Eliza Minnucci and Meghan Teachout. A Forest Days Handbook: Program Design for School Days Outside. Green Writers Press, 2018.

Eliza Minnucci wrote this book with Meghan Teachout as a companion book to the video Best Day Ever. It is a “how to” guide for teachers to replicate this approach in their own classrooms. It includes the why and how of starting a forest days program in a public kindergarten. Forest classroom basics, routines, role of the adult, infrastructure, gear, seasonal examples (aligned with common core standards), and case studies are described and detailed. 

The authors of the book have provided advice and consulting services to numerous public school teachers since embarking on their own journey of outdoor education. Their approach is authentic, research based, and doable for anyone interested in pursuing outdoor education with their classes.

Learn more about the authors on the Forest Kinder website.

Purchase A Forest Days Handbook

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 >