Childhood and Nature

Childhood and Nature is a guide for educators looking to foster in their students a love of nature, as well as an understanding of complex environmental issues. This second edition brings new material and insights to David Sobel's foundational exploration of place-based education.


Sobel articulates seven design principles that teachers can use to build learning experiences: special places, hunting and gathering, maps and paths, small worlds, animal allies, adventure, and fantasy. Pulling from recurrent play themes and real-world examples from educators, Sobel details placed-based projects and lessons for each principle. Students learn and develop vital skills through engagement with their local environments and communities. Miniature ecosystems in the "small world" of a sandbox, for example, can help children grasp larger, abstract ideas.


An actionable, timely resource, Childhood and Nature shows how centering the world around us in education can create a generation of nature students, explorers, and protectors.