ECE 146 Nature Play for Young Children

Lecture Hours: 1
Credits: 1

Provides a deeper look at how nature play can be integrated into the daily curriculum of toddlers, preschool, and school age children. Designs indoor and outdoor natural spaces.

Prerequisite: ECE 251 with a grade of C or better; or consent of instructor.
Student Learning Outcomes:

Articulate importance of nature play in development of young children, drawing on students’ early nature play experiences and professional literature.
Connect nature play to significant domains of learning in young children.
Use assessment tools to evaluate and plan improvements for existing outdoor play areas.
Describe role of the teacher in planning spaces, activities, and scaffolds of children’s play in nature.

Content Outline

The Importance of Nature Play
- Introduction Students’ early nature play experiences
- Play in nature: the whole child
- Facing challenges: facilities, parents, leadership, trends
Child Development and Nature Play: Domains of Learning
The Role of the Teacher
- Assessing outdoor spaces
- Planning spaces and activities: Learning from examples
- Scaffolding learning: Using the CLASS lens