Inspiring Nature Play is an annual professional development conference geared toward enabling access to developmentally appropriate nature play experiences for early childhood (birth through age 8). Attendees include 200 formal and informal educators, administrators, and parents with a range of early childhood and environmental education backgrounds and expertise.

The keynote speaker will be Sheila Williams Ridge, M.A., director of the Shirley G. Moore Laboratory School at the University of Minnesota. Co-author of Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget, she serves on the governing boards for the Free Forest School, Natural Start Alliance, and the Minneapolis Nature Preschool.

Please visit: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/teacher_programs/inspiring_nature_play to register.

Inspiring Nature Play is possible because of the collaborative effort among The Alliance for Early Childhood, BackYard Nature Center, the Chicago Botanic Garden, Greeley Elementary School, the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Kohl Children’s Museum, Natural Start Alliance (a project of the North American Association for Environmental Education), North Suburban Special Education District, and Northfield Community Nursery School.