Pre-School Inclusive Outdoor ECE Pack

This set of six adorable animal finger puppets are designed by Indigenous artist, Bill Helin (Tsimshian (Ts'msysen); Tlingit).

They bring to life the story of the Animals Care for Mother Earth Indigenous Learning Book which is part of the Animals Care for Mother Earth Indigenous Learning Bundle.

The 6 finger puppets included in this set are:

1. Brown Bear
2. Eagle
3. Frog
4. Raven
5. Salmon
6. Wolf

Supporting Inclusion Outside with Puppets!

Puppets can be used to support inclusion in outdoor environments by engaging with children as a path for connection and learning.

Educators can use puppets to facilitate positive interactions with children, and to provide opportunities to practice social skills, express their emotions, and communicate their needs while playing outside.

The Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play has written this 3-page tip sheet to support educators in adopting this approach.

Check out the Finger Puppets that we offer!

192 pages. For educators of learners 3-8 years old. Published in 2022. Recommended by our Accessibility and Inclusion Consultant, Karen Lai.

Young children with special needs often face physical, emotional, or social barriers to deep engagement with the natural world. These challenges need not prevent them from enjoying the many benefits nature has to offer.

Nature is a necessity. Research tells us that we are happier, healthier, more socially engaged, and more creative when it is part of our daily lives. These benefits apply to people of all ages and abilities.

In this inspiring book, Dr. Ruth Wilson explores the great potential of connecting young children with special needs to the natural world. Drawing on her knowledge of research and her decades of work with children in nature, she weaves together advice, real-life examples, and testimonies from educators and families on the healing, nurturing power of nature in the lives of young children with diverse abilities.

In addition to exploring the role of nature in our lives, chapters include information on:

• Nature as a teacher and play partner
• Nature for holistic development
• Nature as a healer
• The importance of risk-taking
• Horticultural therapies
• Animal-assisted therapies
• Nurturing connections between children and animals, plants, and habitats

Naturally Inclusive is an essential guide for creating inclusive nature-based play spaces and programs that connect every child to nature. It reminds us that nature is both an exemplar of diversity and a catalyst for inclusion.

Author, Dr. Ruth Wilson, works as an educational consultant and curriculum writer with special expertise in the area of early childhood environmental education and other initiatives in connecting young children with nature. Dr. Wilson recently worked with the Brookfield Zoo in developing their NatureStart professional development program and served as a curriculum writer for California’s Education and Environment Initiative. Dr. Wilson also worked with Sesame Street in designing nature education programs and served as an evaluator with the nature preschool at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee.  Dr. Wilson’s career includes working as a classroom teacher in both regular and special education settings and as a teacher educator for over ten years at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She works with Children & Nature Network as curator of their Research Library.

A book for early learners, adapted from the bestselling children's picture book "Me and My Sit Spot."

What is a sit spot and how does it help nurture our relationship with the land? Developing this nature routine leads to so many possibilities for learning about our land and how we fit into it.

How is this different than the other version? The sentence structure and content has been simplified for an early years audience, and the photographs on the back of the book now have observational quotes from young children 3-5 years old.

Printed locally on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

Author Lauren MacLean is a mentoring support teacher who works along educators who are enthusiastic about infusing play-based learning in their classrooms. She uses the sit spot routine as a way to help encourage empathy and care for our world in young learners.

A magical magnifying sheet which gives 3x magnification!

Soft and flexible making it ideal use by very young children.

This lanyard with a 'breakaway' function is made from organic cotton, so has been grown without pesticides from plants that have not been genetically modified. They are exceptionally soft and 100 percent biodegradable.

They feature outdoor learning images and sayings such as 'Explore Your World' and can be paired with our handheld field magnifier.

Our clipboards are durable, weatherproof, and made from recycled plastic!

This easy-to-write-on surface provides a simple option for turning the outdoors into your classroom. :)

"The plastic clipboards are a game changer for outdoor ed." – Teacher, Southeast Kootenay School District 5

These lightweight & affordable backpacks allow learners to store & transport their outdoor learning equipment & resources. The size of main pouch is 45cm high x 32.5cm wide x 25cm deep. Straps can be manually adjusted for length. They are suitable for grades 3+ (including teachers!) but can be adjusted to make shorter for younger/smaller students.