Effects of Nature Kindergarten Attendance on Children’s Functioning

Authors

  • Ulrich Müller
  • Viviene A. Temple
  • Beverly Smith
  • Kimberly Kerns
  • Kayla Ten Eycke
  • Jeff Crane
  • John Sheehan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.27.2.0047

Keywords:

nature kindergarten, motor development, cognitive development, social development, psychological health

Abstract

The study examined the effects of a nature kindergarten in British Columbia on a variety of aspects of children’s functioning. We assessed 41children attending a nature kindergarten and 45children attending a regular kindergarten at the beginning and at the end of the school year. We found no significant differences in the changes in activity level, attention, working memory, nature relatedness or environmentally responsible behavior between children in the nature kindergarten and children in the regular kindergarten. Attending the nature kindergarten had beneficial effects on children’s motor skills, and positively affected their social skills and well-being.

Published

2022-10-05