Linda Englehart joins the podcast to talk about supporting children's connection to nature. She talks about how the child's experience of nature has changed over time. Today’s children are “containerized” (examples: playpens, bouncy seats, car seats, strollers, spending more time indoors in general) and cut off from the natural contact that generations past had. Yet physicians, educators, psychologists, sociologists, and others have all discovered many benefits in nature immersion, as well as detriments to health and well-being from nature-deficit disorder.

Linda reminds us that humankind’s first prepared environment was the natural world. Montessori materials--in our second prepared environment, the classroom--were designed with the assumption that children had hands-on experiences in the first prepared environment. So what can educators do to help mitigate this deficit that many children are experiencing?

Linda gives practical suggestions for things to do in the classroom and ways to partner with parents to support children in developing biophilia, a love of nature. Our host, Tamara Sheesley Balis, also shares ways we can support our staff in developing their own connection to nature.