Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers in Nature (Recording)

It’s never too early to introduce children to the outdoors. The benefits of nature engagement for young children (ages 0 – 5) relate to all areas of growth and development including physical, mental, social-emotional and cognitive. And these benefits apply to all children, including children with adverse childhood experiences and children with differing abilities. 

Parents, caregivers and early childhood educators can play an important role in enhancing young children’s connection with nature. In this event, Alexis Burroughs, Yoga and Meditation Teacher and certified Forest Therapy guide, Jessica Carrillo Alatorre, Executive Director of OutGrown and Gabriel Pickus, Founder & Executive Director of InDiGO: Inward Discovery Grows Outdoors will share tips on how to prepare for the elements, tangible tools for nature play, whole-child centered learning with nature as the teacher, how to facilitate a guided forest walk for your family or preschool class, and more! 

You’ll hear from:

• Alexis Burroughs Alexis has a background in early childhood education and has been teaching children’s yoga for more than 10 years. And a Young Children’s Yoga and Movement method teacher training program is in the works. At her studio, Funky Monkey Yoga, she also teaches several adult classes including iRest® Yoga Nidra – a tool that may be helpful in healing from PTSD, childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and stress. When she is not in her studio Alexis can be found outside. She is an Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) certified guide who offers outdoor guiding & forest therapy guided walks to Families with young children and Preschool classes. 
• Jessica Carrillo Alatorre Jessica is the Executive Director of OutGrown (formerly Hike it Baby), a national, community led nonprofit she has helped build from the ground up over the last decade with the goal of helping families of all kinds spend more time outside together. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from George Fox University. Jessica is committed to building a future where the outdoors is a welcoming, accessible space for all families to enjoy, regardless of their identity or ability. It is her belief that by building towards a more welcoming and inclusive vision of the outdoors, we can work towards a world where more people have the opportunity to fall in love with nature from birth and grow into people who work to protect the natural wonders of this planet we are all a part of.
• Gabriel Pickus Gabriel is a visionary non-profit leader, healing-centered educator, intercultural bridge-builder and InDiGO‘s Founder and Director. He has strived toward social and educational justice with over one hundred organizations and thousands of young people across Baltimore City since 2009. As a trained community organizer and award-winning education reformer, he has served in cross-sector initiatives for holistic education, youth employment, police accountability, reducing youth incarceration, clean water, healthy parks, and clean air. While directly serving Baltimore City’s youth and teachers in the classroom and out-of-school time, he has advocated for systemic changes to the educational system that increase access to holistic and outdoor education through research, professional development, and policy advocacy.

Leave the event feeling comfortable and empowered to get outside with your little ones!

This event is part of our Families Together in Nature program, a series of events and resources to help parents and caregivers get out in nature! Our aim is to remove barriers, offer inspiration and create community. Find more resources on our website and join the Families Together in Nature group on The Trailhead, our free online community. It’s the place to share resources, ideas, questions, insights – and to cheer each other on!