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CoursesClassesLet’s Grow Literacy Outdoors Master Class
  • Welcome
    5
    • Lecture1.1
      0-1: A Welcome Note from Victoria 30 min
    • Lecture1.2
      0-2: Good Things to Know 30 min
    • Lecture1.3
      0-3: Why Literacy Outdoors? 30 min
    • Lecture1.4
      0-4: Ideas to Kick Start Your Literacy Garden 30 min
    • Lecture1.5
      0-5: Supply List for Reading, Writing, Listening, and Talking Outdoors 30 min
  • Module 1: Gardens that Feed
    5
    • Lecture2.1
      1-1: Welcome to The Gardens that Feed 30 min
    • Lecture2.2
      1-2: Gather Seeds of Inspiration 30 min
    • Lecture2.3
      1-3: Plant Literacy Ideas 30 min
    • Lecture2.4
      1-4: Grow Literacy Activities 30 min
    • Lecture2.5
      1-5: Harvest Curriculum-on-the-Go Kits 30 min
  • Module 2: Gardens as Outdoor Learning Stations that Inspire Themes
    6
    • Lecture3.1
      2-1: Welcome to Gardens as Outdoor Learning Stations that Inspire Themes 30 min
    • Lecture3.2
      2-2: Gather Seeds of Inspiration 30 min
    • Lecture3.3
      2-3: Plant Literacy Ideas 30 min
    • Lecture3.4
      2-4: Grow Literacy Activities 30 min
    • Lecture3.5
      2-5: Harvest Literacy Curriculum Kits 30 min
    • Lecture3.6
      LIVE Workshop #1
  • Module 3: Gardens that Attract Wildlife
    5
    • Lecture4.1
      3-1: Welcome The Gardens that Attract Wildlife 30 min
    • Lecture4.2
      3-2: Gather Seeds of Inspiration 30 min
    • Lecture4.3
      3-3: Plant Literacy Ideas 30 min
    • Lecture4.4
      3-4: Grow Literacy Activities 30 min
    • Lecture4.5
      3-5: Harvest Literacy Curriculum Kits 30 min
  • Module 4: Gardens for Beauty and Art
    6
    • Lecture5.1
      4-1: Welcome to The Gardens for Beauty and Art 30 min
    • Lecture5.2
      4-2: Gather Seeds of Inspiration 30 min
    • Lecture5.3
      4-3: Plant Ideas 30 min
    • Lecture5.4
      4-4: Grow Activities 30 min
    • Lecture5.5
      4-5: Harvest Curriculum Kits 30 min
    • Lecture5.6
      LIVE Workshop #2
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    Prev 3-2: Gather Seeds of Inspiration
    Next 3-4: Grow Literacy Activities

      65 Comments

    1. Gina Ferreira
      June 26, 2020
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      I have a group that loves bugs! We always roll the logs in the yard and use the insect books we have to try and identify what we see. These days you could just look it up online but I prefer the idea of looking through our books to find them and the kids will remember that they saw a certain bug in the and will start going through the book to find it. It gives them a great deal of satisfaction to look and compare and eventually find what they are looking for!

    2. Yu Kwan Mok
      June 26, 2020
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      Writing: learning how to the first letter and draw lizard and snake
      Listening: sounds the creatures make
      Speaking: what their body parts are like and what movement do you see
      Reading: more about their life habitat and how they react to different situations

    3. Mary Guzman
      June 23, 2020
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      I think other ideas you can do for what under a log is reading some animal or insect facts, writing or illustrating about an environment. sitting next to trees and listening or doing a listening walk. Its also an idea to talk about what makes insects different and comparing them and making guesses on what they would find if we lifted up a log.

      • Victoria Hackett
        June 23, 2020
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        Love these ideas! Keep them coming!

    4. Mary Guzman
      June 23, 2020
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      I think other ideas you can do for what under a log is reading some animal or insect facts, writing or illustrating about an environment. sitting next to trees and listening or doing a listening nature walk. Its also a good idea to talk about what makes insects different? comparing them and making guesses on what they would find if we lifted up a log.

      • Victoria Hackett
        June 26, 2020
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        Great ideas!

    5. Pamela Guzman
      June 23, 2020
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      I really love the listening concept in all these webs as children tend to bustle around instead of taking a moment to listen to what’s around them. This idea can be further adapted for them not to just sit in one area but different areas and discuss what different sounds they may hear and what might be making that sound, is it an insect if so what kind of insect might be making that sound is it a bird? or a frog. Things like that and they can even draw it out within there nature journal to remember what they have heard to further discuss it. As I said they can draw out habitats and different insects they might think relate to that habitat and provide informational books with pictures that you can discuss that relate to that habitat. You can go on in relation to gardens that feed and relate decomposition dn decaying towards the compost and what you have already spoke about in gardens that feed and compare and contrast between decomposition of food to that of a log etc. I think this book you can do so much just based on the insects themselves, their own habitats, and how they live in relation to plants themselves. As nature is quite an amazing concept to discuss.

      • Victoria Hackett
        June 23, 2020
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        So many great ideas…:)

    6. Donna Rose
      June 23, 2020
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      What’s under the log book is a wonderful resource to help the children see what’s under logs and leaves in the woods. Beyond our green play yard is the fenced off woods. I can’t wait put together a curriculum to include exploring the area back there with the children or loading up and hitting the hidden trails in the local park. Taking pictures and bringing them back and talking and writing about what we see and found. How the woods are different from others parts of our play area.

      • Victoria Hackett
        June 23, 2020
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        Yes…the use of technology is wonderful here.

    7. Melissa Ryan
      June 23, 2020
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      Nature units are a great way to incorporate child friendly non fiction and information texts about insects, birds as well as animals in general. The real life illustrations, simple text and interesting tidbits always seem to capture the interest of the children.
      Reading: Wiggling worms at work by Wendy Pfeffer read aloud and life cycles of Worms by Robin Nelson for reference when exploring outside.
      Listening: Sitting outside and listening to the different sounds. Playing “I hear with my ear…” (similar to “I spy with my eye…”
      Speaking: Using language and new vocabulary to describe what they notice, wonder and hear while exploring worms in their habitats.
      Writing: Nature journals are a great way to record their findings.

      • Victoria Hackett
        June 23, 2020
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        Wonderful reflections.

    8. Joan Allen
      June 21, 2020
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      Book Inspiration: Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and Other Ughs by Anthony D Fredericks
      Reading: Read Book – Under One Rock…
      Read a little about Habitat
      Listening: Sit and Listen about 5 minutes for sounds of other wildlife in and around our garden
      Listen to CD with sounds of other wildlife in gardens and try to identify the wildlife.
      Writing: Make (paint) and Label Wildlife Rocks
      Make sign: Wildlife in Our Garden (add rocks painted and pictures with label of different wildlife we find, hear and/or see)
      Talking: Discuss what we could find under a rock.
      Go on a nature walk to find out what’s under rocks in our environment
      Discuss findings.

      • Victoria Hackett
        June 22, 2020
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        Fantastic reflections!

    9. Patricia Nash
      December 10, 2019
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      There’s a lot we can do with this book! Each of the animals featured could be its own theme. The children could even make their own books–just use different shapes to make the animals (ovals for the bodies, circles for heads, rectangles for the legs, etc.)
      For reading–read the book outdoors by a real log.
      Share nature field guides to find the animals listed in the book.
      Investigate the animals in the book to find out what they look like at different
      times of the year, what they eat, if they hibernate, if they live in your area.
      Ranger Rick, Jr. magazines are an awesome resource for the kids to look through

      For Writing– Write in nature journals what the kids found out about the animals from above.
      On chart paper, show the kids how to draw the animals using different shapes for
      the body parts.
      Create their own versions of the animals using play-doh and set up a log museum
      with signs indicating what the animals are and what they are doing.
      Draw a real log along with animals the kids find around and under it.

      For listening–Listen to a nature CD of forest critters.
      Listen while others tell about their museum animals and then ask questions.
      Gather around a real log and talk/listen to each other about how the log feels,
      the weight, how it got there, the animals that may be under this log.

      For talking– Share with each other about the museums.
      Investigate worms. Use four senses to share info with others.
      How did the log come to where the kids found it?
      Share excitement about the nature field guides and magazines.

      • Victoria Hackett
        December 10, 2019
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        Oh my goodness….I love this book and love all the ideas you have come up with. Your depth and detail are fantastic. Keep up the great work.

    10. Mercedes Sanchez
      November 17, 2019
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      Our children have picked up insects at our back yard the last Summer.And they got lay down them on leaves and cared them so nice.They gets so curious when they see insects. Then in this moment we talked about it and it was a good time.It is about it that l love spring and Summer because the kids enjoy much the outdoor experiences.

    11. Marissa Quigley
      November 12, 2019
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      Reading – This book is all about each insect that has live inside a log. The insects and animals that they have are beetle, red eft, bluegill (sunfish), red-winged blackbird, painted turtle, frog, tadpole, muskrat. arthropods, a garter snake, and chipmunk
      Listening – This book tells about each insect and animal with a description about each one of them. The description talks about what they are in real life.
      Book Inspiration – What’s Under a Log by Anne Hunter
      Writing – Make a log with sticks and put anything on it and we can pretend they are bugs or animals that lives in the log.
      Talking – How can a beetle to a sow bug can turn into a millipede from over a log?

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Fabulous ideas! Great work!

    12. Zu En Seow
      November 11, 2019
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      As we are in a suburban area, it’s much trickier to do, but it would be nice to be able to take a field trip to a natural park, or just someplace more quiet where such listening activities are possible.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Yes!!!

    13. Pamela Wesley
      November 11, 2019
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      I would add pictures of habitats in the classroom and then in the sensory table add items to make there own so when they go outside they can look for the same materials and make their own.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Awesome!

    14. Olivia Bean
      November 11, 2019
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      I think with this part I would definitely have these be a hands on activity for my students and I. I would implement like a scavenger hunt involving looking underneath looks or rocks outside. I would make it simple enough for my preschoolers by having groups broken up with a teacher to look underneath the logs and have them look for worms bugs etc.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Great ideas. so simple, but such big impact!

    15. Kimberly Sheehan
      November 11, 2019
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      We like the idea of sitting and listening to nature and the children learning how to identify a few species of birds and different animals in are area. We feel this will help connect the children to nature on a deeper level by learning local animals and learning how to sit and be still. Also identifying different bugs they find under logs will make it more fun for them to want to learn about what they find.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Terrific!

    16. Alexandria Cicci
      November 11, 2019
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      The children can use these books to explore nature. The books could be read and then they can go outside and see how the book relates to outside.

    17. Lisette Lara
      November 11, 2019
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      Now that we have access to our playground and taking ur course has shown me great ideas to implement the classroom outdoors. I know that the recess is kids free play time outdoors but giving them a spark of imagination and implementing literature and science nature .

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        I am thrilled this Master Class has helped you with thinking differently about your new outdoor space.

    18. Brendan O'Donnell
      November 11, 2019
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      Writing: Draw a bug or animal that you have found under a log/rock
      Listening: Do bugs make sounds? Lets listen and see. (Maybe play a CD of crickets as well)
      Talking: Share your favorite bug with the class and tell us what sound you think they make!

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        You have wonderfully creative ideas.

    19. Julia Best
      November 11, 2019
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      I love the idea of focusing on listening. Sometimes you need to be patient in order to hear certain sounds in nature and this is also a great tool for my preschoolers. Nowadays they all have phones or tablets put in their hands whenever they have to wait. No one simply can just “be” as they wait, they seek an alternative form of entertainment while waiting. Slowing the children down and focusing in on listening and waiting is so important. It also helps them appreciate their surroundings while showing them there’s even more around you if you simply take the time to slow down and focus on it.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        I could not agree with you more. This is one of the reasons why I do this work. We are all addicted to our phones and major disconnect is happening.

    20. Daniel Lemke
      November 11, 2019
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      Doing a worksheet like this in addition to hands on gathering would be great for a lot of age groups in our program.

    21. Erin Hudson
      November 11, 2019
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      Extension ideas that could be used could include; looking under rocks and comparing the two. Another fun idea may include creating a “log” in the sensory table for the children to explore and placing it the sensory table (with teacher approved materials) or even creating a classroom snack such as; ants on a log.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        That would be really cool! Let me know how it goes.

    22. Shawna Szczechowicz
      November 11, 2019
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      I think walking in trails in the forest and observing different animals, decomposition and habitats that may be in the trails would be a great activity. Having a log of both drawing what the observed and writing down what they observed would help them learn. If we did a project of recreating their favorite part of the nature walk in art they could use their log to help them.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Your ideas are fabulous! Keep them coming!

    23. kathleen regan
      November 11, 2019
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      using sticks to draw in the sand and dirt.
      watching and listening to the birds.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        🙂

    24. Doreen Hathaway
      November 11, 2019
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      we have talked about getting a log for our outdoor play yard can’t wait

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        🙂 Yea!

    25. Kyle Silva
      November 11, 2019
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      Just like the other idea web I would extend this activity to have the children draw what they hear, draw what they see, and then draw what they feel. These kind of sensory activities can be very therapeutic and calming to students of all ages.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        🙂

    26. Aimee Provencher
      November 11, 2019
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      For better understanding of habitat, the children could draw out what their habitat looks like, or that of another animal.

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Wonderful!

    27. Eileen Finck
      November 11, 2019
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      I recently purchased a book all about different kinds of bugs for my infants, and if I can get them to focus long enough, some enjoy flipping through the pages, pointing at different bugs, and listening to me identify them!

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Fun! Always a challenge with our littles…but worth introducing them to different things

    28. Christina Morneau
      November 11, 2019
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      great ideas

    29. Madeleine Law
      November 11, 2019
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      Listening: Listen to audio of sounds different bugs make. Play a guessing game to match different bugs to different sounds.
      Writing: practice writing the names and letters for different bugs. Sound out the names and draw pictures to go with the names.
      Reading: reading books about different types of bugs, what they do for the environment. Such as bees with pollination. How to be nice to bugs and respect nature.
      Talking: Name different types of bugs. Talk about what colors they are, what sounds they make, where we find them

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        Great reflections!

    30. Zachary Liriano
      November 11, 2019
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      I would love to see the kids learn how to sustain an outdoor space so that it may support a good number of creatures

      • Victoria Hackett
        November 13, 2019
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        That is a great idea. Any ideas of how you would do this? Think about your steps and go for it!

        • Victoria Hackett
          November 13, 2019
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          Great!

    31. Heather LeMay
      November 11, 2019
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      Just have the kids sit and try to listen to the sounds that they hear around them and ask them what they hear. Have them examine the bugs and insects that they have found under the observation log and ask them what they see, maybe list some differences between the different bugs.

    32. Whitney Connolly
      November 11, 2019
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      Putting rocks or logs in my small garden for the daycare. I do have big rocks in other parts but unfortunately my outdoor space is only one area I’m allowed to bring the kids. So, we will have to put some closer for the kids.

    33. Bonnie Ellard
      November 11, 2019
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      Safety is a big concern, Liabilities

    34. KATHLEEN CARROLL
      November 11, 2019
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      We really enjoy the bird sounds, I have a cockatiel in the house and when we are outside we talk about how the birds all sound different. The seagulls the crows the geese and the bird inside named Tucker.

    35. Emily Walsh
      November 11, 2019
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      We have a lot of challenges with our children outside…they’re constantly eating things!! crab apples, rocks, sticks! It’s so hard to teach our children things when we’re trying to prevent them from swallowing rocks!

    36. Pamela Caldwell
      November 11, 2019
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      Would make a classroom book about what lives under a log Have children share ideas and then go out for a walk to explore

    37. calamityjayne85
      March 13, 2018
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      Listening- identify birds by their call, name all the sounds we can hear, locate what is making the sound.
      Writing- drawing different birds, writing what we think the sounds sound like
      Drawing in the soil with sticks
      Talking- describing the sounds we hear. How are some bird calls similar others different?
      What do you think makes that sound? Can you nake that sound?
      Can you get the bird to answer you?
      I am so blessed our center is not afraid of letting kids explore nature.

      • Victoria Hackett
        March 13, 2018
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        Fantabulous! 🙂

    38. psawyer
      March 13, 2018
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      One of the issues that I bump up against frequently in my program is the problem with liability. I wasn’t kidding earlier when I said that we have large boulders on one of our playgrounds that the children are not allowed to go near, much less climb on. Nature and natural features are something that is often seen as a danger. Victoria, you may know who Johanna Booth-Miner is? She directs a school located a ways up in New Hampshire that is very nature based, and she is fond of saying Keep children as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible. She is quite the advocate for getting kids out in nature and learning how to take appropriate risks. But while my program may support this idea in principle, there is a much different mindset when it comes to practice. Here’s an example: all of our preschool classrooms will be going on a field trip to a farm within the next month, where they have tapped a maple tree and will offer a taste of the sap to each child. We have had to get a signed permission form for each child that clearly states whether or not the child can taste the sap. Not syrup; sap. When challenged, our director shrugs and says it’s necessary in these times. I think about taking my class on a trip to walk in a forest area, where the children would be encouraged to get off the designated pathways and go look at nature up close, and I think, What if something happens? What if they go to turn over a log and a swarm of bees flies out and… or a frightened chipmunk attacks? I never used to think this way! I was the last teacher to succumb to the dictate that nobody goes on the rocks on the playground. I had my kids climbing on those rocks (under my supervision, of course) while other teachers shook their heads and murmured how I was going to get in trouble. I miss the good old days when nature was a friend!!

      • Victoria Hackett
        March 13, 2018
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        Patricia, I have heard this type of story over and over again and it fuels me to dig deeper into why we have become so fearful of Nature? The worry about liability has crippled us to become sedentary and unfortunately gives us permission not to allow children to take risks. This is where I believe we need to take a step back and ask ourselves, “What CAN we do?” Slowly changing the mindset that “these are the times we live in” is possible. Your stories show the real challenges of reconnecting children with nature. This is part of your Outdoor Classroom story. Take a breath and try something new. Choose your tree. Create a gathering place. Add an observation log. Make a few signs, Plant a butterfly garden…and before you know it, you will have created the foundation for an outdoor classroom. You will be amazed at how Nature will take care of the rest.

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