Nature-based education: using nature trails as a tool to promote inquiry-based science and math learning in young children

The nature trail activities described in this paper are geared toward pre-K to grade 3 children and created by the pre-service early childhood teachers (PSECTs) who attended a five-week nature-based education course held in late spring/early summer term. The nature-based activities supported not only the Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS) but also the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and Common Core Math Standards (CCMS).