Sure, here we go again—insisting. We like to insist, because we know this will be one of the best practices for care and education in the days ahead. The weather makes it possible to go outside—to the park, for a walk, around the block, to spend more time in the open air. But this connection with nature isn’t just because the weather allows it—it’s because this is the best time to use it as a pedagogical experience.

What does it mean for our youngest children to connect with nature? Infants get to know the world around them with their very first tool and toy: their bodies. Children learn through their bodies, their senses, and through free movement.

Our boys and girls begin to recognize themselves as autonomous individuals when they begin to distinguish, through interaction, the boundaries of their own bodies from those of others and from the environment. They learn through play and movement—smelling the subtle scent of the grass they’re playing in, feeling how hot or cool the air might be.

Their senses are stimulated, and with them, they come to understand their environment more deeply. And this becomes another teaching opportunity—not only to show them respect for the only world we have, but also to help them connect with others. Our youngest learners are beginning to recognize their place in the world. That’s why even the small fights between them are moments to show that things can be done differently.

Outdoor activities allow us to teach them how to observe. They let us show them the colors and the many shades of green in the leaves. They help them feel that running on grass is different than running on dirt. That water slips through their fingers more easily than sand does.

We’re talking about very simple yet important educational benefits: sensory development, free movement and coordination, emotional responsibility (personal and communal), critical and scientific thinking—and most importantly, feeling comfortable in the world around them.

The weather makes it possible, but turning outdoor time into learning moments—that’s up to all of us, the educators.