02/06/2026
This is a wonderful explanation for our school’s policy and practice.
Hi everyone! This is Monica, director of ANBE. Someone asked an important question today and since I've heard it many times before, I thought you might like to hear my response.
The question came from someone who wants to start their own nature-based program and feels like they need to write curriculum in advance (or pay someone to write one). They are admittedly at the start of their journey in nature-based early childhood education, and they feel as if they are playing catch-up with a mid-career switch. As a community of members at ANBE, we want to lift each other up while illuminating ideas and practices, so I share this reply with love and respect, not judgment, in the hopes it may be helpful to others, too.
(And NO, this is not an AI response!!)
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My reply: If I am understanding correctly, you want to develop a formal curriculum for your program - is that right?
One of the things you can do is consider a seasonal framework of happenings in the natural world. This way, you can identify predictable topics that you are likely to explore each season (changing light and plant life cycles, for example). You can also create a suite of activities and experiences that may support learning about these seasonal happenings and align with various early learning standards/skills, values or topics.
Most nature-based programs utilize an emergent curriculum, which means lessons are not tightly planned in advance. This is because learning is child-directed, rooted in the authentic experiences and interests of the children in your group. That should be of comfort to you! As you observe children engaged in nature play, they will show you what they are interested in and what they still need to learn.
Emergent curriculum is more than "teachable moments" - it is a way to nurture relationships with children and co-create curriculum based on their interests and needs. The children's ideas about nature play become threads to weave with each day as you develop emergent curriculum.
Rather than a fixed curricular guide, my best advice is to flesh out seasonal interests that might be explored each month. Then begin to build a repertoire of developmentally appropriate activities and experiences which you can draw from (as children explore and show interest in these topics in real time). Perhaps each season there is a guidepost, so to speak, for the very important concepts and values you want to share/embed in your program. Those can form the basis of your approach to seasonal lessons while holding space for emergent curriculum.
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Every educator has a different set of circumstances and in some cases, you may have rigid parameters or other factors that make it challenging for you to offer open-ended nature play. Don't let this stop you from looking at your opportunities from a nature-based angle!
You'll notice that in my reply I did not say "there are no plans" or there is "no curriculum". Emergent curriculum provides a framework to hold space for learning, yet without the need for prescribed curriculum. And yes, it absolutely aligns with developmentally appropriate standards and skills.
Nature-based learning is for every child, in every setting, made possible when they have caregivers who are dedicated to it. Educators need opportunities to find the right calibration for their programs/settings to help every child benefit from a meaningful connection to the natural world.
These are the kinds of challenges we explore and celebrate in our Nature-Based Teacher Certification and ANBE's many other professional learning opportunities. If you are feeling stuck or worried about how nature-based learning can be a reality for your program, I hope you'll reach out so we can keep learning together.
As always, visit anbe.org for a world of nature-based PD possibilities! (Oh, and if you like this kind of long post with deeper NB insights, we'd love to know. 🥰)
