Nature-based early childhood education (NBECE) is a growing field for children aged 3-6 in North America. This growth demands the need for NBECE professionals. Often grounded in personal journey and perceptions, pedagogical practices of NBECE teachers play a vital role in learning experiences and nature-connectedness. This qualitative research…

Nature connection has been found in previous research to be a predictor of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. For this reason, efforts to build children's nature connection through a variety of avenues, including environmental education, have been explored by practitioners and researchers alike. In this paper we undertook a purposive…

Children are born into a world today with a drastically changing environmental climate. When young people develop an emotional attachment and sense of identity with nature, they may be more likely to behave in less destructive ways toward the planet and possibly live with a sense of responsibility and respect for nature. This mixed method study…

Responding to a growing call for culturally sustaining pedagogy, this article describes a Community of Practice (CoP) project in Minnesota. Guided by two Indigenous mentors, a cohort of 15 Indigenous and Non-Indigenous educators engaged in collective inquiry regarding how Indigenous histories, worldviews, and learning approaches can become part of…

This scoping review explored, what kind of educational environments and practices have been used when children's nature connectedness in early childhood education has been studied. While the beneficial influence of forest preschools -- and others alike based on substantial nature contact -- is well-established, little is known about how ordinary…

Several concepts exist to explain the human-nature relationship, including nature connection. This paper offers a reconceptualisation of the human-nature bond, based on the infant-parent bond and attachment theory. As such, this paper draws upon research on attachment theory and environmental psychology to draw parallels between the two. Initially…

Educators' perceptions play a crucial role in shaping children's experiences. This exploratory study aimed to gather feedback from preschool educators who had conducted lessons at a natural play space in Singapore. The study site, known as a Nature Playgarden, is a green space within a public park. Created mostly with natural materials, the Nature…

This study was conducted to explore preschool children's engagement in gardening and cooking activities and to incorporate their perspectives on these activities through digital photography. Additionally, the study explored how connections between home and school could be fostered through a cooking activity at home. Eighteen four-year-olds in two…

This study contributes to the research in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) by exploring a case study of two Western Australian early childhood education classes who welcomed an Indigenous Elder to share their expertise about the native plants in the schools' bush space. The findings from this study demonstrate the impact…

Forest school and nature-based pedagogy have grown in popularity in recent years. Previously, I examined the perspectives of parents who chose to enrol their children within these programs to learn and understand why. As I furthered my studies, I became concerned about how these forest and nature schools connect to Indigenous ways of knowing,…

Children's understanding of living and non-living concepts is usually interpreted by a child's degree of cognitive development. However, many studies with a different methodology include biological characteristics demonstrating that young children can distinguish between living and non-living. This research aims to examine the effect of the…

The purpose of this study, which occurred during COVID-19, was to integrate outdoor learning in an early childhood undergraduate literacy course at a midwestern university. Over a twelve-week semester, eight early childhood preservice teachers participated in thirty-five outdoor activities covering all content areas. The goals of this study were…

Climate change is an urgent global issue that requires concern and action among a climate literate citizenry. Early childhood climate change education (CCE) affords strong potential for developing this climate literate citizenry. Early childhood educators are critical for this endeavor, and their climate change perspectives, teaching practices,…

Empathy can be a powerful means for positive social change and for caring action toward wildlife and nature. Thus, there is a need for interventions that build the capacity of early childhood educators to support empathy development in young children, given the critical developmental period of early childhood and the relevance of empathy to…

Natural materials provide children opportunities for artistic engagement, which encourages a dialogue between children and material and provides a platform for children to discuss their perspectives on significant issues like sustainable futures. This article examines the land art characters created by pre-primary education children in the garden…