‘If she hadn’t done nature kindergarten, I think COVID would have been a lot worse for us as a family’: how nature-based learning helped to support family health during periods of crisis

Nature-based learning (NBL) can support childhood health and well-being. Nature exposure can support personal health before and during times of crisis via physical, emotional and mental health benefits. We explored the experiences of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic for parents/guardians with young children enrolled in NBL (2019/2020 school year) in Alberta, Canada. Using Interpretive Description, we interviewed mothers (n = 10) of children from three NBL programs. Findings indicated that, with the onset of the pandemic, mothers felt they were left with more responsibilities and, often, felt disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Despite these challenges, mothers shared ways their children and families utilized nature for health, wellbeing and connection. Our findings demonstrate potential impacts of NBL and offer health promotion implications for the post-COVID context.