4 Ideas for Connecting to Nature in Elementary Classrooms

Consistent hands-on interactions with nature have proven benefits for both learning outcomes and emotional wellbeing. By creating regular opportunities for students to access and immerse themselves in the natural world—both inside and outside of the classroom—teachers encourage them to start connecting elementary classroom content to nature in tangible and relevant ways.

In science, many lessons already align organically, since they provide students with opportunities to observe natural phenomena in the world around them. One great place to start is with a classic activity like growing, documenting, and measuring plants from seeds or, similarly, observing the life cycles of fish in a classroom. 

In art, natural materials can spark creativity and imagination. Students can use foraged items like leaves, sticks, flowers, and stones to create prints, build structures, or explore open-ended projects. This approach allows students to explore textures, patterns, and colors, fostering an appreciation for the shapes and diversity found in nature.

Taking learning outdoors can bring fresh energy into language arts lessons. Students can take walks to observe and document their surroundings in a nature journal. Once back in the classroom, any notes, pictures, or drawings students made while on their walk can be used to inspire creative writing projects like essays, poems, or short stories.

In math lessons, using natural objects like pine cones, flowers, rocks, and leaves for counting, identifying patterns, measuring, and exploring symmetry lines can help students see all the ways math is found in the great outdoors.

When young students have frequent opportunities to investigate the natural world around them, it creates a deeper way of connecting to nature—and a sense of stewardship that will last well beyond their time in the elementary classroom.

For more ideas about bringing the natural world into early childhood education, read Carla Dabau Padrosa’s article for Edutopia, “Integrating Nature Into the Elementary Classroom.”

To learn more about the research cited in the video, check out the resources below.

• Marycarol R. Hunter, Brenda W. Gillespie, and Sophie Yu-Pu Chen’s study on how urban nature experiences can reduce stress in the context of daily life (2019)

• Gregory N. Bratman, Gretchen C. Daily, Benjamin J. Levy, and James J. Gross’ study on how walking in nature can improve affect and cognition (2015)

Editor’s note: This summary was written with support from Edutopia’s custom AI tool, which prioritizes information from our archive of educational content.