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Resources

Children and Nature

Association of Children’s Museums
Kid’s Dig Dirt! Green Paper. (Monograph)
Washington, DC., 2008
www.childrensmuseums.org/programs/health.htm

Barlett, Sheridan
Access to Outdoor Play and Its Implications for Healthy Attachments
Unpublished article, Putney, VT: 1996

Carson, Rachel
The Sense of Wonder
New York: Harper & Row, 1956

Cobb, Edith
The Ecology of Imagination in Childhood
New York: Columbia University Press, 1977

Cornell, Joseph Bharat
Sharing Nature with Children
Nevada City, CA: Ananda Publications, 1979

Crain, William
Now Nature Helps Children Develop
Montessori Life, Summer 2001.

Danks, Fiona and Schofield, Jo
Nature’s Playground: Activities, Crafts and Games to Encourage Your Child to Enjoy the Great Outdoors

Einon, Dorothy
How Children Learn Through Play
Hauppauge, NY: Barrons Educational Series, 2004

Fjortoft, I. and J. Sageie
The Natural Environment as a Playground for Children: Landscape Description and Analysis of a Natural Landscape
Landscape and Urban Planning 48(1/2), 83-97, 2000

Fjortoft, Ingunn
The Natural Environment as a Playground for Children: The Impact of Outdoor Play Activities in Pre-Primary School Children
Early Childhood Education Journal 29(2), 111-117, 2001

Garret, Linda and Thomas, Hannah
Small Wonders: Nature Education for Young Children Woodstock, VT: Vermont Institute of Natural Science, 2005

Hart, Roger
Children’s Participation: The theory and practice of involving young citizens in community development and environmental care UK: Earthscan Publications Limited, 1997

Kals, Elisabeth & Ittner, Heidi
Children’s Environmental Identity, Indicators and Behavioral Impacts
Identity and the Natural Environment, The Psychological Significance of Nature, Clayton, Susan and Opotow, Susan The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts , 2003

Kellert, Stephen R.
Experiencing Nature: Affective, Cognitive, and Evaluative Development
Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural, and Evolutionary Investigations.
Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2002

Louv, Richard
Childhood’s Future
New York: Doubleday, 1991

Louv, Richard
Last Child in The Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
New York: Algonquin Books, 2005

Malone, Karen & Tranter, Paul
Children’s Environmental Learning and the Use, Design and Management of Schoolgrounds Children, Youth and Environments, 13(2), 2003

Moore, Robin
Childhood’s Domain
Berkeley, CA: MIG Communications, 1986

Moore, Robin
Compact Nature: The Role of Playing and Learning Gardens on Children’s Lives
Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 8, 72-82, 1996

Moore, Robin & Costco, Nilda
Developing an Earth-Bound Culture Through Design of Childhood Habitats, Natural Learning Initiative.
(Paper presented at Conference on People, Land, and Sustainability: A Global View of Community Gardening) University of Nottingham, UK, September 2000. Accessed June 12, 2004 from www.naturalearning.org/earthboundpaper.html

Moore, Robin and Goltsman, Susan
Play for All (CD)
www.naturalearning.com

Moore, Robin C.
The Power of Nature Orientations of Girls and Boys Toward Biotic and Abiotic Play Settings on a Reconstructed Schoolyard.
Children’s Environments Quarterly, 3(3), 1986

Moore, R. & Wong, H. (1997).
Natural Learning: Rediscovering Nature’s Way of Teaching.
Berkely, CA: MIG Communications

Nabhan, Gary Paul and Trimble, Stephen
The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places
Boston: Beacon Press, 1995

Neugebauer, Bonnie
The Wonder of It
Redmond, WA: Exchange Press, 1996
www.childcareexchange.com

Outdoors for Everyone
Learning Through Landscapes (DVD)

Pyle, Robert
The Thunder Trees: Lessons from an urban wildland Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993

Pyle, Robert
Eden in a Vacant Lot: Special Places, Species and Kids in Community of Life
Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural and Evolutionary Investigations. Kahn, P.H. and Kellert, S.R. (eds) Cambridge: MIT Press, 2002

Schultz, P. Wesley, Shriver, Chris, Tabanico, Jennifer J. & Khazian, Azar M.
Implicit connections with nature
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 24(1), 31-42 , 2004

Sobel, David
Children’s Special Places: Exploring the Role of Forts, Dens, and Bush Houses in Middle Childhood Detriot, MI: Wayne State University Press, 2002

Sobel, David
Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society, 1996

Sobel, David
Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities
Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society, 2004

Starbuck, Sara
Hollyhocks and Honeybees: Garden Projects for Young Children
St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 2002

Taylor, A.F., Wiley, A., Kuo, F.E. & Sullivan, W.C. Growing up in the Inner City: Green spaces as places to grown
Environment and Behavior, 30(1), 3-27, 1998

Taylor, A.F., Kuo, F.E. & Sullivan, W.C.
Coping with ADD: The surprising connection to green play settings
Environment and Behavior, 33(1), 54-77, 2001

Taylor, A.F., Kuo, F.E. & Sullivan, W.C.
Views of Nature and Self-Discipline: Evidence from Inner City Children
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22, 49-63, 2002

Warden, Claire
Potential of a Puddle
Perthshire, Scotland: Mindstretchers, 2005

Wells, Nancy M.
At Home with Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning Environment and Behavior, 32(6), 775-795, 2000

Wells, Nancy M. & Evans, Gary W.
Nearby Nature: A Buffer of Life Stress Among Rural Children Environment and Behavior, 35(3), 311-330, 2003

Wilson, Ruth
Fostering a Sense of Wonder During the Early Childhood Years
Columbus, OH: Greyden, 1993

Wilson, Ruth A.
The Wonders of Nature—Honoring Children’s Ways of Knowing
Early Childhood News, 6(19), 1997

Children’s Environmental Design

Anderson, Gretchen Lee
Removing Barriers to Childcare Facilities Development 1993
www.designchildcare.com

Christie, Toni and Christie, Robin
Childspaces: A Design Sourcebook for Early Childhood Environments
Wellington, New Zealand: Childspace Early Childhood Institute, 2004
www.childspace.co.nz

Christie, Toni and Christie, Robin
Childspaces 2: Another Design Sourcebook for Early Childhood Environments
Wellington, New Zealand: Childspace Early Childhood Institute, 2007
www.childspace.co.nz

Coffey, Ann
School Grounds in a Box
Canadian Biodiversity Institute and
Ann Coffey, 2000

Curtis, Deb and Carter, Maggie
Designs for Living and Learning: Transforming Early Childhood Environments
St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 2003

Dannenmaier, Molly
A Child’s Garden: Enhancing Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998

Elliott, Sue (editor)
The Outdoor Playspace Naturally—for Children Birth to Five Years
New South Wales, Australia:
Pademelon Press, 2008

Frost, Joe L. and Wortham, Sue C.
Playgrounds for Young Children, National Survey and Perspectives
Reston, VA: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 1990

Grant, Tim and Littlejohn, Gail
Greening School Grounds: Creating Habitats for Learning
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada: New Society Publishers, 2001

Greenman, Jim
Caring Spaces, Learning Places: Children’s Environments that Work
Redmond, WA: Exchange Press, 2005

Guiness, Bunny
Creating A Family Garden, Magical Outdoor Spaces for All Ages

Jaffe, Roberta
The Growing Classroom: Garden Based Science
New York: Pearson Learning, 2001

Child Care Playspace Planning Guide, Child Care Playground Safety Initiative
www.kaboom.org

Community Build Playground Manual
www.kaboom.org

Keeler, Rusty
Natural Playscapes: Creating Outdoor Play Environments for the Soil
Redmond, WA: Exchange Press, 2008

Lovejoy, Sharon
Sunflower Houses: Garden Discoveries for Children of all Ages
Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, 1991

Matthews, Clare
Great Gardens for Kids
UK: Hamlyn Gardening, 2002

Moore, Robin; Brett, Arlene;
and Provenzo, Eugene
The Complete Playground Book
Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1993
www.naturalearning.com

Moore, Robin and Wong, Herb
Natural Learning: Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature’s Way to Teaching
Berkeley, CA: MIG Communications, 1997

Moore, Robin
Plants for Play
Berkeley, CA: MIG Communications, 2002
www.naturalearning.com

Moore Robin; Goltsman, Susan;
and Iacofano, Daniel
Play for All Guidelines—Planning, Design and Management of Outdoor Play Setting for All Children
Berkeley, CA: MIG Communications, 1992
www.naturalearning.com

Olds, Anita
Children Come First (Video)
Rifton, NY: Community Playthings

Olds, Anita Rui
Child Care Design Guide
New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing, 2000

Rivkin, Mary
The Great Outdoors; Restoring Children’s Right to Play Outdoors
Washington DC: NAEYC, 1995

Gail Ryder-Richardson
Creating a Space to Grow
UK: David Fulton Publishers, 2005

Stine, Sharon
Landscapes for Learning: Creating Outdoor Environments for
Children and Youth
New York: Wiley, 1997

Titman,Wendy
Special Places, Special People: The Hidden Curriculum of School Grounds

Plantings

Moore, R.C.,
Plants for Play: A Plant Selection Guide for Children's Outdoor Environments
Mig Communications, 1993

Krezel, C.,
101 Kid-Friendly Plants: Fun Plants and Family Garden Projects
Ball Publishing, 2008

Dannenmaire, M.,
A Child's Garden: 60 Ideas to Make Any Garden Come Alive for Children
Timber Press, 2008

Strauss, K.
Tales with Tails: Storytelling the Wonders of the Natural World
Libraries Unlimited, 2006

Do-It Yourself

Lovejoy, Sharon
Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
New York: Workman Publishers, 1999

The resources listed above were compiled with the assistance of Natural Playscapes and White Hutchinson Leisure and Learning Group.

Grant Resources

Grant Range: $100–$500

Grant Range: $250–$5,000

Our Backyard Resources

Useful Web Sites:

Our Backyard Replication Toolkit is made possible by MetLife Foundation and Association of Children’s Museums Promising Practice Replication Award