Child Care providers explore nature-based learning at Growing Up WILD training in Washington County

WASHINGTON, Iowa — On Saturday, April 5, child care professionals from across the state gathered at the Washington County Conservation Education Center to take part in the Growing Up WILD: Child Care Provider Training. This 4-hour workshop was co-led by Megan Jorgensen, Washington County Naturalist; Cindy Thompson, ISU Extension and Outreach Project Lead, all of whom brought their expertise in early childhood education and outdoor learning to life.

Designed specifically for early childhood educators, Growing Up WILD blends science, nature, and play-based learning into engaging, developmentally appropriate activities for young children. Participants explored key topics such as the benefits of outdoor experiences in early childhood, research supporting nature-based learning, and practical considerations when implementing outdoor activities.

This recent training served a dual purpose — as both participant and facilitator training — to reinvigorate statewide capacity for the program following recent staff retirements. It also aimed to expand internal delivery supports for this award-winning collaboration. The Iowa partnership between ISU Extension and Outreach and local naturalists was previously honored with a 1st Place Environmental Education Award from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS).

Child care providers from Washington, Warren, and Dubuque counties — representing both home- and center-based programs — participated in the workshop. Each attendee received the Growing Up WILD curriculum from Project WILD and engaged in hands-on activities that can be directly applied in their work with children.

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive:

“Well organized and a joy to take.”

“This was an excellent workshop/training! Thank you for including me in this!”

“Really enjoyed this training and appreciated time to work through the book with my team.”

“Loved the hands-on experiences and real-life conversation.”

“Enjoyed the balance of sharing info inside and outside and the movement incorporated through interactive activities. Appreciate the application portion.”

All participants indicated they were “very likely” to apply what they learned, including:

Using Growing Up WILD activities to teach children about science and nature.

Taking children outdoors weekly.

Incorporating nature-inspired activities indoors.

Talking daily with children about nature and science.

Communicating with families about the benefits of nature-based play.

Special thanks to Washington County Extension and Outreach for covering the training costs, and to Child Care Resource and Referral for funding the curriculum materials.

For more information about Growing Up WILD or future training opportunities, contact Washington County Extension and Outreach at 319-653-4811.