Developing Nature-Based Strategies for Emotional Regulation: A Workshop for Kids & Their Caregivers

This program will be done outside on the York Public Library grounds. Weather permitting. Meet in the Lower Lobby outside the Children's Room. 

When big emotions show up, getting children outside can feel overwhelming—but nature offers some of the most effective (and free!) tools for emotional regulation. In this workshop, we’ll explore simple, nature-based strategies to support children during moments of stress, frustration, or anxiety. Together, we’ll slow down, engage our senses, and practice easy techniques that can transform a walk in the woods—or even a quiet moment in the backyard—into a calming, restorative experience. This program will be provided by White Pine Programs. 

About White Pine Programs

White Pine Programs is a nonprofit educational organization located in Southern Maine. Their organization was founded in 1999; you can read their origin story here. 

Their nature-based education programs vary from weekly, full day experiences to outdoor learning at schools to hour-long walks in the woods. They served approximately 3,000 people in 2021 from more than 50 different communities. Their location uniquely positions them to reach people from Boston, Massachusetts to Manchester, New Hampshire, to Portland, Maine.

Because they believe that a connection to nature develops differently for everyone, they offer accessible programs that incorporate birding, nature skills and nature study in addition to hiking and camping. At the center of all their programs are core nature connection practices such as gratitude, acknowledgement of the land and its original stewards, song, play and nature exploration. Their intention is always to establish a safe and inclusive environment whereby participants are free to be curious, vulnerable and whole-hearted. 

Their mission is to create shared outdoor experiences that awaken curiosity, build personal resilience, and cultivate caring relationships with self, community, and the natural world. It is their vision to help create and facilitate an inter-generational community that restores empathy and compassion and leads a broad-based movement toward a thriving, sustainable environment for all.

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Embracing Wellness is a collaborative program series brought to you by York Public Library, the York, Maine Rotary Club, and many community partners in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month (May 2025). Participating organizations include York Hospital's Choose to Be Healthy and Youth Resiliency Coalitions; Cornerstone Visiting Nurse Association; National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); York Parks and Recreation; York Center for Active Living; Sweetser; York School Department; York Community Service Association (YCSA), and the Center for Grieving Children. Learn more at yorkpubliclibrary.org/embracing-wellness.