A New Way to Nature: Expanding Our Definition of Outdoor Learning and Connection
May 1, 2027 10am
Webinar with Sarah Nielsen, SG Wellness
Children today are growing up in a world of increasing stimulation, digital demands, and fewer opportunities for unstructured connection with the natural world. While access to nature matters, how we experience nature matters too. A New Way to Nature invites educators, caregivers, and community leaders to move beyond simply bringing children outdoors and explore how intentional nature experiences can support wellbeing, curiosity, resilience, and lifelong connection.
Grounded in research including Stress Reduction Theory and Attention Restoration Theory, this interactive session explores how even brief moments in nature can help calm the nervous system, restore attention, reduce mental fatigue, and create opportunities for reflection, creativity, and connection. Participants will discover practical strategies for transforming everyday outdoor moments, whether in a schoolyard, neighborhood, backyard, or community space - into meaningful experiences that support children’s development and wellbeing.
Beyond the immediate benefits of a single nature experience, participants will explore the ripple effects of nature connection: how moments of wonder can influence relationships, inspire stewardship, strengthen communities, and shape the way children understand their place in the world.
Through guided activities, discussion, and practical tools, participants will leave with new ways to help children experience nature not as something separate or somewhere to go, but as an everyday resource for restoration, learning, and belonging. Nature is not just a place children visit, it is a relationship they build.