Many early childhood educators take children outdoors because they see it helping children grow socially and emotionally, not only learn about nature. This study measured those changes in preschoolers over one nature program.
In the Learning in Nature Program, children spend two-hour morning sessions in local bushland (natural woodland), once or twice a week. Each child keeps the same partner for the whole program. Sessions combine play with learning about seasons, local plants and animals, habitats, First Nations perspectives on the land, and caring for the environment.
The researchers followed 83 children, aged about four, at an inner-city preschool in Melbourne, Australia, across two years. Teachers rated each child's behavior, empathy and coping at the start and end of the program, and 17 parents wrote about changes they noticed.
By the end of the program, teachers reported clear changes:
1. Fewer difficulties. Children had fewer problems getting along with peers, fewer emotional problems, and less restless or disruptive behavior.
2. More helping and comforting. Children did more kind and helpful things, such as comforting someone who was upset. How much they noticed others' feelings stayed the same. The researchers think most four-year-olds have already developed this.
3. Better coping. The biggest change was in positive coping, such as turning to others for help and support. Children were less likely to cope by getting upset or by holding their feelings in.
Parents described children who knew more about nature, cared about it, and acted on that care. One son became "a stickler" for picking up rubbish. One girl talked about her friend, the gum tree. Another child led his family on a nature walk and named animals using their Indigenous names. Parents also noticed better concentration, closer friendships, and more confidence in a daughter who had been anxious in new places.
Both years improved. The 2021 group was taught partly by the program's designer, and it made bigger gains in helpfulness and calmer behavior. The 2022 group had less experienced teachers and still improved clearly. The study had no comparison group, so some of the change may also reflect normal development.
What this means for your practice
Make nature time long and regular. Children here spent two hours at a time, every week, in the same bushland. If your outdoor sessions are short or occasional, consider how you could make them longer or more frequent.
Give each child a nature partner. Keeping the same partner throughout gave children steady chances to help, share and get along. These were some of the biggest areas of growth in this study.
Build in real challenges. The authors link the coping gains to children working through physical challenges, like climbing over logs and crossing uneven ground. One parent said the unfamiliar settings were ideal for stretching her anxious daughter's confidence. Give children time to work things out before you step in.
Mix teaching with play. The program paired planned teaching about seasons, plants, animals and habitats with child-led play. The researchers saw children's knowledge come first, then their feelings for nature, then caring actions. Help children get to know one tree or creature well, and then give them simple ways to look after the place, like collecting litter.
Start even if you're new to this. Less experienced teachers still saw real gains. Experience helped, but it was not essential.
Return to Early-Childhood and Nature-Based Learning Collection
The Bottom Line
Researchers followed 83 four-year-olds through the Learning in Nature Program, a weekly nature program at an inner-city preschool in Melbourne, Australia. Teachers rated each child's behavior, empathy and coping at the start and end, and 17 parents described changes they noticed at home. By the end, teachers reported fewer problems with peers, emotions, restlessness and behavior. Children helped and comforted others more, and they used healthier ways to cope when things got hard. Parents described children who knew more about nature, cared about it, and acted on that care, for example by picking up litter. For early childhood educators, the study shows that long, regular time in nature, combined with teaching about the local environment, goes hand in hand with social and emotional growth and care for the natural world.