A Walking Curriculum for the Early Years is an exceptional professional resource for educators who want to incorporate outdoor and environmental education while immersing themselves in Imaginative Ecological Education (IEE) and place-based learning. The book is filled with simple yet rich activities that engage students and educators while encouraging a deep and growing connection with the local environment and wider natural world.

I was excited to see my favourite walks from The Walking Curriculum reimagined for our youngest learners and was inspired to try a new walk from the book with my students the day after reading about it. Umbrella days are now some of our favourite days!

This resource is well laid out, including a chapter on planning and preparing for outdoor learning and a chapter on documenting active learning with students and reflective practice. Each walk contains a cognitive tool to focus on and is organized into three sections: minds on, the walk (including observation, communication and documentation ideas) and consolidation conversations. I found the list of mentor texts and extensions for play for each lesson especially useful.

While geared towards educators in Kindergarten and the Primary grades, the walks are easily adaptable for any grade to inspire students’ sense of place and curiosity. Walks can be connected to the Ontario curriculum by creating a sense of belonging within the local and larger community, ecological awareness and responsibility, all while using scientific research and experimentation processing skills.

Numeracy and literacy are also woven into each walk. I appreciate that learning invitations in the book require little to no preparation of materials. Place-based learning within schoolyards, local greenspaces and neighbourhoods offers most of the learning materials you will need.

As a teacher and outdoor educator, I cannot recommend adding A Walking Curriculum for the Early Years to your bookshelves enough.

Laura Di Nicola is a member of the Grand Erie Occasional Teacher Local.