1. Child-nature connectedness in an outdoor preschool program

• In Event: Nature-connectedness and the More-than-human in Environmental Education - Environmental Education SIG Structured Poster Session

Abstract

This ethnographic study investigates how children develop connectedness with nature in an all-outdoor preschool. Drawing on frameworks of environmental identity (Clayton, 2003) and child-nature connectedness (Beery et al., 2020; Schultz, 2002), the research examines how cognitive, emotional, and physical dimensions of connection unfold through children’s everyday encounters in a forest preschool setting.

Theoretical Framework
Grounded in posthumanist theory (Haraway, 1985; Wilson, 2019), this study emphasizes relational ontologies and centers multispecies agency in children’s experiences. It also draws on ecological identity (Thomashow, 1996; Clayton, 2003) and child-nature connectedness research (Beery et al., 2020), framing nature connection as a co-constructed, embodied, and affective process. These frameworks shift focus from nature as backdrop to recognizing the entangled agency of children, peers, and ecological materials in shaping children's understanding of their place in the world.

Research Methods and Techniques
In June 2023, I obtained IRB exemption and completed all youth research protocols, including registration, a background check, and specialized training. In September 2023, I began a year-long ethnographic study using participant observation, photography, video, and teacher-researcher dialogues to explore how child-nature connectedness emerges in an outdoor preschool. Weekly visits from September 2023 to June 2024 supported a naturalistic, relational approach grounded in posthumanist inquiry. The methodology emphasized non-intrusive, embodied observation of children’s outdoor experiences, focusing on multispecies interactions and child-led exploration. Bi-monthly teacher-research meetings enriched analysis and supported triangulation.

Data Sources and Materials
Data included 25 sets of field notes, 478 photographs, 30 video segments, and notes from five teacher-researcher meetings. The study site, an outdoor classroom in a large urban park in the Pacific Northwest, provided access to diverse natural materials and multispecies encounters. Earthworms and slugs, frequently noted in the data, served as key more-than-human participants. Children’s interactions with these beings, peers, and ecological elements formed the primary evidence of child-nature connectedness.

Findings
Three key pathways supported child-nature connectedness: (1) intimate encounters with insects that fostered curiosity, empathy, and care; (2) collaborative peer interactions in nature-rich settings that amplified shared learning and belonging; and (3) open-ended play with loose natural materials that enhanced sensory engagement and imagination. These findings informed a conceptual model of “meaningful experiences” that contributed to children’s ecological identities and a sense of reciprocity with the natural world. Deep cognitive, emotional, and sensory engagement enabled connections that resonated beyond the moment. The study illustrates that CNC emerges through multispecies, material, and social entanglements, offering an alternative to human-centered developmental models. These results suggest that fostering diverse, child-led ecological encounters can deepen relational learning, shape environmental identities, and reimagine early education within a broader ecological ethics.

Scholarly Significance
This study contributes to research on nature-based education, forest schools, and child-nature connectedness by offering a new conceptual model grounded in posthumanism, ecological identity, and significant life experiences. Emphasizing multispecies and relational dynamics, the model highlights how children form embodied connections with the natural world. It calls for greater curricular recognition of nature-based learning and improved teacher preparation, affirming its developmental value and potential for broader educational integration.

Author

• Stacey Alfonso, University of Washington