ISU Extension and Outreach wants to encourage young children to find opportunities in nature, and to that end, they’re offering an online class for child care providers called Early Connections to Nature & Science. The 90-minute class will emphasize children’s need for physical activity, explore nature’s benefits, and highlight free resources as well as additional learning opportunities for providers.

The class will be held on Wednesday, March 18th, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Providers may register at the Iowa Child Care Provider Training Registry, https://ccmis.dhs.state.ia.us/TrainingRegistry/. Registration and payment is required by March 11th. Registrants only need an internet connection and speakers. The online class counts as face-to-face and is highly interactive.

Sandra McKinnon, human sciences specialist with Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, says “Research tells us that spending time in nature has many positive benefits. Children who have opportunities to play and learn in nature are more likely to handle challenges and problems more capably and act responsibly toward the earth and each other. They are more physically active and less likely to be obese.”

McKinnon says “Children can play anywhere and with anything, but the natural world is an especially inviting place for play. Children play to invent, explore and try different things. Open-ended play in natural settings or with natural objects enhances curiosity and triggers the imagination.”