Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms: Designing and Implementing Child-Centered Learning Environments

Create an outdoor learning program

Transform outdoor spaces into learning environments where children can enjoy a full range of activities as they spend quality time in nature. This book is filled with guidance to help you plan, design, and create an outdoor learning program that is a rich, thoughtfully equipped, natural extension of your indoor curriculum. Loaded with practical and creative ideas, it also includes information to help you

Understand how outdoor classrooms benefits children’s learning and development
Collaborate with other teachers, administrators, and families to make your outdoor classroom a reality
Create development and action plans to strategize and implement changes
Evaluate your outdoor environment, program, and practices

Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms promotes the idea that if you can do it indoors, you can probably do it outside as well.

Eric Nelson is the founder and director of Child Care Planning Associates, the consulting and training division of the Child Educational Center, Caltech/JPL Community, which he established with his wife in 1979. Eric's consulting specialties include building and playground design and renovation, child care needs assessment and feasibility studies, development of employer-related child care, and staff training and development. Eric’s understanding of the value of the outdoors is grounded in a lifetime of hiking his beloved Sierra Nevada Mountains in California since he was a young child.

Eric Nelson: Eric Nelson is the founder and director of Child Care Planning Associates, the consulting and training division of the Child Educational Center, Caltech/JPL Community, which he established with his wife in 1979. A child development professional since 1974, Eric's consulting specialties include building and playground design and renovation, child care needs assessments and feasibility studies, development of employer-related child care, and staff training and development.