Singing in the forest : outdoor education as early childhood curriculum

The practice discussed in this chapter provides scope for thinking about OE and connection with place as an underpinning feature of educational curriculum, rather than a specialized form of it, particularly for young children. Broadening the more traditional definitions of OE to emphasize feminized modes of human relationships with place, flora, and fauna through experiential nature education and arts-based pedagogies has significant potential. Arts pedagogies are familiar curriculum practices for many teachers. Integrating the arts with understandings of place and outdoor experience may assist educators to engage with and interpret OE experiences with the children they teach and to generate interest and enthusiasm for care of the local natural environment. In addition, the appreciation and reliving of outdoor experiences through the arts extends the impact of OE, bringing it back into the classroom. This multimodal and meta-environmental focus can deepen connection to place, connect the natural world to all areas of the educational curriculum, and render the human/nature connection as a basis for understanding our world and living sustainably in it.