Best Day Ever Video
This 15-minute video provides a glimpse into a “Forest Days” kindergarten program where teachers take their children outside to a forested area one day per week. Originally developed by Eliza Minnucci and Meghan Teachout, the format has taken shape in kindergarten classrooms throughout southern Vermont.
This introduction to early childhood nature-based education in public kindergartens provides the best look at how this type of program supports developmental growth, meets kindergarten early learning standards, and energizes children, teachers, and families.
A positive and caring attitude toward the environment is a critical component of environmental literacy, and research shows that most attitudes are formed early in life. Providing young children with frequent opportunities to experience the beauty and wonder of the natural world, develop positive emotional connections with their immediate surroundings, and care for plants and animals establishes a necessary foundation for learning about environmental issues and taking appropriate action later in life. In addition, a growing body of evidence documents the many benefits that time spent playing and learning in nature has on children’s healthy development. View more resources in the Early Childhood EE PRO Picks collection >