Early Years Educator Resources

In Messy Maths: A Playful, Outdoor Approach for Early Years, Juliet Robertson offers a rich resource of ideas that will inspire you to tap into the endless supply of patterns, textures, colours and quantities of the outdoors and deepen children's understanding of math through hands-on experience. Juliet believes being outside makes math real. In the classroom environment, math can seem disconnected from everyday reality - but real maths is really messy. Lots of outdoor play and engaging activity along the way is a must, as being outside enables connections to be made between the hands, heart and head, and lays the foundations for more complex work as children grow, develop and learn.

Following on from the success of Dirty Teaching, Messy Maths reimagines the outdoor space through a mathematical lens - providing a treasure trove of suggestions that will empower you to blend outdoor learning into your teaching practice. It is not a 'how to' guide, but rather an easy-to-use reference book replete with ready-to-use games and open-ended ideas designed to help children become confident and skilled in thinking about, using and exploring abstract mathematical concepts as they play outside. Many of these ideas and activities are also beautifully displayed in full-colour photographs throughout the book, making it even easier to jump straight into outstanding outdoor learning opportunities.

242 pages

The Inside Scoop: Ever since we hosted UK author Juliet Robertson in hosting in-person professional development sessions (photo below) we've been hooked! Juliet is a pro at providing easy to access ideas applicable to a range of ages and types of educators.

About the Author: Juliet Robertson is one of the world’s leading education consultants who specializes in outdoor learning and play. She works at a national level delivering training, giving keynote speeches, leading and supporting innovative outdoor projects and writing content for websites, documents and case studies. She is passionate about enabling schools, play organizations and early years settings to provide quality outdoor learning and play opportunities for children and young people.

This practical resource book offers tips and tricks to help any teacher develop variety in their teaching. One of the keys to a happy and creative classroom is getting out of it, and this book will give you the confidence to do it. It contains a wealth of ideas that allow teachers and parents to encourage outdoor learning and improve student participation. All you need is your coat, a passion for learning– oh, and bring the kids too!

"This is an amazing resource for grades K-5 teachers. The book even includes examples of outdoor monthly calendars of easy things you can add to your schedule starting from the first day of school and a handy chart that helps to cross reference ideas to subject areas. After reading the book (and keeping it within reaching distance), any teacher should feel confident in starting the outdoor learning process for both themselves and their students."

Juliet Robertson is one of the world's leading education consultants who specializes in outdoor learning and play. She works at a national level delivering training, giving keynote speeches, leading and supporting innovative outdoor projects and writing content for websites, documents and case studies. She is passionate about enabling schools, play organizations and early years settings to provide quality outdoor learning and play opportunities for children and young people.

214 pages

The Inside Scoop: Ever since we hosted UK author Juliet Robertson in hosting in-person professional development sessions (photo below) we've been hooked! Juliet is a pro at providing easy to access ideas applicable to a range of ages and types of educators.

The Big Book of Nature Activities is a comprehensive guide for parents and educators to help youth of all ages explore, appreciate and connect with the natural world. This rich, fully illustrated compendium features:

• Nature-based skills and activities such as species identification, photography, journaling and the judicious use of digital technology
• Ideas, games and activities grounded in what's happening in nature each season
• Core concepts that promote environmental literacy, such as climate change and the mechanisms and wonder of evolution, explained using a child-friendly, engaging approach
• Lists of key species and happenings to observe throughout the year across most of North America.

Perfect for families, educators, and youth leaders, The Big Book of Nature Activities is packed with crafts, stories, information and inspiration to make outdoor learning fun!

About the Authors:

Jacob Rodenburg, nature sommelier, is an award-winning educator who believes in the importance of connecting children to nature. He is the executive director of Camp Kawartha, a summer camp and outdoor education center, and an instructor in environmental education at Trent University. An educator of three decades, Jacob has published articles on children, nature, and the environment; has taught more than 100,000 students. He lives in Peterborough, Ontario.

Drew Monkman is a retired elementary school teacher, his interest in integrating nature activities and environmental education into all areas of the curriculum led him to oversee the development of an outdoor classroom which went on to become a model for many similar projects throughout Ontario. He lives in Peterborough, Ontario.

Pages 311

Whether starting a new nature-based program or "naturalizing" an existing classroom, this book is your guide to creating a successful nature-learning experience and making the most of the time children spend outdoors.

This book will inspire readers with:

• examples from successful outdoor programs
• the strengths of a variety of nature-based approaches
• the organizing principles of curriculum and best practices to create engaging outdoor experiences
• tools for policy development, site assessment, selection, and risk management

260 pages

Author David Sobel is a Professor Emeritus in the Education Department at Antioch University New England in Keene, NH and he consults and speaks widely on child development and place-based education with schools, environmental organizations and the National Park Service. He has authored eight books and more than 70 articles focused on children and nature for educators, parents, environmentalists and school administrators in the last 30 years.

The Inside Scoop: Ever since we hosted David on a series of in-person workshops, we were hooked! Before adding this resource to our store, we tested it with hundreds of educators with rave reviews. His philosophy, approach and ideas are deserving of his world renowned reputation.

This brand-new resource book includes 33 walking themes paired with cognitive tools to engage emotion and imagination in learning.

This innovative, interdisciplinary resource designed specifically for Early Years Educators outlines an imaginative and ecological approach to taking student learning outside school walls.

This book received the 2024 Writer’s Award from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario!

Specifically, it shapes A Walking Curriculum (Judson, 2018) for primary-aged learners. Educators in urban, suburban, and even rural areas often have few imagination-focused curricular resources that can develop students’ sense of ecological understanding, through play, wonder, and walking - this resource can help fill that gap.

Each walk describes how to introduce, follow up, and play with each walk. The walks can be used in any context to develop students’ sense of Place and to enrich their understanding of curricular topics. Engaging students’ imaginations within these settings through the use of cognitive tools will broaden their awareness of the unique characteristics of Place and evoke their sense of wonder and learning.

The walks and imagination-focused learning activities that go with them provide opportunities for educators to further develop students’ sense-making abilities, allowing for the learning experiences to be meaningful and authentic. As co-learners, educators and students will bring learning to life through taking action, building community, and sparking imagination and fun.

99 pages. Printed on 100% recycled paper at a local print company. Read more about our ethical policies and practices.