Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children

Recent research has shown that children connected with nature have better physical, mental and emotional health. Nature-based education significantly increases student attention and performance while developing skills in problem solving, critical thinking and decision making. In addition, connections to nature encourage creativity and allow children to utilize all their senses!

One way to connect children to nature is through the new early education program, Growing Up WILD. Growing Up WILD builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, it provides a foundation for developing positive impressions about nature while also building lifelong social and cognitive skills. Written by educators and wildlife professionals and reviewed by experts in early childhood education, the activity guide provides an early foundation for developing active, healthy children who enjoy nature and are prepared to enter school with ample learning skills.

Growing Up WILD’s activity guide:

• Is written for early childhood educators of children ages 3-7
• Features 27 field-tested, hands-on, nature-based activities
• Includes crafts, art projects, music, conservation activities, reading and math connections and much more
• Involves social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive domains to help foster learning and development in all areas
• Supports developmentally appropriate practice
• Is correlated to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards, Head Start Domains and Maryland Environmental Literacy Standards

The Growing Up WILD activity guide is available either by attending a 3-6-hour educator training workshop or by buying the books directly from the Council for Environmental Education. It is recommended that educators attend a workshop to gain hands-on experience with the guide in addition to tips and tricks from GUW educators. Workshops can be scheduled to accommodate your group or school's in-service training.

To learn more about Growing Up WILD in Maryland as well as to view a sample activity, please visit our page here. For information on trainings near you, please check out the Workshop Schedule page, or contact the state coordinator, Kerry Wixted, for updates on upcoming workshops and additional information on Growing Up WILD and Project WILD. Kerry can be reached at kwixted@dnr.state.md.us or at 410-260-8566.

Upcoming Events

• Growing Up WILD
  To be held Sat., April 6th (9am-12:30pm) at the National Aquarium Baltimore 501 E Pratt St Baltimore, MD 21202. Growing Up WILD, Growing Up WILD is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, Growing Up WILD provides an early foundation for developing positive impressions about the natural world and lifelong social and academic skills. Upon completion of the workshop, participants will receive the Growing Up WILD curriculum book. Fee: Free!! Audience: Educators who work with children aged 3-7 To register, Click Here. Space is limited – please register early. Dress for both indoors and outdoors. If you have any questions, then please contact Kerry Wixted, kwixted@dnr.state.md.us, 410-260-8566.