Outdoor Classrooms: Nature-Based Teaching and Learning for Educators and Parents

The Power of Being in the Room: Why Nature-Based Educators Need Each Other

Have you ever felt like you’re swimming upstream as a nature-based educator?
You believe in getting children outside. You see the learning, confidence, curiosity, and connection that happen there. But when you’re constantly explaining—or even defending—why this work matters, it can be easy to start questioning yourself.
In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast, I’m exploring the power of being in the room with people who understand the work you’re trying to do.
Inspired by conversations in our Teaching Beyond Walls Capstone Course, we’ll talk about finding the language to articulate the value of nature-based education, moving from defending our practice to advocating for it, and the idea of borrowing courage from others when our own confidence wavers.
Because maybe the answer isn’t to swim harder.
Maybe it’s time to find your people.

In this episode, we explore:
Why nature-based educators can feel isolated and begin questioning their practice
How being in the right room changes what we believe is possible
Finding the words to communicate the value of outdoor learning
Moving from defending your practice to advocating for it
The power of “borrowed courage”
Why community is essential for sustaining this work
How the CIRCLE Community creates space for nature-based educators to learn, share, question, and grow together

If you’ve been feeling like you’re doing this work alone, this episode is your invitation to get in the room.
You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to be the expert. And you don’t have to swim upstream alone.
Find your people. Get in the room. And when you do, hold the door open for the next educator.

Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🌸 CIRCLE Membership Community

Connect with Victoria:
Website: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
Email: Victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com
Instagram
Facebook

Sponsorship Opportunities:
If you believe in the power of outdoor learning and nature-based education, we'd love to partner with you. Sponsoring the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast helps support educators while connecting your organization with a passionate community of teachers, school leaders, and families.
Contact Victoria at victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com to learn more.

Subscribe to the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and share this conversation with a fellow educator or parent. Your support helps more people discover the transformative power of nature-based education.

Please take a moment to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and rate or comment on Spotify. Your support makes a big difference in helping the show reach more educators!

The Messy Middle of Your Outdoor Classroom: Permission to Start Small
What if your outdoor classroom doesn’t need to be finished—or even close to perfect—to be meaningful?
In this episode, we’re talking about two permissions every outdoor educator needs: permission to start small and permission to embrace the messy middle.

It’s easy to look at a beautiful, established outdoor classroom and think you need the budget, materials, master plan, and perfect space before you can begin. But meaningful outdoor classrooms rarely happen all at once. They grow one idea, one experiment, and one small step at a time.
And once you start? Things get messy.

Children use materials in ways you never expected. Plants die. Plans change. Carefully designed spaces get rearranged. Something you thought children would love gets ignored—while the simplest addition captures their attention for weeks.
That messy middle isn’t a sign that you’re doing it wrong. It’s where the learning happens.

In this episode, we explore:
Why starting small is not the same as thinking small
How to begin with what you already have
Why your outdoor classroom doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s
What children’s unexpected use of a space can teach us
How to view the “mess” as information instead of failure
Why outdoor classrooms should evolve alongside the children who use them
How to recognize progress that has nothing to do with how beautiful your space looks
When to keep going, change direction, or let an idea go

Whether you’re dreaming about your first outdoor classroom, taking your first few steps, or standing right in the middle wondering if any of it is working, this conversation is for you.

You don’t need the whole plan to begin.
Start small. Stay curious. Let it be messy.
Then take the next small step.

Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🌸 CIRCLE Membership Community

Connect with Victoria:
Website: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
Email: Victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com
Instagram
Facebook

Sponsorship Opportunities:
If you believe in the power of outdoor learning and nature-based education, we'd love to partner with you. Sponsoring the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast helps support educators while connecting your organization with a passionate community of teachers, school leaders, and families.
Contact Victoria at victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com to learn more.

Subscribe to the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and share this conversation with a fellow educator or parent. Your support helps more people discover the transformative power of nature-based education.

Please take a moment to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and rate or comment on Spotify. Your support makes a big difference in helping the show reach more educators!

Taking the Leap: What a Hut-to-Hut Trek in Sweden Taught Me About Outdoor Classrooms & Community

What happens when you say yes before you feel completely ready?
In this episode, I’m taking you along on my hut-to-hut trek through Sweden—and sharing the unexpected lessons I brought home about courage, Outdoor Classrooms, and community.
Along the trail, I was reminded that we don't need to see the entire path before taking the first step. Whether you're trekking through Sweden or growing an Outdoor Classroom, sometimes you simply need to focus on the next hut.

In this episode, we explore:
Saying yes before you feel completely ready
Taking your Outdoor Classroom one step at a time
Learning to embrace uncertainty and discomfort
Why who you walk with matters
How the CIRCLE can be the community that walks alongside you

So, what's your next hut?
You don't need to have the whole trail mapped out—and you don't have to walk it alone.

Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🌸 CIRCLE Membership Community

Connect with Victoria:
Website: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
Email: Victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com
Instagram
Facebook

Sponsorship Opportunities:
If you believe in the power of outdoor learning and nature-based education, we'd love to partner with you. Sponsoring the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast helps support educators while connecting your organization with a passionate community of teachers, school leaders, and families.
Contact Victoria at victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com to learn more.

Subscribe to the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and share this conversation with a fellow educator or parent. Your support helps more people discover the transformative power of nature-based education.

Please take a moment to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and rate or comment on Spotify. Your support makes a big difference in helping the show reach more educators!

Clara’s Curiosity: Foxy Friends, Nature & Wonder with Karen Belanger-Richmond

What happens when a child’s curiosity leads her outside—and she discovers a family of foxes?
In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast, I’m joined by children’s author Karen Belanger-Richmond, author of Clara’s Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends.
Karen shares the inspiration behind Clara’s story and how a real-life experience grew into a children’s book celebrating curiosity, observation, wildlife, and the simple magic of spending time outdoors.
Together, we explore what can happen when children are given the time and space to slow down, notice what’s around them, ask questions, and follow their curiosity.

In this episode, we talk about:
The story behind Clara’s Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends
How Karen’s family and experiences in Maine inspired her writing
Why curiosity is such a powerful starting point for outdoor learning
Helping children observe and appreciate wildlife safely and respectfully
Nature journaling, noticing, and asking, “What do you see?”
Simple ways teachers and families can encourage children to become outdoor investigators
What’s next for Clara and her adventures

Whether you’re an early childhood educator, teacher, parent, grandparent, or simply someone who believes children need more opportunities to wonder outdoors, this conversation is an invitation to look a little closer at the nature right outside your door.

A Special Thank You
A special thank-you to Karen Belanger-Richmond and Clara’s Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends for sponsoring the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast during August, September, and October. We are grateful for Karen’s support of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast and our mission to inspire more outdoor learning, curiosity, and connection with the natural world.

Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🌸 CIRCLE Membership Community

Connect with Victoria:
Website: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
Email: Victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com
Instagram
Facebook

Sponsorship Opportunities:
If you believe in the power of outdoor learning and nature-based education, we'd love to partner with you. Sponsoring the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast helps support educators while connecting your organization with a passionate community of teachers, school leaders, and families.
Contact Victoria at victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com to learn more.

Subscribe to the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and share this conversation with a fellow educator or parent. Your support helps more people discover the transformative power of nature-based education.

Please take a moment to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and rate or comment on Spotify. Your support makes a big difference in helping the show reach more educators!

Episode 210: Inside Nature Forward Nature Preschool:
Carlos Duque on Curiosity, Confidence & Belonging

What happens when we give children the time, space, and freedom to follow their curiosity?
In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast, Victoria Hackett sits down with Carlos Duque, Preschool Director at Nature Forward, to explore how nature-based education helps children develop confidence, empathy, resilience, and a deep sense of belonging.
Drawing on his experience as a teacher, librarian, camp counselor, and school leader, Carlos shares how child-led learning comes to life in a nature preschool. Together, they discuss balancing freedom with safety, building strong relationships with families, mentoring educators, and creating learning environments where children can truly thrive.
Whether you're an educator, parent, or school leader, this conversation offers practical insights and a hopeful vision for what early childhood education can become when nature is at its heart.

In This Episode:
Why nature-based education matters now more than ever
The power of curiosity and child-led learning
Supporting healthy risk-taking and resilience
Building confidence and belonging outdoors
Partnering with families in nature-based education
Leading a thriving nature preschool
What the future of outdoor learning could look like

Key Takeaway
When children are trusted to explore, wonder, and learn in nature, they develop far more than academic skills—they grow into confident, compassionate, and resilient human beings who feel deeply connected to the world around them.

Connect with Nature Forward:
https://natureforward.org

Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🌸 CIRCLE Membership Community

Connect with Victoria:
Website: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
Email: Victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com
Instagram
Facebook

Sponsorship Opportunities:
If you believe in the power of outdoor learning and nature-based education, we'd love to partner with you. Sponsoring the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast helps support educators while connecting your organization with a passionate community of teachers, school leaders, and families.
Contact Victoria at victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com to learn more.

Subscribe to the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and share this conversation with a fellow educator or parent. Your support helps more people discover the transformative power of nature-based education.
Please take a moment to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and rate or comment on Spotify. Your support makes a big difference in helping the show reach more educators!