Gingerbread Littleversity
Shape NC NLI Gingerbread Littleversity Gingerbread Littleversity in Fuquay-Varina, NC has added multiple settings and components to their already diverse natural learning environment (OLE). They expanded the fenced area for their one and two year olds, and added a...
NLI Newsletter – October 2020
Autumn Leaves for Play and Learning
Do you have any activities for young children about leaves changing color in the fall?
Rethink Outside: Getting Kids Outdoors as Early as Possible
Re-Naturing Urban Childhood: A Sustainable Development Strategy
Natural Learning at Home® October
NLI Monthly Trivia
Fairview Children’s Center
Shape NC NLI Fairview Children’s Center Fairview Children’s Center, located in Apex, NC, has seen their outdoor learning environment transformed into a naturalized, active and productive space. The entire preschool and twos areas used to be covered in...
Creative Schools at Davis Park
The Growing Place Child Care Center, located at First Baptist Church in Asheboro North Carolina, offers an example of best practice in outdoor learning environments.
Asbury Preschool
The Growing Place Child Care Center, located at First Baptist Church in Asheboro North Carolina, offers an example of best practice in outdoor learning environments.
Triangle Day Care Center
The Growing Place Child Care Center, located at First Baptist Church in Asheboro North Carolina, offers an example of best practice in outdoor learning environments.
A New Beginning
Shape NC NLI A New Beginning A New Beginning, in Durham, NC, has expanded to their outdoor learning environment to include a flat, grassy area, where they installed a primary pathway for their preschoolers. They have also installed a primary pathway for their...
Kids Korner Academy II
The Growing Place Child Care Center, located at First Baptist Church in Asheboro North Carolina, offers an example of best practice in outdoor learning environments.
(Wake Co.) Kreepers-N-Krawlers
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Wake Co.) Kreepers-N-Krawlers Kreepers and Krawlers has moved the fence to enlarge their toddler outdoor learning environment. They are planning to add a primary pathway and raised beds in their toddler area, as well as a raised...
(Orange Co.) Spanish for Fun
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Orange Co.) Spanish for Fun Spanish for fun has created a cozy, welcoming space in their existing infant deck by adding an outdoor rug, colorful pots with sensory plantings, a bench that doubles as a storage area, and a shade...
(Orange Co.) Goddard School of Chapel Hill
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Orange Co.) Goddard School of Chapel Hill The Goddard School of Chapel Hill is planning to add a fence to create a separate infant area out of the existing shared infant/toddler area. They are also planning to build a...
Re-Naturing Urban Childhood
Publications NLI Re-Naturing Urban Childhood Authors: Moore, Robin; & Cosco, Nilda. Download the PDF - English “Re-Naturing Urban Childhood: A Sustainable Development Strategy” looks back briefly to the European beginnings of nature conservation 450 years ago and...
Rethink Outside: Getting Kids Outdoors as Early as Possible
POD provides landscape design seed money and teaches childcare center owners how to create learning environments that pull teachers and students outdoors.
LET’S GET OUTSIDE! The Case for Young Children
Publications NLI LET’S GET OUTSIDE! The Case for Young Children Reduce risk of disease and improve health during COVID-19—and beyond Authors: Natural Learning Initiative & National Wildlife Federation Download the PDF - English During the pandemic, all...
LET’S GET OUTSIDE! Providers
Publications NLI LET’S GET OUTSIDE! Providers Reduce risk of disease and improve health during COVID-19—and beyond Authors: Natural Learning Initiative & National Wildlife Federation Download the PDF - English Risk of spreading COVID-19 may be reduced if...
(Wake Co.) Morrisville Square Creative School
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Wake Co.) Morrisville Square Creative School Morrisville Square Creative School has added a primary pathway in the twos area, and are planning to add adjacent wheeled toy storage and more plantings soon. They have also created a...
(Wake Co.) Little Believers Academy II
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Wake Co.) Little Believers Academy II Little Believers has added a new infant outdoor learning environment, with a low deck and pergola. They are planning to add raised beds around the deck with sensory plantings soon, as well as...
(Wake Co.) Kiddie Academy Brier Creek
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Wake Co.) Kiddie Academy Brier Creek Kiddie Academy of Brier Creek has transformed an existing shared toddler/preschool area by removing rubber mulch and naturalizing it by adding a large multipurpose lawn and plantings. They also...
(Wake Co.) Discovery Point Heritage
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Wake Co.) Discovery Point Heritage Discovery Point has naturalized their infants/ones area with various plantings and a large raised planter with sensory grasses, perennials and vines along the fence. Soon they will install a...
(Orange Co.) The University Child Care Center
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Orange Co.) The University Child Care Center University Child Care has transformed their infant area into a diverse, engaging outdoor learning environment. They added a multipurpose deck, complete with an outdoor rug, pillows,...
(Orange Co.) Lil Treasures Day Care, Inc.
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Orange Co.) Lil Treasures Day Care, Inc. Lil’ Treasures has transformed their outdoor learning environment by removing two pieces of play equipment and adding a double-looped primary pathway that connects the shared toddler and...
(Orange Co.) Kehillah Jewish Preschool
The Growing Place Child Care Center, located at First Baptist Church in Asheboro North Carolina, offers an example of best practice in outdoor learning environments.
(Orange Co.) Future Scholars Childcare and Development Center
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Orange Co.) Future Scholars Childcare and Development Center Future Scholars has created a vibrant outdoor learning environment (OLE) for their toddlers. They installed a primary pathway for wheeled toys, a large teepee, raised...
(Orange Co.) Community School for People Under 6
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Orange Co.) Community School for People Under 6 Community School for People Under Six transformed an unused area on the side of their building into an engaging new outdoor learning environment for their toddlers. There is a...
(Guilford Co.) Wishview Children’s Center
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Guilford Co.) Wishview Children’s Center Wishview Children’s Center, located in Greensboro, NC plans to improve their infant and toddler spaces. Currently, their infant area is covered in artificial turf, and they would...
(Guilford Co.) Willow Oaks Child Development Center
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Guilford Co.) Willow Oaks Child Development Center Willow Oaks Child Development Center in Greensboro, NC has an infant/toddler space in a courtyard, surrounded by a building on three sides. The entire space is currently...
(Guilford Co.) UNCG – North Drive Childcare Center
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Guilford Co.) UNCG – North Drive Childcare Center The UNC-G Child Care Education Program North Drive location would like to naturalize the area around their existing primary pathway and add settings for gathering and outdoor...
(Guilford Co.) UNCG – Curry Childcare Center
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Guilford Co.) UNCG – Curry Childcare Center UNC-G Child Care Education Program – Curry Building provides childcare on UNC-G’s campus. The existing infant space at this location is not connected to the building. In order to...
(Guilford Co.) UNCG – Brent Woodson Carter Center
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Guilford Co.) UNCG – Brent Woodson Carter Center UNC-G Child Care Education Program – Carter Center serves children on UNC-G’s campus. The site has a large concrete area, which the center is planning to convert into a...
(Guilford Co.) Shepherd’s Way Day School
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Guilford Co.) Shepherd’s Way Day School Shepherd’s Way Day School serves infants up to school-age children in Colfax, NC. As a part of the Healthy Starts Infant/Toddler grant, they would like to create an area within the toddler...
(Guilford Co.) Macedonia Child Development Center
Healthy Starts: Infants/Toddlers NLI (Guilford Co.) Macedonia Child Development Center Macedonia Child Development Center, located in Greensboro, NC, hopes to start serving infants soon, in addition to the infants and preschoolers, who currently attend the center. ...
LET’S GET OUTSIDE!
Early childhood outdoor play and learning resources.
A National Research Agenda Supporting Green Schoolyard Development and Equitable Access to Nature
Research NLI A National Research Agenda Supporting Green Schoolyard Development and Equitable Access to Nature Authors: Stevenson, Kathryn; Moore, Robin; Cosco, Nilda; Floyd, Myron; Sullivan, William; Brink, Lois; Gerstein, Dana; Jordan, Cathy; & Zaplatosch,...
Using Our Senses
Leaflets NLI Using Our Senses Download the PDF - English Herbs are stimulating natural elements used for children’s hands-on learning. Using herbs children have the opportunity to apply their senses to explore not only the properties of the plants, but to understand...
Trail Mix
Leaflets NLI Trail Mix Download the PDF - English As children make their own trail mix, they learn about different types of healthy foods. They also become more familiar with vocabulary relating to different types of food (nuts, dried fruit, seeds, grains) and with...
The Farm
Leaflets NLI The Farm Download the PDF - English Creative arts such as drama and pretend play allow for creative and imaginative expression. The creative arts engage children’s minds, bodies, and senses. Creative play activities invite children to listen, observe,...
Sorting Our Seasons
Leaflets NLI Sorting Our Seasons Download the PDF - English Creating hands-on activities encourages learning and enhancement of children’s development. For this activity, children have the opportunity to categorize items associated with specific seasons, build their...
Scarecrow
Leaflets NLI Scarecrow Download the PDF - English As children work to create a scarecrow for the orchard, they learn several new vocabulary words including orchard, scarecrow, scare, and crop. By naming their scarecrow, they’re also introduced to how spoken and...
