What Is Nature-Based Learning? A Guide for Parents from a Nature Educator
- rachelf547
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Nature-based learning isn't a new idea; children learned in and through nature for most of human history. We forgot, and now we're remembering.
I've run nature-based learning programs for children in Fort Myers, FL for over a decade. I've watched 4-year-olds develop genuine ecological literacy through their hands. I've seen homeschool families transform their curriculum around Florida's two ecological seasons. I've observed the developmental difference between a child who learns about butterflies from a book and one who has watched a zebra longwing emerge from a chrysalis in their backyard.
This guide is a clear, practical explanation of what nature-based learning actually is, what the science says about why it works, and how any family (in Fort Myers or anywhere) can begin using it today.
What Is Nature-Based Learning? (A Clear Definition)
Nature-based learning is an approach to education where children actively engage with the natural world as a core part of their learning, not as a field trip add-on, but as the primary environment and medium for developing cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills.
It is helpful to understand what nature-based learning is by contrasting it with related but distinct approaches:
| Approach | What It Is | Learning Structure | |---|---|---| | Outdoor time / recess | Unstructured physical time outside | Physical, but not structured for learning | | Nature-inspired classroom | Themed decor, leaf printouts, nature posters | Visual theme only; still primarily indoor instruction | | Nature-based learning | Natural materials, outdoor settings, intentional developmental goals | Active engagement with nature as the primary medium | | Forest school | All learning conducted outdoors, regardless of weather | Most immersive; Scandinavian in origin; growing in US |
The Nature Classroom sits on this spectrum as a nature-based program: structured 1-hour sessions that use natural materials and outdoor settings to build STEAM skills, aligned to Florida Sunshine State Standards.
The Science Behind It: Why Nature Works Better Than a Classroom
This isn't nostalgia. The research is specific.
1. Attention Restoration Theory (ART) Rachel and Stephen Kaplan's research (1989) demonstrated that natural environments restore directed attention capacity better than built environments. Their theory: nature engages "involuntary attention" (we look at a butterfly because it's interesting, not because we're trying to focus) which allows the "directed attention" system to recover. Children fatigued by structured classroom demands recover faster after time in nature. This is why forest kindergartens and nature-based schools consistently report better focus among their students.
2. The Motor-Cognitive Connection Multiple studies have linked increased physical activity in natural environments (climbing, navigating uneven terrain, balancing on logs, carrying objects) to improved cognitive function and executive function. The skills underlying self-regulation and academic readiness (the ability to plan, wait, and adjust behavior) are directly strengthened by the physical challenges nature provides.
3. Intrinsic Motivation Open-ended nature play (no prescribed outcome, no correct answer) activates intrinsic motivation in ways that structured classroom tasks cannot reliably replicate. Children who are intrinsically motivated learn faster, retain more, and demonstrate greater creativity. Natural curiosity is the engine; nature is the fuel.
The growth of nature-based education reflects this evidence. The US went from 24 documented nature preschools in 2012 to nearly 600 by 2024, according to the Natural Start Alliance (naturalstart.org). This growth is not a trend, it's a research-driven response to declining outdoor time for children and its measurable cognitive consequences.
The Spectrum: From Nature Walk to Forest School
Parents often ask where to start. Here's the full spectrum, from simplest to most immersive:
Level 1: Nature Walk / Outdoor Break Unstructured time outside. Excellent for physical health and stress reduction; limited learning structure. This is accessible for any family with a backyard or a nearby park, and it's a valuable foundation.
Level 2: Nature-Inspired Activity A structured activity using natural materials: leaf printing, shell sorting, pressing leaves into playdough, growing a plant from seed. Can happen indoors or out. This is where most families begin intentional nature-based learning.
Level 3: Nature-Based Class or Program Intentional learning sessions in or with nature. Structured around skill development: STEAM skills, fine motor, scientific observation, ecological literacy. Sessions are planned, paced, and educator-led. This is what The Nature Classroom offers.
Level 4: Nature Preschool A full preschool program that conducts significant portions of its curriculum outdoors. Growing rapidly across the US; strong evidence base.
Level 5: Forest School 100% outdoor learning in all weather conditions. Most immersive form; originated in Scandinavia; requires purpose-built curriculum and trained educators.
You don't need to enroll your child in a full forest school to access the benefits of nature-based learning. Starting at Level 2 or 3 produces real developmental outcomes. The research doesn't require an outdoor classroom, it requires consistent, intentional engagement with the natural world.
What Nature-Based Learning Looks Like in Florida
Florida is uniquely positioned for nature-based learning, for reasons that make this place genuinely different from any other state:
Year-round outdoor access. Unlike states where outdoor programming is limited to 5–6 comfortable months, Florida's dry season (November–April) provides 6 months of ideal outdoor learning weather. Wet season is managed with early morning sessions and appropriate shade.
Extraordinary biodiversity. Florida is home to subtropical species found nowhere else in the continental US: gopher tortoises, roseate spoonbills, Florida scrub jays, manatees, alligators, mangroves, air plants, cypress domes. Learning to recognize and understand these species builds genuine ecological literacy specific to this landscape.
Gulf Coast sensory richness. For Southwest Florida families, Gulf Coast beaches are extraordinary outdoor classrooms: shells, sea glass, shorebirds, tide lines, the smell of the Gulf. These are free, perpetually refreshed learning resources.
What nature-based learning looks like at The Nature Classroom (Fort Myers):
1-hour programs correlated to Florida Sunshine State Standards
STEAM activities using natural and eco-friendly materials
Nature walks with guided observation and scientific recording
Sensory activities with playdough kits and natural loose parts
Monthly themes: pollinators, wildlife offspring, Florida seasons, Gulf Coast marine life, wetland ecology
Both drop-in classes and homeschool group sessions are available.
10 Nature-Based Learning Activities to Try at Home
These activities embody nature-based learning principles and are accessible for ages 2–8:
1. Nature Journaling Take a walk, select one plant or animal to observe closely, and sketch it with written (or dictated) observations. Repeat weekly with the same location. Over months, children build an authentic longitudinal record of what changes. Skill: Observation, scientific recording, attention to detail. Ages: 3+
2. Loose Parts Play Gather sticks, stones, seeds, shells, bark. Create anything. No instructions, no correct outcome. This is open-ended creative learning with materials that are unpredictable and genuinely interesting. Skill: Open-ended creativity, fine motor, spatial reasoning. Ages: 18mo+
3. Nature Sorting Tray Collect items from a walk. Sort by one attribute: size (big/small), texture (rough/smooth), or color. This is early math (classification and one-to-one correspondence) disguised as play. Skill: Classification, early math, observation. Ages: 2+
4. Shell or Leaf Press into Playdough Press natural objects into dough and study the impressions. The combination of sensory play and scientific observation creates the hallmark nature-based learning experience: hands engaged, mind processing. Skill: Tactile learning, botanical observation, fine motor. Ages: 18mo+ → See nature playdough activities for full setups.
5. Backyard Bioblitz Use the iNaturalist app (inaturalist.org) to identify and catalog every species in your yard. Your child's observations become part of a real scientific database. Skill: Citizen science, taxonomy, digital literacy. Ages: 4+
6. Weather Journal Daily entry: temperature, cloud type, sky color, whether it rained. Florida families have the added value of tracking wet vs. dry season patterns. Skill: Meteorology, observation, data recording. Ages: 4+
7. Seed Dispersal Collection Collect seeds in different shapes and forms. Sort by how they travel: wind (light and fluffy or winged), water (round and buoyant), animal (sticky or hooked). This is evolutionary thinking in toddler form. Skill: Botany, classification, evolutionary biology concepts. Ages: 4+
8. Nature Scavenger Hunt Our free printable makes this immediately accessible. See our nature scavenger hunt for kids → for the Florida and standard versions. Skill: Observation, classification, outdoor engagement. Ages: 2+
9. Build a Bug Hotel Stack twigs, leaves, bark, and stones in a corner of the yard to create habitat for beneficial insects. Check weekly for residents. What moved in? A spider? A ground beetle? Pill bugs? Skill: Ecology, engineering, patience, habitat science. Ages: 3+
10. Star Journaling On a clear Florida night, identify three constellations. Sketch what you see; record the date and time. Florida's dry-season nights are excellent for this. Skill: Astronomy, observation, scientific journaling. Ages: 5+
How to Find (or Create) a Nature-Based Learning Program Near You
What to look for in a program:
Structured outdoor time with intentional learning goals (not just "go outside")
Use of natural materials as primary learning media
STEAM integration with specific skill outcomes
Educator credentials in nature education or early childhood development
Curriculum alignment to Florida Standards (for Florida families)
Fort Myers / Lee County families: The Nature Classroom offers in-person nature-based learning classes for ages 3–8, with both drop-in sessions and homeschool group programs. Sessions are 1 hour, held outdoors, and correlated to Florida Sunshine State Standards.
Nationwide: The Natural Start Alliance maintains a directory of nature preschools and nature-based programs across the US at naturalstart.org.
We're not inventing something new when we take children outside to learn. We're returning to something essential: the original learning environment that shaped human cognition for hundreds of thousands of years.
Nature-based learning is accessible at every level: from a barefoot walk across your backyard to an enrolled class with a credentialed educator. Every step along that spectrum produces real developmental benefits. You don't need to commit to forest school on day one. A stick, a shell, and an afternoon outside is enough to begin.
If you're in Fort Myers, we'd love to be your child's nature classroom.
Rachel Forbes is a wildlife educator and founder of The Nature Classroom in Fort Myers, FL. She has run Florida Standards-aligned nature-based learning programs for children ages 3–8 in Lee County for over a decade, and holds credentials in both wildlife education and early childhood development.
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