Children & Nature Network: Research and Articles
Recent articles
Nadra Kareem Nittle. Math in the Garden: Are School Gardens the New Classrooms? The Atlantic. October 15, 2015.
Jessica Leahy. Teach Kids to Daydream. Mental downtime makes people more creative and less anxious. The Atlantic. October 16, 2013.
Why Adults have to Stop Trying So Hard to Control How Children Play. The Washington Post. December 11, 2015.
Tim Walker. The Joyful, Illiterate Kindergartners of Finland. Forget the Common Core, Finland’s youngsters are in charge of determining what happens in the classroom. The Atlantic. October 1, 2015.
Florence Williams. This Is Your Brain on Nature. National Geographic. January 2016.
Take a Hike for Health: Small Doses of the Outdoors Make a Big Difference. The Seattle Times. December 3, 2015.
Exposure to Nature May Reduce Crime, Strengthen Communities. Huffington Post. December 3, 2015. (From the journal Bioscience.)
Seeing Green: The Importance of Nature for Our Health. Mother Earth News. December 2015/January 2016.
Gayle Worland. Celebrate a Wacky Winter Outdoors. Wisconsin State Journal. January 1, 2016.
Outdoor / environmental education
- Louv R. Leave No Child Inside. Orion, March-April 2007.
- Place-based education summary (From the Place-based Education Collaborative)
- Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-being through Urban Landscapes
Schoolyard design
- Danks S. Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation. New Village Press, 2011.
- Sachs N and Vicenta T. Outdoor Environments for Children with Autism and Special Needs. Implications | Informed Design. April 2011.
Sensory integration through outdoor education
- Cosco N, Moore R. Sensory integration and contact with nature: Designing outdoor inclusive environments. NAMTA Journal. 2009:34(2);158-168.
- Therapeutic Landscapes Network
- Nature-Based Learning and Play for Children with Autism and Special Needs
- Sensory Garden Trust
Outdoor / environmental education
- Article by Richard Louv outlining “Nature Deficit Disorder” in Orion Magazine.
- Place-based education summary (From the Place-based Education Collaborative)
- Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-being through Urban Landscapes
Food/healthy snacks
- Study on School Gardens brings Fresh Results
- Ideas from Jamie Oliver’s “Open Food Revolution” Challenge
- Online groups push to improve food at Madison schools: A better lunch
Lynn Welch, The Isthmus, Friday 02/05/2010 - A Farm to School Mission, Stephanie Ricketts, Willy Street C0-op Reader, Feb 2010:
- REAP Farm-to-School program
- MUNCH: Madisonians United for Nutrition for Children’s Health
- MUNCH Resource page
Research
Resources and ideas
Examples
- Earthplay – Creating Outdoor Play Environments for the Soul
- Boston Schoolyard Initiative
- Milton Outdoor Classrooms
- Chesapeake Bay Schoolyard Habitat Program,
Reading
- Louv R. Last Child in the Woods. Algonquin Books, 2005.
- DeBord K, et al. Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale. Kaplan, 2005.
- Kirkland J. No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard. Stillwater Publishing, 2009.
- Frost J, et al. The Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds. Assoc. for Childhood Ed. Int’l, 2004.
Madison Area GROW Coalition 