How Children Learn
Curiosity-Led
Children’s interests, questions, problem-solving, and observations help guide the rhythm of learning each day, while repetition, routine, and seasonal rhythms create a sense of security.
Hands-On, Whole-Body Learning
Children learn through doing: climbing, building, storytelling, creating, experimenting, and exploring the natural world through movement and play.
Confidence, Connection, & Emotional Growth
By forming meaningful relationships with one another and the living world around them, children develop empathy, confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of belonging.
Integrated Approach
Cedar & Bones draws inspiration from several child-centered educational approaches that shape how we support children, design learning experiences, and build relationships with the natural world.
Montessori
We value independence, practical life skills, purposeful work, and interest-led learning. Children build confidence through hands-on experiences, meaningful responsibility, and opportunities to do things for themselves.
Reggio Emilia
We value observation, creativity, inquiry, and following children’s questions. Nature is our creative studio, and teachers support curiosity through open-ended questions such as:
“What do you notice?”
“Why do you think that happened?”
“What do you think will happen next?”
Waldorf
We value imagination, storytelling, rhythm, and the importance of play in early childhood. We believe play is one of the primary ways children begin to understand themselves, others, and the world around them through self-created experiences.
Place-Based Education
We believe children learn deeply through relationship with the natural world around them - seasons, weather, plants, animals, insects, and ecosystems they come to know over time.
Children become part of something: part of a group, part of the land, and part of the environment they are in - not just moving through it.
Children are given the time, freedom, guidance, and opportunity to fully engage their emotional, intellectual, creative, physical, and social potential through meaningful experiences outdoors.
Benefits of Nature-Based Outdoor Education
Research consistently shows that time outdoors supports healthy childhood development socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively.
Improves focus and attention
Daily exposure to natural environments supports concentration, cognitive development, and attention regulation. (Wells, 2000)
Supports creativity and problem solving
Outdoor play encourages imagination, collaboration, critical thinking, and flexible problem-solving skills. (Bell & Dyment, 2006; Kellert, 2005)
Reduces stress and supports emotional regulation
Access to green spaces helps children feel calmer, more grounded, and more emotionally resilient. (Wells & Evans, 2003)
Increases physical activity and confidence
Children in outdoor learning environments tend to move more, take healthy risks, and build confidence in their bodies and abilities. (Bell & Dyment, 2006)
Strengthens social relationships
Free and unstructured outdoor play supports cooperation, empathy, communication, and conflict resolution. (Burdette & Whitaker, 2005)
Supports attention and reduces ADD symptoms
Contact with the natural world has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder in children. (Kuo & Taylor, 2004)
Improves academic performance
Nature-based experiential education has been linked to gains in science, language arts, math, and social studies. (American Institutes for Research, 2005)
Encourages lifelong healthy habits
Children who spend meaningful time outdoors are more likely to develop healthy movement, eating, and environmental stewardship habits that continue into adulthood. (Bell & Dyment, 2008; Morris & Zidenberg-Cherr, 2002)
Improves eyesight
More time outdoors is associated with reduced rates of childhood myopia (nearsightedness). (American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2011)
Information available from Natural Start Alliance / naturalstart.org