Master's Project (M.Ed.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2019Changes in current societies are affecting childhood experiences. In an era where children spend
countless hours indoors and on electronic devices the questions must be asked, are children
developing valuable connections to the natural world around them? How much quality time are
they really spending in the out-of-doors in a natural environment that would induce a
connection? Time for outdoor play has diminished as nature has become to be regarded as
separate from everyday life. The importance of an outdoor educational curriculum is established
that would allow children to have a closer connection to nature by allowing a healthy balance of
the time children spend outdoors. This project explores the questions of what an outdoor
educational curriculum would look like that is project-based and child-led. A curriculum that
would help children develop a sense of place, a sense of identity, and one that would help
children develop self-efficacy while building self-esteem. This paper presents the main
dimensions that quality outdoor experiences help to establish in the growing child and highlights
the role of professionals and families in creating quality outdoor learning experiences
