Therapy in the Great Outdoors: A Start-Up Guide to Nature-Based Pediatric Practice with 44 Kid-Tested Activities

As a pediatric OT who runs summer groups outdoors amd in the community this book is a gift! Great ideas, clear directions, clear photos all organized in one spot! Some of the ideas will be implemented in a few weeks for our summer programming. Also good ideas for camping or exploring with your own kids. Enjoy!

Great resource of outdoor activities for engaging kids in nature. I especially enjoyed the pictures with the activities. I bought this book right before holding a special needs nature camp, and it was a breeze to select activities. I would recommend this book for any therapist wanting to start incorporating nature into their practice.

Laura's book, Therapy In the Great Outdoors, is a FANTASTIC go-to for anyone who does nature-based therapy! It is full of kid-tested, therapist approved, and SIMPLE ideas that you can plan and execute on the fly. The book is laid out categorically so you can quickly find activity ideas based off of area of focus (i.e., swing activities, social skills, crafts, snack time, etc.). The activities are broken down by materials needed, instructions for the activity, what areas it addresses (FMC/GMC, balance, social interaction, executive function, etc.), and how to grade the activity up or down. Why waste another minute trying to think of an activity when you could add this to your cart and have it sent to your door? My kids have already flipped through the book and chosen which activities they want to try first.I love books and the texture and design of them, and love how this is presented. The outer cover has a matte finish, the pictures are wonderful, and the book is well designed and has a good flow to it.Seriously a fantastic purchase that you will not regret!

The only thing this book doesn’t include are the actual materials to facilitate nature therapy outdoors! The guide is easy to use and I can quickly identify what type of activity I want to try from the list in the table of contents. I found the descriptions simple to follow along with and identify how to implement with a group. I love that there are options to grade the activities up or down and the side notes that are clearly added from trial and error providing me with the best results! The pictures are helpful for getting a clear sense of the final product and great for showing the group what we’re going to work on. I feel inspired whenever I flip through the pages and many of the activities can be used in an all natural outdoor setting or in the clinic so I’d recommend it for any therapist who wants to expand their repertoire of tasks for individual or groups inside or outside! It’s a very accessible and beautiful resource to keep on hand at all times!

This book is a fantastic resource for anyone doing therapy with children in nature. Laura gives the framework for her unique program, The ConTiGO Approach to working with children in nature and gives a thorough list of activities to use will working with kids in nature. Each activity is complete with a list of materials needed, skills areas being targeted and instructions for implementing plus modification/alternatives.This is an easy read and a must have!

Super impressed with this book. It is filled with relevant and practical content that is easy to incorporate into practice immediately! I really like the colored photos, and the book cover/pages are high quality. The bulk of the content is therapy nature activities (by type) with descriptions, instructions, skill areas addressed, and photos. The book also provides great tips and resources on getting started with taking your OT interventions outdoors! I definitely recommend this book if you are interested in incorporating more nature into your OT practice.

Such a clear and beautifully presented book of activities! Laura compiles such creative activities in such a visually appealing way! This book provides a wealth of knowledge for therapists wanting to engage with their clients in an outdoor setting and jump starts activity ideas with these creative and easy to set up nature based activities! I highly recommend this book!

A must read for any nature lover wanting to support children in therapy outdoors. A practical guide with SO many wonderful suggestions and Activity ideas! Laura has given us a gift with this book !