In Mud: Nature-based early childhood education
Spring in the Tetons begins with mud!
Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
9:00 am – 4:00 pm MST
Based on Teton Science Schools’ Jackson Campus
Price: $110
Spring in the Tetons begins with mud! Come join us for our 8th annual In Mud Workshop. We are excited to welcome Sue Ford, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, as our keynote speaker. Sue’s focus on nature-based learning and the power of nature and movement to help children develop the skills of emotional regulation, adaptability, and resilience will drive the theme for In Mud 2025.
Workshop sessions will explore opportunities with movement in nature for skills development in young learners, and we will spend time outside together exploring these topics. Following the morning keynote, participants will have the opportunity to peek into classrooms and then take a journey to Rendezvous Park, near the Jackson Campus.
Recommended for Early Childhood Educators: preschool through lower elementary school. 7 STARS hours are available or a certificate of completion.
There is an option to stay overnight at TSS on Friday, May 5, 2023. For those who stay on Friday evening, lodging and breakfast the following morning will be an additional $125.
This program will be based at our Jackson Campus (700 Coyote Canyon Road, Jackson, WY 83001).
Lunch and snacks will be provided during the day.
There is an option to stay overnight at TSS on Friday, May 2nd, 2025 with arrivals from 5-7 pm. For those who stay on Friday evening, lodging and breakfast the following morning will be an additional $125. Recommended for Early Childhood Educators: preschool through lower elementary school.
In mid-April, we will share sign-up options for the workshop sessions.
Cancellation Policy: If canceled more than 30 days prior, there is a $25 fee. Within 30 days, no refunds.
Description on keynote
Sue Ford is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Infant Massage Educator, Reiki Master, and the founder of Coorie Wellness in Kittery, Maine. With over 20 years of experience working with children and families, Sue is deeply committed to supporting health, wellness, and emotional resilience. Her journey has taken her through a variety of settings, including private practice, early intervention, school-based services, and community education, giving her an understanding and perspective of the unique needs and experiences of children and families.
Sue is passionate about nature-based learning and draws on her background as an outdoor educator to help schools incorporate natural spaces and creative movement into their programs. She believes in the power of nature and movement to help children—and the adults who support them—develop the skills of emotional regulation, adaptability, and resilience.
Her approach focuses on equipping families, educators, and children with simple, practical tools that encourage connection, foster mind-body awareness, and help everyone thrive in their everyday lives.
Sue has had the privilege of sharing her experiences at In Bloom Conferences at Antioch University, the New Hampshire Montessori Association, and various teacher and parent workshops across New England. Outside of her work, Sue enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, and two dogs, exploring the beauty of New England’s seacoast and mountains.
Workshops Descriptions
| Facilitator | Workshop Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Paige Fisher | The Benefits of Open-Ended Play Experiences in the Natural World | What are open ended play experiences and why and how should we offer them to children? Come explore how offering open ended play experiences in the natural world supports all areas of OT. From Mud Kitchens and interactive storytelling to imaginative play and building big and small we will dive into the why and the how behind these play experiences. During this workshop we will brainstorm how you can engage children in this type of play in your own program to not only benefit children from an OT perspective but in all areas of development. |
| Susan Ford | Sensory Roots: Nature-Based Learning for Emotional Regulation and Growth- an Occupational Therapy Perspective | Come explore the joy of nature in fostering emotional regulation and growth in children! This workshop will explore how nature-based learning environments can support sensory processing and emotional development. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and discussions, build strategies and learn tools to help empower the sensory roots of every learner. |
| Danny Martin | Child-Centered Committee Work for Establishing Safety Guidelines to Engage in Healthy Risk Taking | How can teachers best prepare children for taking healthy risks in the natural world? One tool to answer this question is by creating child-centered committees. Come join us and take part in a Tree Climbing Committee. You will engage in making decisions about how to stay safe just as children are invited to do as committee members. We will discuss how giving children this responsibility allows them to have ownership over their own safety and play and how it also creates space for critical thinking and collaboration, ultimately giving children the tools to be community caretakers. We will dive deeper into the essentials of supporting healthy risk as we take a nature walk through the woods and discuss how healthy risk-taking is an integral piece of a child's development. |
| Elise Pierce | Loose Parts - Supporting the Development of Executive Function Skills Through the Creation of Outdoor Play Spaces | Dive into the creation of dynamic and sensory-rich outdoor play environments using loose parts. Explore how to transform everyday materials—like fabric, crates, stones, tires, and pipes—into tools that ignite children’s creativity and promote cognitive and social development. Whether you have access to natural materials or not, we’ll investigate how to design play spaces that engage children’s senses, encourage problem-solving, self-control and risk assessment, and foster imaginative play. |
| Katie Rose Griffith | Seed to Snack: A Movement-Based Exploration of Growing and Eating Food | This workshop immerses participants in the full-body experience of growing, harvesting, and eating food through movement-based activities. It highlights how gardening supports developmental progressions in young learners while providing practical, hands-on experiences. |
| Erin Tanzer | Become a Play Detective | Do you ever wonder why children spin, climb, collect, or hide? Uncover the interests and wonderings that drive children’s outdoor play. We'll explore how children connect with nature through place-based play motifs such as “animal allies” and “small worlds” and play schemas like “trajectory” and “rotation.” Become a play detective, sharpening your observation skills to uncover the rich learning happening in every muddy puddle and towering tree. Discover how to ignite children's imaginations with open-ended materials and thoughtful questions. Come ready to play and leave with renewed curiosity. |
