Our outdoor learning environment partners at Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds share their best features for physical literacy in outdoor learning and play spaces. With the average rate a child spends outdoors dropping every year due to sedentary lifestyles centered...
International focus on resilience is surging as evidence mounts for a world endangered by climate change, armed conflict and terrorism, unprecedented flows of refugees, pandemics, educational and health disparities, and economic volatility. In addition, concern is...
Founded in 1975, Children’s All Day School & Pre-Nursery occupies an historic four-story building on 60th Street and Lexington Ave in New York, NY. Their dedicated staff has built a state of the art school serving boys and girls, ages six months to five years, and...
Our work at Natural Pod is all about learning environment transformation. Transformation that supports children to more deeply engage in learning, connection and relationships with each other, their teachers and community. We’re so grateful when our clients share...
The world is a big place, and for many of us it’s difficult to fathom how the Earth’s natural systems and cycles function on a global scale. What happens when environmental education becomes so broad it starts to become less relatable and comprehensible? Has...
In this day and age, we’ve come to accept that one of the only thing that seems to be constant is change; however, sometimes we don’t spend enough time thinking about how to manage change. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind before undertaking any...
The wooden arches in my classroom have made an amazing difference to the layout of the room. As an open area teacher, it can be very hard to find quiet spots for my students to sit and read, reflect, or share toys. It is a small space with sharp angles that can make...
As the green schools movement develops and gains notice, defining what is considered the third pillar of a green school (U.S. DOE, 2017), environmental and sustainability literacy, has gained steam in conversations at school board meetings, state departments of...
WonderWell is a first-class early learning school inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of early childhood education and a Best of the Best Preschool in Austin Finalist. Natural Pod is excited to be a part of the successful creation of this unique learning...
I have had two play stands with arches in my Kindergarten classroom for the past year and I continue to be impressed with their versatility. I placed them in what used to be my “house corner”. Prior to the play arches, this area of my classroom had a traditional play...
Summer breaks are so important to rest and recharge. Many of our education community take time in the summer for family, friends, learning and exploring. At the same time, there are many of us hard at work preparing for new learning environments to support students...
At Natural Pod, we make long-lasting, sustainably made furniture designed to foster creativity and innovation in learning environments for all ages. We help create 21st Century Learning and play environments for educators and students and we do all of that using...
Envision a sustainable future marked by ecological integrity, shared prosperity, and social equity where individual and group choices are rooted in environmental and social responsibility (NAAEE, n.d.-a). Imagine a future where current environmental challenges –...
While our work at Natural Pod is focused on creating collaborative, sustainably made, nature connected learning indoor environments, we always remember that outdoor nature connection is a vital part of creating great learning outcomes. When we come across inspiring...
Thank you to all of you who recently entered our Natural Pod newsletter subscription contest. Subscribing to our newsletter gave you a chance to be entered to win a pair of our beautiful, new, sustainably made Natural Pod Stools. They are the classroom stool you’ve...
The Natural Pod play stand with arches have been the perfect compliment to my Grade 1 classroom. Over the past few years I have been changing my classroom to reflect a more natural, calming environment. I replaced all existing plastics with wood, wicker baskets, and...
Educators face a daunting task—preparing the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to work toward a more sustainable way of life. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collection of seventeen global goals set by the United Nations...
Bringing the Outdoors in with Biophilic Design – Mounting research suggests that spending time in the outdoors provides a wide range of benefits. For children in particular, access to nature is associated with improvements to mental health and cognition,...
When you hear the phrase “student-centered classroom,” what immediately comes to mind? Do you envision a classroom erupting into chaos, students doing what they want without a clear curricular goal to guide them? A true student-centered classroom is anything but a...
Public procurement is a complicated process. Adding an increased focus on environmentally friendly products only increases the complexity. This is something I know firsthand as Director of Custodial Services for Davis School District, located in Farmington, Utah....
Indoor Air Quality: Why it’s Critical for Healthy Learning Environments + Young Learners
