Outdoor Start

As part of Governor Healey’s Inter-Agency Early Education and Child Care Task Force, the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation (MOOR) and the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) are encouraging more families, children, and early education programs to spend increased time outdoors.

A growing body of research demonstrates the clear benefits of time spent in nature for young children, including physical and mental health, social-emotional development, personal growth, and environmental awareness.

This page shares resources for policymakers, families, and early education providers and educators about the benefits of nature for young children, and ways to access and engage with nature in positive, developmentally appropriate ways.

Why Go Outside? The Benefits of Nature

• The Children & Nature Network, in partnership with the National League of Cities, offers a Nature & Early Childhood Toolkit with information and ideas to implement and support nature-based programming in early childhood settings. Resources support providers, public agencies, policymakers, funders, and others, and include:
  • Talking points and infographics demonstrating how time in nature makes kids happier, healthier, and smarter
  • Annotated Bibliography of Recent Academic Literature (2015–2021)
  • The Research Library, the world’s largest collection of peer-reviewed literature on nature’s benefits for children
• The Harvard Center on the Developing Child’s paper Place Matters: The Environment We Create Shapes the Foundations of Healthy Development highlights the importance of access to green space for children’s healthy development.
• North Carolina State University’s Natural Learning Initiative research brief, Impact of Naturalized Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments, highlights how nature-based outdoor learning environments support children’s physical health, social-emotional development, cognitive growth, and overall well-being.
• In the TED Talk What Nature Teaches Children, Professor Nilda Cosco explains how outdoor experiences support experiential learning and create lasting connections to nature.

Nature Spaces and Programs in Massachusetts

• The Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (Massachusetts’ State Parks Agency) offers several ways to find and visit nature spaces across the state. You can:
  • Search for parks using your address or browse this list of State Parks by Region.
  • Explore free programs and events for all ages (including regional park calendars).
  • Borrow a ParksPass from your local library or recreation center to visit state parks without paying parking fees.
  • Find a map of DCR playgrounds hard courts and fitness areas.
• The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s MassWildlife Angler Education program helps teach fishing skills.
• Mass Audubon offers programs and events for children and families to explore and enjoy nature and has a page dedicated to field trips, classroom activities, and other programs for schools and teachers.
• The South Shore YMCA Natural Science Center in Norwell, MA provides natural science experiences and events for all ages.

Outdoor and Nature-Based Early Education and Care Programs in Massachusetts

Programs listed here include a range of models, from licensed outdoor nature-based programs to nature-integrated early education programs and family child care providers.

These programs vary in structure, setting, and the amount of time spent outdoors. Inclusion in this list does not indicate a specific licensing category or endorsement, but is intended to highlight examples of nature-based and outdoor learning opportunities available across Massachusetts.

Greater Boston

• Pathways to Nature Preschool, Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center, Mattapan, Boston
• Boston Outdoor Preschool Network, multiple sites in the Boston area 
• Nature Center Preschool, South Shore YMCA Nature Center, Norwell

Northeast

• Ipswich River Nature Preschool, Endicott Wildlife Sanctuary, Wenham
• Heartwood Nature School, Maple Crest Farm, West Newbury
• Merrohawke Nature School Forest Kindergarten, Boxford
• Our Secret Garden Preschool, Newbury
• Berardi Family Farm Childcare, Georgetown 
• Parker River Community Preschool, Rowley 
• Habitat Nature Preschool, Mas Audubon’s Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, Belmont 
• Drumlin Farm Community Preschool, Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Sanctuary, Lincoln
• Cairn Hill Nature Preschool at Camp Fire North Shore, Lynn
• Parker River Community Preschool, Rowley

Southeast

• Nature’s Playground Preschool, Norton Outdoor Center, Norton / Attleboro Norton 
• Fern Brook Nature School, Middleboro                 
• Bowker Hill Nature School (FCC), Norwell                              
• Conchitas Outdoor Learning and Play (FCC), Mashpee    
• Pollywogs Nature Playschool (FCC), Nantucket                   
• Sandpipers Early Years (FCC), Nantucket 
• Julie Smith (FCC), West Bridgewater          

Central

• Framingham Centre Nursery School, Framingham
• SPROUTS Farm & Forest Kindergarten, Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm, Millis
• Wildwood Learning Center, Hopkinton
• Fitzgerald Community School, Northborough 
• Acres of Fun Preschool, Chelmsford         
• Community Farm School, Carlisle           
• Touchstone Community School, Grafton  

West Region

• Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Amherst
• Arcadia Nature Preschool, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton & Northampton
• Giving Tree School, Gill
• Turn Back Time, Paxton

Know a program that should be included? Programs may be considered for listing if they serve young children and incorporate regular, meaningful outdoor or nature-based learning. Please contact [e-mail] with program details.

Outdoor Clothing and Gear

Appropriate clothing and gear are essential for safe, comfortable outdoor learning in all seasons.

• OutGrown has helpful information sheets and videos on what to wear and bring for outdoor activities.
• Inside–Outside lists resources to support teaching and learning outdoors in winter.
• Wildwood Nature Center in Hopkinton has developed a list of clothing and gear recommendations

Outdoor Activities

• Project Learning Tree has a series of fun and easy activities for families with children ages 3–15 to learn about and explore nature.
• Discover the Forest offers a mix of hands-on activities to help young children play, learn, and grow outdoors.
• Project WILD offers abbreviated activities for parents to support year-round homeschooling or outdoor learning.
• MassWildlife provides 10 Tips to help you plan a successful family fishing trip.
• The Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance offers free field guides and exploration resources designed for kids on birds, insects, tracks and scat, and leaves.
• Bring Your Class Outside! offers four themed modules for elementary teachers with practical insights and hands-on resources for locating play and learning outdoors.
• Project Nature’s Nature-Based Play Activities shares ideas for nature-based play activities.
• The FINCH (Families Into Nature Connecting and Helping) Resource Booklet is a practical guide of family-friendly nature-based activities.
• Nature Quest is an outdoor curriculum for families developed by the Children & Nature Network.
• The Vitamin N Challenge can help connect you to ideas, inspiration, and a community of people who are committed to spending quality time outdoors.
• Green Schoolyards America and the International School Grounds Alliance produced a set of free, digital schoolyard activity guides, designed to provide a wide range of outdoor activity ideas for schools that work with children ages 3-18.

Educator Tools and Supports

Educator Best Practices

• The Nature-Based Learning Competencies developed by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families establish expectations for educators and administrators who lead nature-based learning.
• The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families offers resources to help early educatorsunderstand outdoor learning and explore new ideas and examples to guide their practice.
• Natural Start Alliance's Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook outlines best practices for safe, effective, and inclusive nature-based programs.
• The Growing Up WILD activity guide, designed for educators of children ages 3-7, builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature through outdoor exploration. Its 27 field-tested lessons include over 400 experiences across science, math, vocabulary, art, music and movement, health and safety, and nutrition.
• Mass Audubon’s Pre-K Teaching Units are designed to help educators teach young children about topics that can be explored in any setting, including birds, weather, trees, and soils.
• Massachusetts Farm to School provides lesson ideas and resources to support food, agriculture, and garden-based learning in early education settings.
• The Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance offers free nature education resources for educators, including the Forces of Nature Outdoor Education Handbook, a lesson library, downloadable resources, and videos lessons.
• Examining Latiné Perspectives on Outdoor/Nature-Based Learningby the National Institute for Early Education Research

Professional Development and Training

• Mass Audubon’s professional development programs for early educators offer a range of workshops, coaching sessions, and year-long programs to help educators integrate nature across all developmental domains.
• The Natural Start Alliance provides a wide range of professional opportunities, from bachelor’s degrees and certifications to the Nature-Based Early Learning Conference and a collection of free webinars for early childhood professionals.
• Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth. Find PLT’s Early Childhood resources here
• Project WILD is a wildlife-based conservation and environmental education program that provides professional development workshops for formal and non-formal educators working with PreK-12 audiences across the country.
  • Project WILD in Massachusetts is sponsored by MassWildlife in collaboration with other agencies, and provides in-person professional development workshops including Growing Up Wild, an early education activity guide that builds on children's sense of wonder about nature.
• Association for Nature-Based Education provides online professional development, including webinars and self-paced courses.
• The Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MAAEYC) organizes an annual conference and professional development opportunities.
• The National Wildlife Federation offers training opportunities that help childcare professionals transform outdoor spaces into dynamic, nature-rich learning environments. These programs also provide hands-on support for educators and caregivers in engaging young children outdoors.
• The Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance offers two free courses for educators that build a solid foundation for teaching outdoors, from preparing for safe, organized learning to planning effective outdoor lessons.

Professional Networking

• Connect with other nature-based educators by joining one of Massachusetts’ two Inside-Outside chapters.
• The Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MAAEYC) offers opportunities for networking within Massachusetts.

Funding Opportunities

• The Massachusetts FRESH Grant supports K-12 schools and licensed early education programs expanding food and agriculture education.
• Mass Cultural Council’s Creative Experiences grant program supports a wide range of arts, humanities, and/or science activities in organizations across the state, including schools and early education programs.
• Massachusetts Community Biodiversity Grantssupport local efforts to protect and restore biodiversity everywhere, including neighborhoods and outdoor classrooms.
• Boston-based families, educators, and community-based organizations can explore the Boston Tree Allianceprogram to improve their outdoor learning environment. It offers grants and technical support for planting and caring for trees on privately owned land to increase canopy cover, reduce heat islands, and support environmental justice.
• KidsGardening offers grants to new and existing youth garden programs.

Creating Healthier Nature Spaces

• The TED Talk Designing Playgrounds for Happier, Healthier Kids shares strategies for transforming outdoor play environments.
• The Association for Nature-Based Education provides a list of key elements of natural play spaces, and resources to help create them.
• The Preschool Outdoor Play and Learning Environments Best Practice Toolkit provides guidance for creating outdoor spaces that support holistic child development.
• The Texas Outdoor Learning ECE Network offers design strategies and examples for outdoor learning environments in a variety of settings.
• The Children & Nature Network shares numerous tools, guides and case studies about schoolyard design.
• Massachusetts Farm to School offers guidance on starting and sustaining school gardens.
• Rusty Keeler is a natural playscape designer and advocate known for creating outdoor adventure play spaces for children. His website offers published and free resources, as well as courses, to support the design and implementation of nature-based play environments.

Questions or suggestions about this page?

Contact the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation at [e-mail].