Kathleen Mahoney

Research suggests that there is a recent trend in children’s diminished opportunities to interact in green spaces and an increase in ADHD, depression, and obesity (Louv, 2006). This phenomenon is coupled with the impacts of COVID-19 health policies on limited service of early educational programs. This case study looks at three families’ experiences with exploring a modified Growing Up WILD (GUW) curriculum and seeks to identify parent’s perceptions and pedagogies of the enactment of GUW activities with their young children. Preliminary findings suggest that parents found using the GUW materials to be an enjoyable experience that provided insights into their own children’s learning. Further findings suggest that parents use similar pedagogies as educators in enacting the GUW curriculum.