Books and Readings

Forest Schooled: The Book by Caylin Gans

Collection of stories and experiences as Caylin embarks on her forest school journey. Laced with research and theory in an approachable book.

Outdoor Education: Methods and Strategies by Ken Gilbertson

"Divided into three parts. Part I defines what outdoor education is... It also explores theories that support outdoor education, including developmental stages, learning stages, and constructivism. Part II guides the reader to understand the backgrounds and abilities of participants, create a successful learning environment, teach effectively in a variety of settings, and design lesson plans. Part III examines the uses of physical, cognitive, and affective methods for teaching, and it includes sample lesson plans that illustrate the methods presented"

Balanced and Barefoot by Angela J. Hanscom

A necessary read for those who may be nervous that children may be hurt being outdoors. This book is necessary to help re-frame mindsets that benefits outweigh the risks of injury in unstructured play in schools and neighborhoods.

Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

As the book that coined the term "nature deficit disorder". Louv offers research and suggestions on how to reconnect children to nature.

Guidelines for Excellence: K-12 Learning by NAAEE

Suggested benchmarks for environmental education in 4th, 8th, and 12th grade. Available for free download or purchase.

Beyond Ecophobia by David Sobel

Expanded version of one of Orion's most popular articles and includes descriptions of developmentally appropriate environmental education activities and related children's books.

Place-Based Education by David Sobel

Comprehensive review of PBE - including academic research, practical examples, and step-by-step examples in using the local environment / community in place-based education.

Smart by Nature by Michael K Stone and Center for Ecoliteracy

Shows how schools and districts across the country are orienting their activities around environmental responsibility.

Children Learning Outside the Classroom by Sue Waite

Covers a general overview of the rationale and justification of taking children outdoors to learn standards based curriculum.

A Pedagogy of Place: Outdoor Education for a Changing World by Brian Wattchow and Mike Brown

Conversation on the traditional approaches to outdoor education and the need to shift approaches as social and ecological changes continue to happen in our world.

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

Learn about the science behind the power of nature. How does nature boost our mood, creativity, and overall health?

Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning by Herbert W. Broda

This handbook shows how the school grounds can become an enriching extension of the classroom.

Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto

Hands-on activities that inspire children to understand and appreciate the Earth and Native American cultures.

Place-based Curriculum Design by Amy B. Demarest

Gives teachers the rationale and tools to integrate meaningful, place-based pedagogy into their curriculum while still being accountable for federal, state, and district mandates.

Nature-Based Learning for Young Children by Julie Powers and Shelia Williams Ridge

Designed to provide ideas for all early childhood educators ranging from novice to highly experienced in a wide range of ecosystems.

Adventure Education by Linda Ritson

"provides a toolkit of various games and activities that can be used with groups of young children, including parachute games, card and musical activities, and climbing and traversing games."

Dirty Teaching by Juliet Robertson

This book is full of tips and tricks for both the seasoned outdoor educator and beginner alike. Perfect for early elementary, these activities are easy to integrate into a standards-based curriculum.

Messy Maths by Juliet Robertson

Great for PreK-3 teachers to get outside and connect math to the outdoors.

How to be an Explorer of the World by Keri Smith

Find how how similarly artists and scientists analyze the world around them. Discover ways to encourage both scientific discovery and artistic creativity in your life and classroom!

Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature by Jon Young

Foundational text in outdoor education and includes both guiding principals and related activities.

A Walking Curriculum: Evoking Wonder and Developing Sense of Place (K-12) by Gillian Judson

The 60 walks provided in the resource reflect a variety of themes, perspectives, and motivations. For example, students may be asked to find things, to change perspectives, to encounter the world differently , or to seek evidence of human-nature relationships.  

Playing in  the Muck and Other Arty Stuff by Adelle Caunce

Designed to go with A Walking Curriculum, it contains fun, easy-to-implement, art-based activities that correspond directly with 30 of the walking themes. 

The Big Book of Nature Activities: A Year Round Guide to Outdoor Learning by Drew Monkman

Nature-based skills and activities; Ideas, games and activities grounded in what’s happening in nature each season; Lists of key species and happenings to observe throughout the year across most of North America.

The School Garden Curriculum: An Integrated K-8 Guide by Kaci Rae Christopher

A unique and comprehensive framework, enabling students to grow their knowledge throughout the school year and build on it from kindergarten to eighth grade. 

The Book of Nature Connection by Jacob Rodenburg

Packed with fun activities for using all our senses to engage with nature in a deep and nourishing way. It is a fantastic resource for educators, camp and youth leaders, caregivers and parents. 

Heartbeat of the Earth: Connecting Children to Nature through Indigenous Teachings by Launa Purcell

The activities inside instill traditional teachings of respect, honour, resourcefulness, and humility in children. This handbook is intended to inspire parents, caregivers, and educators to provide children with meaningful outdoor experiences interwoven with traditional Indigenous knowledge. 

Wild Learning: Practical Ideas to Bring Teaching Outdoors by Rachel Tidd

These activities can be done in common outdoor spaces accessible to teachers in all school settings, and they are adaptable to their current curriculum—not an extra thing to try to fit into their day. 

Natural Curiosity 2nd Edition: A Resource for Educators

Brings awareness of Indigenous perspectives and their importance to environmental education.

Black Faces, White Spaces by Carolyn Finney

Carolyn Finney helps to analyze environmental history, cultural studies, and geography to help us understand that environmental issues are equity issues.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmer

A series of reflections about how plants and nature can be and have been our original teachers.

From Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation by Sharon Danks

Case studies from around the world that demonstrate natural outdoor learning. Serves as a guidebook for designing and building natural schoolyard environments. 

Placemaking with Children and Youth by Victoria Derr, Louise Chawla, and Mara Mintzer

A comprehensive guide to engaging children and youth in the planning and design of local environments. Includes the ethics of working with youth in these processes and guidelines for facilitating participatory processes including drawing, photography, interviews, mapping, etc.

Schools the Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind by Clare Latane

Details what school would look like if we designed schools with mental health first.

Plants for Play by Robin C. Moore

Robin shares his years of experience in selecting plants that support children's play activities. 

How to Grow a School Garden by Rachel Pringle and Arden Bucklin-Sporer

Everything you need to know to build school gardens and to develop the programs that support them.