Childhood today is very different from what it was for previous generations, and a sizable part of the difference has something to do with the changing amount of outdoor play time. Early childhood educators are in a powerful and unique position to make sure that children's exposure to the outdoors and its ever-changing wonders is woven into the core of the curriculum. The many sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the outdoors make it a natural classroom, and one that fits the exuberant gross motor, construction play, and symbolic play instincts of preschoolers. In this article, the authors share a handful of ideas for maximizing outdoor time and learning experiences and a few directions they expect outdoor play will take--and ways that early childhood educators can respond.