The restorative outcomes of forest school and conventional school in young people with good and poor behaviour

Adolescents experience positive emotional change after spending time in an outdoor educational setting

Roe, J., Aspinall, P., (2011). The restorative outcomes of forest school and conventional school in young people with good and poor behaviour. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 10(3), 205-212.

The power of nature: Developing prosocial behavior toward nature and peers through nature-based activities

Children develop prosocial behavior through nature activities

Acar, I., Torquati, J., (2015). The power of nature: Developing prosocial behavior toward nature and peers through nature-based activities. Young Children, 70(5), 62-71.

Embracing risk in the Canadian woodlands: Four children’s risky play and risk-taking experiences in a Canadian Forest Kindergarten

Children engage in a variety of risk-taking behaviors at a Forest Kindergarten.

Coe, H. A., (2016). Embracing risk in the Canadian woodlands: Four children’s risky play and risk-taking experiences in a Canadian Forest Kindergarten. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(4), 374-388.

Encouraging play in the natural environment: A child-focused case study of forest school

Forest school nature play offers multiple benefits for six and seven year old children

Ridgers, N., Knowles, Z., Sayers, J., (2012). Encouraging play in the natural environment: A child-focused case study of forest school. Children's Geographies, 10(1), 49 - 65.

The benefits of children's engagement with nature: A systematic literature review

Playful styles of nature engagement yield multiple benefits for children

Gill, T., (2014). The benefits of children's engagement with nature: A systematic literature review. Children, Youth and Environments, 24(2), 10-34.

Outdoor environmental assessment of attention promoting settings for preschool children

Green environments have attention promoting value for preschool children

Martensson, F., Boldemann, C., Soderstrom, M., Blennow, M., Englund, J.-E., Grahn. P., (2009). Outdoor environmental assessment of attention promoting settings for preschool children. Health & Place, 15(4), 1149-1157.

Bringing the jellyfish home: Environmental consciousness and ‘sense of wonder’ in young children’s encounters with natural landscapes and places

Researcher finds no contradiction between environmental learning and taking children outdoors to play freely in natural environments

Jørgensen, K-A., (2016). Bringing the jellyfish home: Environmental consciousness and ‘sense of wonder’ in young children’s encounters with natural landscapes and places. Environmental Education Research, 22(8), 1139-1157.

Comparing apples and pears?: A conceptual framework for understanding forms of outdoor learning through comparison of English Forest Schools and Danish udeskole

The Danish udeskole is more integrated in the national educational system than are Forest Schools in England

Waite, S., Bolling, M., Bensten, P., (2016). Comparing apples and pears?: A conceptual framework for understanding forms of outdoor learning through comparison of English Forest Schools and Danish udeskole. Environmental Education Research, 22(6), 868-892.

Nature by default in early childhood education for sustainability

Early childhood education for sustainability calls for more meaningful engagement of children with nature.

Elliott, S., Young, T., (2016). Nature by default in early childhood education for sustainability. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 32(1), 57–64.

What are the characteristics of nature preschools in Norway, and how do they organize their daily activities?

Nature preschools in Norway spend a large amount of time in nature and allow the children a significant amount of freedom and trust

Lysklett, O.B., Berger, H.W., (2016). What are the characteristics of nature preschools in Norway, and how do they organize their daily activities?. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning

The impacts of outdoor learning activities on children's self development

Study from Indonesia indicates that outdoor learning has a positive impact on young children’s development

Sari, A.N.I., (2016). The impacts of outdoor learning activities on children's self development. ELT Perspective, 4(1), 1-8.

A retrospective study of social relations in a Danish primary school class taught in ‘udeskole’

Students in an outdoor class show improved social relations both at the time of participation and over a longer period of time

Hartmeyer, R., Mygind, E., (2016). A retrospective study of social relations in a Danish primary school class taught in ‘udeskole’. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 16(1), 78-89.

Where do the children play?: An investigation of the intersection of nature, early childhood education and play

Interest in nature’s role in early childhood is gaining momentum after an uneven past

Brown, J.M., Kaye, C., (2017). Where do the children play?: An investigation of the intersection of nature, early childhood education and play. Early Child Development and Care, 187(5-6), 1028-1041.

Affordances of outdoor settings for children in preschool: Revisiting Heft’s functional taxonomy

Although requiring clarification, the concept of "affordances" is important in planning outdoor playspaces

Lerstrup, I., van den Bosch, C.K., (2016). Affordances of outdoor settings for children in preschool: Revisiting Heft’s functional taxonomy. Landscape Research, 42(1), 47-62.

The nature of udeskole: Outdoor learning theory and practice in Danish schools

Outdoor education in the context of Danish "udeskole" provides insights into best practices and practical challenges

Bensten, P., Jensen, F. S., (2012). The nature of udeskole: Outdoor learning theory and practice in Danish schools. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 12(3), 199 - 219.

Taking kindergartners outdoors: Documenting their explorations and assessing the impact on their ecological awareness

Nature kindergarten nurtures a deep connection with nature

Elliot, E., Ten Eycke, K., Chan, S., Müller, U., (2014). Taking kindergartners outdoors: Documenting their explorations and assessing the impact on their ecological awareness. Children, Youth and Environments, 24(2), 102-122.

Contact with nature and children’s wellbeing in educational settings

Social interaction, stress and attention may improve in one- to three-year-olds by free play in outdoor green space

Carrus, G., Pirchio, S., Passiatore, Y., Mastandrea, S., Scopelliti, M., Bartoli, G., (2012). Contact with nature and children’s wellbeing in educational settings. Journal of Social Sciences, 8(3), 304 - 309.

Does a nurturing approach that uses an outdoor play environment build resilience in children from a challenging background?

Children from challenging backgrounds experience improved well-being and resilience after participating in nurturing outdoor program

McArdle, K., Harrison, T., Harrison, D., (2013). Does a nurturing approach that uses an outdoor play environment build resilience in children from a challenging background?. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 13(3), 238-254.

Playing with nature: Supporting preschoolers' creativity in natural outdoor classrooms

Natural outdoor classrooms promote preschoolers’ creativity in the areas of problem-solving and ingenuity

Kiewra, C., Veselack, E., (2016). Playing with nature: Supporting preschoolers' creativity in natural outdoor classrooms. The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 4(1)

Affordances of ditches for preschool children

Ditches have the potential to become an important design element in outdoor playspaces for young children

Lerstrup, I., Moller, M.S., (2016). Affordances of ditches for preschool children. Children, Youth and Environments, 26(2), 43-60.

Geotheorizing mountain-child relations within anthropogenic inheritances

Early childhood pedagogy based on relationality rather than separation could serve as a form of resistance to an extractive relationship with the more-than-human world

Nxumalo, F., (2017). Geotheorizing mountain-child relations within anthropogenic inheritances. Children's Geographies, 15(5), 558-569.

The perception, management and performance of risk amongst Forest School educators

Forest School educators altered their risk management practices in response to competing conceptions of childhood and risk

Connolly, M., Haughton, C., (2017). The perception, management and performance of risk amongst Forest School educators. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 38(2), 105-124.

Are young children's utterances affected by characteristics of their learning environments? A multiple case study

Preschool children use richer language in a natural environment than in indoor or outdoor classrooms

Richardson, T., Murray, J., (2017). Are young children's utterances affected by characteristics of their learning environments? A multiple case study. Early Child Development and Care, 187(3-4), 457-468.

Identifying and characterizing risky play in the age one-to-three years

The existing definition and characteristics of risky play may not be useful for one-year-olds

Kleppe, R., Melhuish, E., Sandseter, E.B.H., (2017). Identifying and characterizing risky play in the age one-to-three years. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25(3), 370-385.

Cultural transmission at nature kindergartens: Foraging as a key ingredient

Educational benefits of foraging include the transmission of culture and strengthening children’s connection with nature

Nugent, C., Beames, S., (2015). Cultural transmission at nature kindergartens: Foraging as a key ingredient. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 20, 78-91.

'I saw a magical garden with flowers that people could not damage!': Children's visions of nature and of learning about nature in and out of school

Children’s deep emotional connection with nature generates a strongly protective disposition

Rios, C., Menezes, I., (2017). 'I saw a magical garden with flowers that people could not damage!': Children's visions of nature and of learning about nature in and out of school. Environmental Education Research, 23(10), 1402-1413.

Outdoor learning spaces: The case of forest school

Outdoor space provides new opportunities for children and teachers to interact in a way that stimulates both teaching and learning

Harris, F., (2017). Outdoor learning spaces: The case of forest school. AREA

The matter of the stick: Storying/(re)storying children's literacies in the forest

In the context of forest school pedagogy, post humanism and the common worlds framework suggest that children’s learning is about, through and with the elements of the forest

Harwood, D., Collier, D.R., (2017). The matter of the stick: Storying/(re)storying children's literacies in the forest. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 17(3), 336-352.

The importance of children interacting with big nature

Deepening children’s interaction with nature addresses the issue of environmental generational amnesia

Kahn, P.H., Weiss, T., (2017). The importance of children interacting with big nature. Children, Youth and Environments, 27(2), 7-24.

Thinking outside the four walls of the classroom: A Canadian Nature Kindergarten

Developing and implementing a Nature Kindergarten provided new opportunities for students and teachers to deepen their connections with place

Elliot, E., Krusekopt, F., (2017). Thinking outside the four walls of the classroom: A Canadian Nature Kindergarten. International Journal of Early Childhood

Effects of nature kindergarten attendance on children's functioning

Attending a nature kindergarten may enhance children’s locomotor and social skills

Müller, U., Temple, V.A., Smith, B., Kerns, K., Ten Eycke, K., Crane, J., Sheehan, J., (2017). Effects of nature kindergarten attendance on children's functioning. Children, Youth and Environments, 27(2), 47-69.

Comparing classroom context and physical activity in nature and traditional kindergartens

Natural learning environments promote physical activity more than traditional learning environments

Meyer, J., Müller, U., Macoun, S., (2017). Comparing classroom context and physical activity in nature and traditional kindergartens. Children, Youth and Environments, 27(3), 56-77.

Affordances guiding Forest School practice: The application of the ecological dynamics approach

Ecological Dynamics, with its focus on affordances and the person-environment relationship, could enhance Forest School practice

Sharma-Brymer, V., Brymer, E., Gray, T., Davids, K., (2018). Affordances guiding Forest School practice: The application of the ecological dynamics approach. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 21, 103-115.

Early childhood education in the outdoors in Aotearoa New Zealand

Indigenous Māori worldviews can give meaning and contextualized authenticity to forest school approaches in early childhood education in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Alcock, S., Ritchie, J., (2018). Early childhood education in the outdoors in Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 21, 77-88.

First Nation pedagogical emphasis on imitation and making the stuff of life: Canadian lessons for indigenizing Forest Schools

Incorporating First Nations pedagogy in Forest Schools in Canada requires an appreciation of imitative learning

MacEachren, Z., (2018). First Nation pedagogical emphasis on imitation and making the stuff of life: Canadian lessons for indigenizing Forest Schools. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 21, 89-102.

A critique of "Forest School" or something lost in translation

Contributions of Forest School to outdoor education can be enhanced by deep explorations into its cultural and theoretical meaning

Leather, M., (2018). A critique of "Forest School" or something lost in translation. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 21(5), 5-18.

Place-based nature kindergarten in Victoria, Australia: No tools, no toys, no art supplies

Nature kindergarten programs in Victoria, Australia are built around local conditions and influences versus imported Forest School practices

Christiansen, A., Hannan, S., Anderson, K., Coxon, L., Fargher, D., (2018). Place-based nature kindergarten in Victoria, Australia: No tools, no toys, no art supplies. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 21(1), 61-75.

The Hare and the Tortoise go to Forest School: Taking the scenic route to academic attainment via emotional wellbeing outdoors

Young children from disadvantaged backgrounds participating in a 3-year Forest School show increased well-being and academic development

McCree, M., Cutting, R., Sherwin, D., (2018). The Hare and the Tortoise go to Forest School: Taking the scenic route to academic attainment via emotional wellbeing outdoors. Early Child Development and Care, 188(7), 980-996.

Modeling child-nature interaction in a nature preschool: A proof of concept

Child–nature interaction can be modeled in a nature preschool based on interaction patterns

Kahn, P.H., Weiss, T., Harrington, K., (2018). Modeling child-nature interaction in a nature preschool: A proof of concept. Frontiers in Psychology, 9

What is different about Forest School? Creating a space for an alternative pedagogy

The divergence and freedoms inherent in Forest School may contribute to the well-being of participants

Waite, S., Goodenough, A., (2018). What is different about Forest School? Creating a space for an alternative pedagogy. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 21(1), 25-44.

Characteristics of forest sites used by a Danish forest preschool

Loose parts and shielded places are highly-desired features of forest sites for preschool children

Lerstrup, I., Refshauge, A.D., (2016). Characteristics of forest sites used by a Danish forest preschool. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 20(1), 387-396.

Illnesses and injuries at nature preschools

Nature preschools are safe for young children

Frenkel, H., Tandon, P., Frumkin, H., Vander Stoep, A., (2018). Illnesses and injuries at nature preschools. Environment and Behavior

Playing with mud - becoming stuck, becoming free?... The negotiation of gendered/class identities when learning outdoors

More-than-humans, along with gender and class expectations, shape children’s nature-related experiences

Mycock, K., (2019). Playing with mud - becoming stuck, becoming free?... The negotiation of gendered/class identities when learning outdoors. Children's Geographies, 17(4), 454-466.

From aversion to affinity in a preschooler's relationships with nature

Social relationships and direct experiences with nature serve as catalysts in shaping a child’s connections with nature

Kharod, D., Arreguín-Anderson, M.G., (2018). From aversion to affinity in a preschooler's relationships with nature. Ecopsychology

Developing a nature-based four-year-old kindergarten program: OAK Learning Center at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay, WI (USA)

Developers of a nature-based public preschool describe its development and perceptions of success in academic, physical, social and emotional development and connectedness to nature realms

Ashmann, S., (2018). Developing a nature-based four-year-old kindergarten program: OAK Learning Center at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay, WI (USA). International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 6(1), 35-43.

Growing a nature kindergarten that can flourish

Guiding principles for developing a nature kindergarten focused on place-based learning, environmental stewardship, Indigenous ways of knowing, and an emergent curriculum

Elliot, E., Krusekopf, F., (2018). Growing a nature kindergarten that can flourish. Australian Journal of Environmental Education

Do experiences with nature promote learning? Converging evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship

Converging evidence from diverse fields offers causal support for nature’s impact on learning, development and environmental stewardship

Kuo, M., Barnes, M., Jordan, C., (2019). Do experiences with nature promote learning? Converging evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 10

'Mud in my ears and jam in my beard': Challenging gendered ways of being in nature kindergarten practitioners

Natural surroundings may promote teacher behaviors that are less binary than traditional male/female roles

Nugent, C., MacQuarrie, S., Beames, S., (2019). 'Mud in my ears and jam in my beard': Challenging gendered ways of being in nature kindergarten practitioners. International Journal of Early Years Education, 27(2), 143-152.

Motor competence and physical fitness among children attending nature preschools and traditional preschools

Natural environments may offer different affordances for physically active play than traditional playgrounds

Lysklett, O.B., Berg, A., Moe, B., (2019). Motor competence and physical fitness among children attending nature preschools and traditional preschools. International Journal of Play

A coordinated research agenda for nature-based learning

A diverse team of stakeholders presents a framework for research to advance the understanding and implementation of nature-based learning

Jordan, C., Chawla, L., (2019). A coordinated research agenda for nature-based learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 10