-Gannon
Can You Hear the Trees Talking? by Peter Wohlleben
A Young Readers' Edition of the New York Times Bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees (another great book!) This book is longer, but full of great info for us on all sorts of subjects, like how trees breathe, how trees talk, why city trees are important and much, much more. Geared for older students, but great info that could be shared with any age.
If You Find a Leaf by Aimee Securo
And, like humans, trees are social. They “talk” to spread information; they share food and resources. They shelter and take care of one another. They are stronger together.
It starts with a seed by Laura Knowles
Plant life cycle
Listen to the Language of the Trees: A story of how forests communicate underground by Tera Kelly
Nell Plants a Seed by Anne Wynter
Nonfiction story about how trees communicate
Not A Stick by Antoinette Portis
Creativity in the woods - What can you do with a stick? Was great for helping my preschoolers think outside the gun/sword box.
Old Elm Speaks by Kristine O'Connell George
Well done, short and easy to read trees about poems! Can inspire students to write their own poems about trees!
Tree Britta Teckentrup
See who lives in the tree throughout the seasons as the pages add holes to add more animals. Told in simple poetry. Also available as a board book.
The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins
Katherine Olivia Sessions never thought she’d live in a place without trees. After all, Kate grew up among the towering pines and redwoods of Northern California. But after becoming the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science, she took a job as a teacher far south in the dry desert town of San Diego. Where there were almost no trees.
Trees Make Perfect Pets Paul Czajak
Fiction about trees, can a tree be a pet?
Plant theme
A seed is sleepy by Diana Hutts Aston and Syliva Long
A six-book Nature Books series that introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts.
And Then It's Spring by Julia Fogliano
Following a snow-filled winter, a young boy and his dog decide that they've had enough of all that brown and resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be on its way.
Grandpa's Garden by Stella Fry
Caring for plants and the environment
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
Explore the secret realm beneath the dirt that brings the world of nature to life: Follow a young girl and her grandmother on a journey through the year planning, planting, and harvesting their garden—and learn about what's happening in the dirt to help make it all happen.
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
Seasonal Change theme
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall – a story about apples from tree to table.
Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres – follow a garden grow and harvest
From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer – perfect for pumpkin fans and science lovers.
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak – a gentle transition story that mirrors what we’re noticing outside.
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert – whimsical and creative, perfect for sparking art ideas with fallen leaves.
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert — A vibrant introduction to the lifecycle of a tree and its leaves.
The Leaf Thief by Alice Melvin — A playful look at leaf changes and their impact on animals.
In November by Cynthia Rylant – beautifully poetic, capturing how animals and people prepare for the colder months ahead.
Observation/looking closely theme
Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd
Picture book for finding nature everywhere, even in urban sprawl
Flotsam by David Wiesner
Wordless picture book for the discoveries that wash up on the beach.
Listen by Holly M. McGhee
Picture book for the sense of hearing and notices sounds.
Over and Under the by Snow Kate Messner
Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow is a secret world of squirrels and snowshoe hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals who live through the winter, safe and warm. It takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living under the snow.
Puddle by Richard Jackson
Picture book for noticing puddles.
Sidewalk Flowers by Jon Arno Lawson
Beautifully illustrated wordless picture book for noticing small gifts.
Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre & His World of Insects by Matthew Clark Smith
Picture book to spark interest and imagination of insects.
Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark
Noticing ordinary things that become extraordinary. Picture book.
Treasure by Mireille Messier & Irene Luxabacher
Picture book for rediscovering ancient, life-giving treasures.
What John Marco Saw by Annie Barrows
Picture book for appreciating slowing down and noticing things.
Wonder Walks by Micha Archer
When two curious kids embark on a "wonder walk," they let their imaginations soar as they look at the world in a whole new light. They have thought-provoking questions for everything they see: Is the sun the world's light bulb? Is dirt the world's skin? Are rivers the earth's veins? Is the wind the world breathing? I wonder . . .
Math theme
Counting on Fall by Lizann Flatt former ChickaDEE magazine editor
First book in a series of 4 - one for each season. Each book covers different areas of math through the lens of nature. ""This series invites children to journey into the natural world – a world they love to discover and could explore endlessly – to find not only science, but math, language arts, and visual arts, too! Uses illustrated cut-paper collage art by Ashley Barron, the Math in Nature series is a veritable cross-curricular goldmine.
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
An inchworm who loves to measure everything
Nature Play at Home by Nancy Striniste
Creating Outdoor Spaces That Connect Children With The Natural World
Quack and Count by Keith Baker
Counting to 7, simple addition
Philosophy, Art theme
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon
Insight into collectivism History, Social Studies, Sustainability
The Invention of Nature - Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf
The creation of modern environmentalism
The Soul of the Night by Chet Raymo
Astronomy, philosophy, religion
Sustainability, Insects theme
Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
Social emotional and Earth stewardship. I also use this book to teach perspective for social skill lessons.
Nibi’s Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco
Encourage students to run outside for a period of time. Stop. Where could you get clean water? What if those places were not available, where would you begin to look? Artistic Response Illustrated by Chief Lady Bird What might Nibi’s school look like? What would she do at school for water? What would your life look like if you did not have clean water within your home or school? *Science Experiment/ How might someone try to “clean” water? - Experiment with water filtration / Where does water come from?
Winter theme
Flannel Kisses by Linda Crotta Brennan
Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara
The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper
The Tea Party in the Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi
Tracks in the Snow by Wong Herbert Yee
Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser
Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
Mentorship/Guides
Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature by Jon Young, Ellen Haas, Evan McGown
Outdoor/Nature immersive Education and Observation. Inspiration for teaching and guiding. A priceless tool for educators/mentors/parents or anyone inspired by ancient practices of connection to nature as a basis for education
Books for Reading and Writing activities
All Around Us by Xelena Gonzalez Indigenous Author
Take a walk looking for examples of circles. Slightly older students can look for cycles or systems. Drawing each part.
The Keeper of Wild Words by Brooke Smith
When Mimi finds out her favorite words—simple words, like apricot, blackberry, buttercup—are disappearing from the English language, she elects her granddaughter Brook as their Keeper. And did you know? The only way to save words is to know them.
Poetry for the Wild & Curious Ones by Sara Erns Home school learning
Learn to love and love to learn in this delightful and engaging and educational book of original nature poems for children and their grown ups. Learn some of the different types of poetry together, how to use descriptive words and even discover a place for your child's own poem inside the book to add to the collection! More than just poetry, you'll be amazing by some of the simple, yet incredible nature facts you'll learn along the way. Your child will not only adore listening to the poems, but develop a deeper curiosity for the natural world, the creatures that deserve our respect and learn ways to help our friends in nature!
Rise Up and Write It by Nandini Ahuja, illustrated by Anoosha Syed
Reading level: Kindergarten – Grade 5. Rise Up and Write It is more than just a story. It gives educators the tools to foster a classroom environment where students are empowered to take action! The book includes hands-on examples of how to create change, ensuring your students are both excited and prepared to act for their community. With six envelopes filled with examples of Farah’s activism tools, such as a letter to the mayor and a ready-to-sign petition, students can follow Farah's footsteps to spark change.
Books of longer length or chapter books
Braiding Sweetgrass Young Adult Version by Robin Wall Kimmerer/Monique Gray Smith
Beautifully illustrations and little side notes explaining vocabulary and scientific content. Plus thoughtful questions at the end of each chapter. Indigenous Authors/artist
Brown, Stuart. Play How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul.
Brown's research has shaped my counselling practice.
Danks-Gamson, Sharon. Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation, New Village Press, 2010.
Fong, J. Seeing Ourselves in Nature, 2026.
Fong asks how Black and Brown educators create space for predominantly Black and Brown children and families to reconnect to nature.
Sharing these stories is a first step in the long road to making nature education equitable for all children.
Grant, T. and G. Littlejohn Teaching Green: The Elementary Years
This book provides a wealth of kid-tested ideas contributed by educators from across North America, covering a wide spectrum of environmental topics and presenting a large diversity of practical projects and learning strategies. The book is attractively designed and organized, and, for each article and activity, the editors have identified appropriate grade levels, subject areas, key concepts, skills, and materials.
Grant T. and G. Littlejohn Teaching Green: The Middle Years
This resource for educators was designed to serve as a complete “green” teaching resource for those working with middle school-aged youth.
Readers will find a wealth of kid-tested ideas contributed by educators from across North America and covering a wide spectrum of environmental topics, from biodiversity to resource consumption to green technology. They include practical projects and new learning strategies that will inspire educators seeking innovative ideas for incorporating green themes into their programs.
Grant T. and G. LittleJohn Teaching Green: The High School Years
This is an ideal resource for anyone working with young people in Grades 9-12. Richly illustrated, it offers teaching strategies that promote learning about natural systems and foster critical thinking about environmental issues, both local and global. It contains new approaches to learning, strategies for living sustainably, and numerous activities that promote interdisciplinary learning. In addition, the book provides suggestions for greening individual subject areas, developing integrated learning programs, and replicating exemplary programs already created by innovative schools and communities.
Grant T. and G. Littlejohn Teaching Teens about Climate Change
Rather than overwhelm teenagers with the daunting challenges facing humanity, the focus of this new book is to help them move from despair to empowerment and appreciate the many solutions that are already being implemented to mitigate climate change. Developed by educators from across North America, the collection includes activities that explore basic concepts such as carbon pricing and climate change denial. Car trip reduction plans, bike-a-thons, and public transit investigations are a few of the transport-related activities. How to organize a climate change summit or share local examples of climate change with peers in other regions are two other notable activities found in the book.
Maclean, L. Sitting with Nature: An Educator's Guide to Sit Sports, 2025 This handy resource book for primary and intermediate level educators includes 20 weeks’ worth of themed sit spot activities for students of all ages. It also includes additional downloadable resources – to explore outdoor learning with students all year-long and in all weather conditions.
Rodenburg, J. (2008). The Book of Nature Connection: 70 Sensory Activities. Outdoor Learning School & Store
FOR TEENS Shatkin, Jess P. Born to Be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe. TarcherPerigee, 2017.
A colleague recommended this book. The author is an acclaimed adolescent psychiatrist and educator. The book brings more than two decades' worth of research and clinical experience to the subject, along with cutting-edge findings from brain science, evolutionary psychology, game theory, and other disciplines.
Wilson, R. (2022). Naturally Inclusive: Engaging Children of All Abilities Outdoors. Lewisville, NC: Gryphon House.
Zeni, M. et al Embracing Risky Play at School. Embracing Risky Play at School introduces readers to outdoor play and learning (OPAL) in the kindergarten to middle school years, explains the difference between risks and hazards, presents the concept of “Yes” spaces, and describes how and why risky play supports academic development and student well-being.
ARTICLES/WEBSITES
These journal articles and websites aid knowledge that Outdoor Education does provide mental, physical, social, and academic benefits to students and the educator!
Academic Benefits
Active for Life. Outdoor schools: Finding Physical Literacy in the Forest. The Toronto Star. (March 20, 2017). https://www.thestar.com/life/health-wellness/outdoor-schools-finding-physical-literacy-in-the-forest/article_51f53660-aaa0-5da1-9c38-09fb84edfc46.html
Children & Nature Network. Nature Makes Kids Smarter. (2025) https://www.childrenandnature.org/the-benefits-of-nature/
Joyner, Lisa. A ‘nature hour’ should be part of the school curriculum every day, say the Wildlife Trusts. Country Living. (November 2, 2109).
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/a29712170/wildlife-trusts-children-nature/
Our Kids. Forest Schools in Canada. Our Kids. (2024) https://www.ourkids.net/school/forest-schools
Singh, N. Help Me Out How Outdoor Education Impacts and Empowers Youth to Strive. Outward Bound. (June, 2022). https://files.outwardbound.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Help-Me-Out.pdf
Physical/Social Benefits
Free Play
Brown, Stuart. Play How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. Penguin Group, 2009.
Canadian Press. “‘Risky play’ can be good for kids, pediatricians say in new guidance.” The Toronto Star, 25 Jan. 2024, https://www.thestar.com/life/health-wellness/risky-play-can-be-good-for-kids-pediatricians-say-in-new-guidance/article_cdcee250-9f59-5574-9115-869adfa12c29.html
Childhood by Nature. “How Much Time in Nature Does a Kid Really Need. “ Childhood by Nature, 2024, https://www.childhoodbynature.com/how-much-time-in-nature-does-a-kid-really-need/#:~:text=Your%20child%27s%20%22just%20right%22%20dose,as%20you%20possibly%20can%22%20dose.
Did You Know. All the Way to Play. Halifax Public Library. (September 1, 2023). https://www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/blogs/post/all-the-ways-to-play/
Jones DE, Greenberg M, Crowley M. Early Social-Emotional Functioning and Public Health: The Relationship Between Kindergarten Social Competence and Future Wellness. Am J Public Health. 2015 Nov;105(11):2283-90. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302630. Epub 2015 Jul 16. PMID: 26180975; PMCID: PMC4605168. Mrza, K. et al.
Joyner, Lisa. “A ‘nature hour’ should be part of the school curriculum every day, say the Wildlife Trusts.” Country Living, 2 Nov. 2019, https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/a29712170/wildlife-trusts-children-nature/
Purposeful Play A Teacher’s Guide to Igniting Deep & Joyful Learning Across the Day. (2016) Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (2016). p. 10.
Sobel, David. David Sobel's Children and Nature Play "Motifs" (Design Principles) - A Summary. https://www.woestewesten.nl/docs/artikel%20-%20Sobel%20-%20samenvatting%20Children%20and%20Nature%20Design%20Principles.pdf
Sobel, David. https://www.davidsobelauthor.com/
Risky Play
Brussoni, M. et al. "What is the Relationship between Risky Outdoor Play and Health in Children? A Systematic Review." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. (2015). Volume 12 p. 6423-6454. www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Note: I learned of this article through colleagues and speak about it on the Risk & Gear tab of this site
Canadian Press. ‘Risky play’ can be good for kids, pediatricians say in new guidance. The Toronto Star. (January 25, 2024). https://www.thestar.com/life/health-wellness/risky-play-can-be-good-for-kids-pediatricians-say-in-new-guidance/article_cdcee250-9f59-5574-9115-869adfa12c29.html
Connolly, Brooklyn. Toronto Bans Tobogganing at 45 “unsafe” hills in city. CTV News Toronto. (January 24, 2024). https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-bans-tobogganing-at-45-unsafe-hills-in-city-1.6725421
Galloway, Matt. Why ‘risky play’ is Important for Kids. The Current CBC Listen. (January 31, 2024).
Kopun, F. ‘We aren’t talking about sending them into busy streets or near rough water.’ Canadian Paediatric Society Recommends Risky Play for Kids. Northumberland News. (January 25, 2024). https://www.northumberlandnews.com/news/ontario/we-aren-t-talking-about-sending-them-into-busy-streets-or-near-rough-water-canadian/article_2160c822-eb98-52e5-ac4a-175939fce652.htm
Maclean, L. Risky Play Gone Away, 2025 Risky Play Gone Away is a playful, rhyming picture book that explores the importance of risk-taking in childhood play. When three kids find their adventurous games shut down by cautious parents, they work together to create a “Yes Space” – a safe and supportive place where imagination, creativity, and confidence can grow.
Suzuki, D. and Kerry, M. Getting dirty may be healthy. The David Suzuki Foundation. (2013). https://davidsuzuki.org/story/getting-dirty-may-be-healthy/
Physical Health Benefits
Weston, P. et al. How a Radical Experiment to Bring a Forest into a Preschool Transformed Children's Health. The Guardian. 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/29/soil-sandpit-children-dirty-biodiversity-finnish-nurseries-research-microbes-bacteria-aoe
Mental Health Benefits
Caron, C. “Therapists Trade the Couch for the Great Outdoors.” The New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/well/mind/outdoor-therapy-depression-anxiety.html
Childhood by Nature. How Much Time in Nature Does a Kid Really Need. Childhood by Nature (2024). https://www.childhoodbynature.com/how-much-time-in-nature-does-a-kid-really-need
Children & Nature Network. https://www.childrenandnature.org/
Please see also Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods, https://richardlouv.com/books/last-child
Cost, K.T., Crosbie, J., Anagnostou, E. et al. Mostly worse, occasionally better: impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Canadian children and adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 31, 671–684 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01744-3
Crawford, T. The Kids are not OK, says the Canadian Mental Health Association. The Vancouver Sun. (February 17, 2023). https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/canada-kids-mental-health-illness
Health. 3 ways getting outside into nature helps improve your health. (May 3, 2023). https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/3-ways-getting-outside-into-nature-helps-improve-your-health/2023/
Jones DE, Greenberg M, Crowley M. Early. Social-Emotional Functioning and Public Health: The Relationship Between Kindergarten Social Competence and Future Wellness. Am J Public Health. 2015 Nov;105(11):2283-90. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302630. Epub 2015 Jul 16. PMID: 26180975; PMCID: PMC4605168. Mrza, K. et all.
Shoshani, A., & Kor, A. The mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents: Risk and protective factors.” Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2022. 14(8), 1365–1373. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001188
Singh, N. Help Me Out How Outdoor Education Impacts and Empowers Youth to Strive. Outward Bound, June, 2022, https://files.outwardbound.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Help-Me-Out.pdf
Suzuki, D. and Delaney, R. Learning in Nature is Good for Teachers and Students, The David Suzuki Foundation. 2018.
https://davidsuzuki.org/story/learning-in-nature-is-good-for-teachers-and-students