Nature-based Learning as Health Promotion: Parent and Instructor Perspectives

As a child-led experience, nature-based learning can weave academic outcomes with social, emotional, and physical skills to support health. This study examined parent and instructor perspectives of children’s learning in nature-based environments to better understand opportunities to align health promotion with these experiences.

Participants felt these programs enabled children to develop a readiness to learn, build connections, foster cooperative behaviours, and develop confidence. Parents indicated their children were gaining contextual learning and applying knowledge beyond the program. Many  felt the experiences were a way to share their own values about appreciating the environment with their children. Instructors perceived themselves as co-facilitators alongside nature as the teachers, and served as knowledge brokers to bridge the educational and outdoor experiences.  

To encourage implementation in practice, the authors recommend positioning nature-based learning as school-based health promotion and identifying a nature-based learning champion within the school.

Find out more about this work in the full publication.