Rhythms and Routines: Connecting Children to the Natural World Through the Seasons

How can the rhythms and routines we create around nature and the seasons help children and ourselves build a deeper relationship with the natural world? 

This immersive overnight workshop at Teton Science Schools’ Kelly Campus invites early childhood and elementary educators to explore how simple, intentional routines can help weave connection to the natural world into everyday teaching and learning. Whether you work in a nature-based program or are simply looking for ways to bring more nature connection into your existing practice, we will explore how familiar rhythms, repeated experiences, and attention to seasonal change can naturally deepen children’s relationship with the world around them.

We will begin Friday evening by grounding ourselves in the why behind this work: reflecting on our purpose as educators, our own connection to the natural world, and why these experiences matter for children.

On Saturday, we will move into practice by experiencing the rhythms of an outdoor morning together. Participants will explore songs and gathering rituals, outdoor meetings, seasonal connection activities, and creative invitations using natural materials. We will also consider the practical pieces that make regular outdoor experiences possible, including what to pack and how to prepare for changing weather and conditions.

Throughout the weekend, we will consider how these small, repeated practices can become familiar anchors in a child’s day while shifting naturally with the seasons. Participants will leave with practical ideas and inspiration for creating a culture where connection to the natural world isn’t separate from the day, but woven into the rhythms and routines of everyday life with children.

Facilitators:

Paige Fisher: Paige’s appreciation and curiosity about the natural world began in both New Mexico and Vermont. Paige deepened this curiosity through her education at the University of Vermont and discovered a love for teaching about nature through a sense of place during her time at Shelburne Farms. Paige continued her love for ecology and education through the graduate program at TSS. Paige is a passionate educator who strives to inspire curiosity and empathy in children through play and discovery of the world around them, and has done so with young children at TSS for the past 10 years. Paige is a lifelong learner and recently received a graduate certificate in the Reggio Emilia philosophy. She believes children can be the protagonists of their own learning, and we can support this through our observations and documentation of children’s curiosities, as well as by using our environment as the third teacher. Paige serves as both the director and pedagogista (pedagogy instructional coach) for the Early Childhood program at Mountain Academy.

Amy Butler: Amy is an author and educator who has recently relocated to the Teton Valley from northern Vermont. She has been working with children and adults for 25 years to support learning and healing beyond the classroom walls in wild spaces. Amy is the author of Educating Children Outdoors and Lessons in Nature-Based Learning, and has spoken at conferences from Maine to California about the benefits of nature-based learning in public schools. She is thrilled to be joining the movement for deeper nature connection in the Teton Valley.