Time spent outdoors benefits children's physical, social and psychological development, although children today spend far less time outdoors than children of previous generations. The nature-based school initiative has grown in popularity as a means of increasing children's connection with nature and harnessing its benefits for their educational development. The current study is one of the first to quantitatively compare a traditional and a nature-based pre-primary program at the same school. Using a multi-method approach, this study aimed to better understand the relationships between learning environment and important developmental variables, including social interaction, play, behavior, school enjoyment and nature appreciation. Results indicate that both groups are equally prepared for kindergarten with regard to social-emotional, academic and pretend play skills.