(Additional resources for parents/caregivers are listed in my post: the elixir of outdoor play)
Here are picture books — fictional and non-fiction — celebrating unstructured outdoor play, nature investigations, adventuring, all linked to my reviews.
Alfie Outdoors
Alfie Weather
Audrey’s Tree House
Beach
Beach Feet
Becky’s Birthday
The Better Tree Fort
The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook
The Biggest Puddle in the World
Blueberries for Sal
Camping: A Mr. & Mrs. Green Adventure
The Camping Trip (Mann)
The Camping Trip (Nordqvist)
Captain Jack and the Pirates
Charlie and Mouse Outdoors
Christina Katerina & the Box
City Moon
Come Home Already
Come Next Season
The Crack-of-Dawn Walkers
Cycle City
A Day for Skating
The Ditch Picnic
Doing the Garden
Down at the Pier
Dragonfly Kites
D.W. All Wet
Eddie’s Tent and How to Go Camping
Everything You Need for a Treehouse
Fall Ball
Finding Wild
First Snow
Fish for Supper
Fishing With Grandma
Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Strawberries
Flo and Wendell Explore
Follow Me
Fort-Building Time
The Golden Glow
A Good Day for Ducks
A Good Night Walk
Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail
Grandma Summer
Greetings from Sandy Beach
Have You Ever Seen a Flower?
A Hebridean Alphabet
hello? hello?
Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night
The High Hills
Hike
Hiking Day
How to Two
Hum and Swish
I Wanna Be a Cowgirl
The Iciest, Diciest, Scariest Sled Ride Ever!
If You Want to See a Caribou
In My Garden
In the Canyon
Into the Outdoors
Into the Snow
Island Summer
Jabari Jumps
Jigging for Halibut with Tsinii
Kick Push
King Jack and the Dragon
Lawrence in the Fall
Lines
Lost
Lucy and Tom at the Seaside
Me All Alone at the End of the World
Midnight Snowman
Monsoon Afternoon
Monster & Mouse Go Camping
The Moon Jumpers
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing
Mr. Putter and Tabby Hit the Slope
Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars
Mrs. Armitage on Wheels
Mud
The Mud Book
Mud Pies and Other Recipes
My Bike
My Old Tree
My Wilderness: An Alaskan Adventure
National Parks of the U.S.A.
Nature’s Art Box
Nature’s Day: Discover the World of Wonder on Your Doorstep
Nic of the Woods
The Night Walk (Dorleans)
Night Walk (O’Leary)
No Yeti Yet
Noah’s Seal
On a Magical Do-Nothing Day
On Sand Island
On the Pampas
One Frozen Lake
One Morning in Maine
One Summer Up North
One Winter Up North
Out and About: A First Book of Poems
Outside In
Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature
Owl Moon
The Patchwork Bike
Pinny in Fall
Pinny in Summer
Pool
Pool Party
Rain
The Reader
Red Sled
River
Run Wild
Sadie Braves the Wilderness
Sand Between My Toes
Sand Cake
Secret Tree Fort
Sing a Song of Seasons
Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature
Snow (Rylant)
Snow (Usher)
Snow Angel Sand Angel
Snow Happy
Snow Song
The Snowy Day
Some Snow Is
Sometimes Rain
Sophie’s Bucket
Sophie’s Knapsack
Splash, Anna Hibsicus!
Step Gently Out
Stick
A Stick is An Excellent Thing
Stina
Storm
The Summerfolk
Sunrise Summer
Swimming, Swimming
The Swing
Tek the Modern Cave Boy
That Neighbor Kid
That’s Papa’s Way
This Beautiful Day
This Place in the Snow
Those Summers
Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe
Time of Wonder
Tiny Perfect Things
Tom and Pippo and the Bicycle
Tom and Pippo on the Beach
Tomorrow on Rocky Pond
Up North at the Cabin
Waiting for Chicken Smith
Waiting for High Tide
Wake Up
Wake Up, Island
A Walk in the Forest
The Washout
Watch Out for the Crocodile
Wave
The Way Home in the Night
We Are Brothers
We Were Tired of Living in a House
Wheels
When the Moon Comes
When the Snow Falls
When Winter Comes: Discovering Wildlife in Our Snowy Woods
Wild Berries
Wilderness: The Words of John Muir
Will Goes to the Beach
Windows
Winter is Coming
Winter Sleep
Would You Come Too?
You Are Home
Outdoor adventures in chapter-length fiction:
Astrid the Unstoppable
Audrey of the Outback
The Big Six
Canoeing with the Cree
Chomp
Coot Club
Daisy Dawson on the Farm
An Episode of Sparrows
Gentle Ben
Georgie Lee
Gone-Away Lake
Great Northern?
The Hollow Land
Kildee House
The Littlest Voyageur
Lulu and the Dog from the Sea
Lulu and the Hedgehog in the Rain
The Midnight Fox
Minnow on the Say
Miracles on Maple Hill
Misty of Chincoteague
Mokie & Bik
My Side of the Mountain
Owls in the Family
The Picts and the Martyrs
Pigeon Post
A Piglet Called Truffle
Pinky Pye
The Secret Garden
Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea
Swallowdale
Swallows and Amazons
Terrible, Horrible Edie
Twelve Kinds of Ice
We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea
Wild Wings
Winter Holiday
orange marmalade 