
This time on The Children’s Hour, we go outdoors to discover why learning in nature helps kids grow, think, and feel better. You’ll hear from students in New Mexico summer programs and from a fourth grade class that became birdwatchers at a wildlife refuge. Their poems and voices show how the outdoors is full of wonder. Whether you’re planting seeds or spotting feathers, there’s something new to learn just by stepping outside.
This episode comes with a free Learning Guide that meets and cites US National Education Standards.
Have you ever wished your classroom could be outside? On this episode of The Children’s Hour, we explore what happens when kids learn in the open air. We visit summer programs across New Mexico where children share how nature helps them feel strong, calm, and curious.

We learn how sunshine, trees, birds, and even raindrops can teach us important lessons. The organization Environmental Education of New Mexico wants to make outdoor learning part of every school day for all students.


You’ll also hear from kids in Mrs. Dawson’s fourth grade class at Valle Vista Elementary School in Albuquerque. These students went birdwatching every week at the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. They learned how to use binoculars, identify birds by sight and sound, and then turned their experiences into creative poems. Their words show how being outside helped them see nature—and themselves—in a whole new way. They noticed birds in their neighborhoods, learned how birds build nests, and discovered their own connection to the land.

Find out about EENM’s plan Every Kid, Every Day, Every Way to get outdoor learning incorporated into New Mexico school curriculum.

The Children’s Hour was written and produced by Katie Stone, Executive Producer and Host with production support from Christina Stella, Sarah Gabrielli, Marci Krivonen, Thaniel Lentz, and Eli Henley. Chad Scheer was our recording engineer at Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our learning guide was written by Amber Shiel.
Thanks to the team at Environmental Education of New Mexico. Special thanks to Mrs. Dawson’s fourth grade class at Valle Vista Elementary, whose bird poems and reflections brought this episode to life.
The Children’s Hour is produced by The Children’s Hour Inc., distributed by Native Voice One, and supported by listeners like you. Find more at ChildrensHour.org/every-kid-outside.
© 2021 – 2025 The Children’s Hour Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Playlist Every Kid Outside
title | artist | album | label | duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sweet Nectarine | Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots | Seconds | 2021 Ben Tatar Music | 02:03 |
School of the Wild | The Missoula Coyote Choir & Friends | Ask the Planet | 2009 The Biomimicry Institute | 03:48 |
We Know | Ketsa | Single | 2021 Ketsa - FMA | 02:40 |
Outside | The Bazillions | On the Bright Side | 2015 Adam Marshall | 02:15 |
Life-Of-An-Empath | Ketsa | single | 2021 Ketsa | 02:17 |
I Love the Outdoors | Palo Colorado | Let There Be Peace On Earth | 2009 Jan-Lee Music | 02:36 |
Be Outside | Jazzy Ash | Good Foot - EP | 2020 Ashli St Armant | 01:05 |
Easy Easy | Crowander | Acoustic Miniband | 2019 Crowander | 01:17 |
Beautiful Day | Lyre le Temps | Outside the Box | 2013 French Gramm / Believe Recordings | 02:56 |
Vulture | Artichoke | 26 Animals | 2009 greeen | 02:48 |
Little Bird, Little Bird | Elizabeth Mitchell | You Are My Little Bird | 2006 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings | 02:28 |
Mother Nature's Son | Aaron Nigel Smith & One World Chorus | Welcome to the Village! | 2012 Aya World Productions | 02:31 |
Birdhouse | Uncle Jumbo | Garden Groove | 2019 Jumbo Life | 01:41 |
Green Iver | Ari De Niro | Jules Lives | 2016 Pete Ho | 00:28 |
Outside! | Hopalong Andrew | Howdy Do! Songs of the Urban Cowpoke | 2018 Andrew Vladeck | 02:06 |
Walk Outside | Dan Crow | A Friend, a Laugh, a Walk In the Woods | 2005 Kidztown Productions | 03:21 |
Idle Ways | Blue Dot Sessions | Duck Lake | 2018 Blue Dot Sessions | 02:08 |
Yoho (The Hiking Song) | Peter Lenton and Friends | Proud Like a Mountain (Deluxe Version) | 2010 Peter Jonathan Lenton | 01:58 |
Big Rock Candy Mountain | Gordie Crazylegs MacKeeman | Folk for Little Folk, Vol.1 | 2021 Gordie Crazylegs MacKeeman | 02:34 |
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