Nature and Early Education: Global Perspectives on Outdoor Learning for Young Children

This collection offers a wide-ranging and thoughtful examination of how nature education for young children is evolving in the 21st century. In chapters based on empirical research and examples of reflective practice, the book reveals how nature-based approaches are transforming educational policy, theoretical frameworks, and educational practice in early childhood and beyond.

Drawing on research from international contributors across diverse educational settings, the volume explores:

• Challenges to concepts of childhood, risk, and human-nature interaction, past and present
• Culturally specific and Indigenous knowledge systems
• Teacher preparation and professional development pathways
• Strategies for family and community engagement
• Effective nature-based learning in urban environments

Beyond highlighting successful approaches, the collection tackles implementation challenges head-on, providing practical recommendations and thought-provoking questions designed for both individual reflection and group discussion.

This essential resource equips undergraduate and postgraduate students, education researchers, and practicing teachers with the insights they need to enact and critique nature-based pedagogical approaches, especially (but not only) for young learners.

Larry Prochner is a Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Alberta, Canada. His research focuses on the historical, comparative, and international dimensions of teaching and curriculum in early education.

Kristen Nawrotzki teaches at Heidelberg University of Education in Germany. Her research centers on the history of education and related social policy, with a focus on early childhood education and care in the United States, the UK and transnationally.