Take a look at The ChildCare Information Exchange’s current “Insta-Poll” (a casual poll of readers) on their views on the Highest Priority Teacher Training Topics. “Connecting children with nature” is fifth in priority today when I looked at the poll, mentioned by 19% of the 263 people who had so far responded and “Science” is 42^nd, tied with “Art” as mentioned by 3% of respondents. The Exchange publishes books, the Child Care Information Exchange magazine and the online ExchangeEveryDay daily early childhood newsbrief, and founded the independent non-profit organization, the World Forum Foundation, which runs a yearly conference on early care and education.
I think science walks and explorations, and making art would be excellent ways to connect children with nature. Perhaps taking nature walks would be a good first step in strengthening the science curriculum in early childhood programs.
The “Into the Woods” Teaching through Trade Books column by Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan (Science and Children April/May 2007) describes how a class can explore a natural area outdoors, record their observations, and create a class book containing their own questions and answers about local wildlife (available at no cost online to NSTA members and to non-members after registration—scroll down to search).  “A Walk in the ‘Tall, Tall Grass’” by Kathryn Kaatz (Science and Children February 2008) describes an inquiry-based lesson (inspired by Denise Fleming’s 1991 book entitled, In the Tall, Tall Grass) that takes kindergarteners out on a nature walk to make observations and record them (available at no cost online to NSTA members and for $0.99 to non-members—scroll down to search).
Children are thrilled by the smallest discoveries, such as a critter on the sidewalk or an interesting cloud. I’m wondering, can every walk can be a nature walk in early childhood or should some be specially for observing?
Peggy