Why am I passionate about this?

As an educator and author with more than 35 years of experience in outdoor education, I’ve come to realize that children need nature more than ever.  I wonder if children are more lonely today because they feel disconnected from the very life systems that nourish us all. There are rising levels of anxiety, depression, and mental health concerns. At the same time, more studies are showing the tremendous health benefits of time spent outside. I hope that all of us take the time to connect to our “neighbourwood,” and that we come to recognize that our community is more than the buildings, houses, and streets and also consists of plants, animals, insects, birds, water, and air. Let us create spaces where both people and nature can thrive so we can create a greener, healthier tomorrow.


I wrote

The Book of Nature Connection: 70 Sensory Activities for All Ages

By Jacob Rodenburg,

Book cover of The Book of Nature Connection: 70 Sensory Activities for All Ages

What is my book about?

My book is packed with fun activities for using all our senses to engage with nature in a deep and…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Jacob Rodenburg Why did I love this book?

In a world where we are spending almost 8 hours a day in front of a glowing screen, Kimmerer shows us how other living beings can teach us how to connect more deeply to the natural world around us. She draws on Indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge to help us recognize that nature is an integral part of our family, and our community, not merely a collection of objects to be used for our own personal use.

Only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth and learn to give our own gifts in return. 

By Robin Wall Kimmerer,

Why should I read it?

52 authors picked Braiding Sweetgrass as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Called the work of "a mesmerizing storyteller with deep compassion and memorable prose" (Publishers Weekly) and the book that, "anyone interested in natural history, botany, protecting nature, or Native American culture will love," by Library Journal, Braiding Sweetgrass is poised to be a classic of nature writing. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer asks questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces indigenous teachings that consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take "us on a journey that is…


Book cover of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder

Jacob Rodenburg Why did I love this book?

Our kids need nature as part of a healthy childhood. In this groundbreaking book, Louv describes the consequences of the indoor child, how spending time within the confines of four walls can be a kind of prison, removing children from active outdoor play and nature connection.

He coined the phrase “Nature Deficit Disorder” to illustrate the human costs of being disconnected from nature, a rise in anxiety, more obesity, less resiliency, and, in the end, less healthy children for a progressively less healthy world.

By Richard Louv,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Last Child in the Woods as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


 The Book That Launched an International Movement
 
“An absolute must-read for parents.” —The Boston Globe
 
“It rivals Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.” —The Cincinnati Enquirer
 
“I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are,” reports a fourth grader. But it’s not only computers, television, and video games that are keeping kids inside. It’s also their parents’ fears of traffic, strangers, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus; their schools’ emphasis on more and more homework; their structured schedules; and their lack of access to natural areas. Local governments, neighborhood associations, and even organizations devoted to the outdoors…


Book cover of Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life

Jacob Rodenburg Why did I love this book?

Our children are hearing about the catastrophic impacts of humans on the planet, from climate change to pollution, from overpopulation to habitat destruction.  For them, the future looks both bleak and daunting. We need to give our children a measure of hope. And hope starts with caring for the Earth.

Studies have demonstrated the more kids feel connected to the natural world, the more they will engage in environmental advocacy. Richard Louv, in his addendum to his seminal book The Last Child in the Woods, provides 500 practical, hands-on ways we can strengthen our connection to nature.

Grounded in research but easily doable for families and children of all ages, the book is a much-needed guide to rekindling our love for the natural world.

By Richard Louv,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Vitamin N as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


From the author of the New York Times bestseller that defined nature-deficit disorder and launched the international children-and-nature movement, Vitamin N (for “nature”) is a complete prescription for connecting with the power and joy of the natural world right now, with 500 activities for children and adults Dozens of inspiring and thought-provoking essays Scores of informational websites Down-to-earth advice In his landmark work Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv was the first to bring widespread attention to the alienation of children from the natural world, coining the term nature-deficit disorder and outlining the benefits of a strong nature connection--from…


Book cover of Sharing Nature with Children

Jacob Rodenburg Why did I love this book?

Although written a few decades ago, this book is full of creative games, activities, and ideas that incorporate drama, natural history, and hands-on learning to rekindle a child’s love for nature. The book is written in a clear and easy-to-follow format and is, well, joyful in the way it is presented, and the activities offered.

This book sparked a worldwide revolution that drew the attention of children, adults, and educators to the importance of nature connection.  

By Joseph Cornell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sharing Nature with Children as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As Joseph Cornell’s classic book reached its 20th anniversary, Cornell drew upon a wealth of experience in nature education to significantly revise and expand his book. New nature games—favorites from the field—and Cornell's typically insightful commentary makes the second edition of this special classic even more valuable to nature lovers world-wide. The Sharing Nature movement that Cornell pioneered has now expanded to countries all over the globe. Recommended by Boy Scouts of America, American Camping Association, National Audubon Society and many others.


Book cover of 52 Nature Craft Projects

Jacob Rodenburg Why did I love this book?

What an imaginative, colourful and fun way to engage children with nature!  This book helps children look at nature with fresh eyes by showing them how you can create beautiful crafts using only natural materials.

Eye-catching photography and clear descriptions help readers to easily follow the steps involved in creating each craft. There is a nature craft for every week of the year!

By Barbora Kurcova,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 52 Nature Craft Projects as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Take a leaf out of this book and combine connecting with nature with crafting at home. Using materials foraged sustainably from the great outdoors, Barbora Kurcova shows you how to create beautiful, visually inspiring art, gifts, and home accents and accessories.
This collection of clever ideas is packed with small, no-fuss projects that are demonstrated using step-by-step photography, with one engaging project for each week of the year - all of which are easily achievable and great for family crafting.


Explore my book 😀

The Book of Nature Connection: 70 Sensory Activities for All Ages

By Jacob Rodenburg,

Book cover of The Book of Nature Connection: 70 Sensory Activities for All Ages

What is my book about?

My book is packed with fun activities for using all our senses to engage with nature in a deep and nourishing way. From "extenda-ears" and acorn whistles to bird calls, camouflage games, and scent scavenger hunts, enjoy over 70 diverse, engaging, sensory activities for all ages that promote mindfulness and nature connection. Whisper in birds, be dazzled by nature's kaleidoscope of colors, taste the freshness of each season, learn to savor the scented world of evergreens, hug a tree, and feel the bark against your cheek.

Spending time in nature with all senses tuned and primed helps us feel like we belong to the natural world, and in belonging, we come to feel more connected, nourished, and alive.

Book cover of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Book cover of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Book cover of Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,473

readers submitted
so far, will you?

You might also like...

From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine

By Ben Stanger,

Book cover of From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine

Ad
Ben Stanger Author Of From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Harvard- and MIT-trained physician-scientist, and I am drawn to research problems that bridge the basic and the practical – how a better understanding of cells and tissues can inform new therapies for cancer and other diseases. As children, we are all scientists – mini-hypothesis generators trying to make sense of the world. I suppose I never outgrew that curiosity. My list of best science books credits writers who bring to life the excitement that comes from looking at the natural world in a new way, a spirit that I try to emulate in my own writing. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I have!

Ben's book list on science written by scientists

What is my book about?

Everybody knows that all animals—bats, bears, sharks, ponies, and people—start out as a single cell: the fertilized egg. But how does something no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence give rise to the remarkable complexity of each of these creatures?

FROM ONE CELL is a dive inside the cell and its evolutionary prerogatives to explain how these "endless forms most beautiful," as Charles Darwin called them, come about. Along the way, we learn about the scientific process, filled as it is with serendipity, as the story is told through the eyes of the scientists who informed…

From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine

By Ben Stanger,

What is this book about?

Every animal on Earth begins life as a single cell. From this humble origin, the nascent creature embarks on a risky journey fraught with opportunities for disaster-yet with astounding regularity, it reaches its destination intact. From One Cell illuminates this epic transformation-still one of nature's most mysterious feats-to show where we all come from and where we're going.

Through the eyes of the scientists unraveling the secrets of development, we see how all the information needed to build a human fits into a fertilised egg, and how the trillions of cells that emerge know what to become and where to…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in indigenous peoples, photography, and parenting?

Photography 67 books
Parenting 388 books