Nature offers endless opportunities for exploration, imagination, and growth. Natural outdoor environments represent dynamic settings in which to engage meaningful occupations for individuals across the lifespan. Growing bodies of evidence support the power of outdoor play experiences for children through purposeful nature-based engagement to strengthen overall health and well-being, enhance learning, develop work skills, and improve social competencies. Occupational therapists understand the value of skillfully combining client engagement in occupations within motivating environmental contexts to create positive transformative experiences that support the individual’s growth and healthy development. Therapeutic contexts that include meaningful outdoor nature connections offer optimal environments for delivering occupational therapy services as an emerging practice area. The American Occupational Therapy Association’s Vision 2025 promotes leadership and creates effective solutions that foster increased health, well-being, and quality of life. Consistent with Vision 2025, this capstone project includes developing a comprehensive business plan for a family-centered, outdoor nature-based occupational therapy practice. The practice accomplishes this through nature-based, occupation-focused, and evidence-supported interventions with equines, aquatics, and nature-rich experiences to enhance occupational participation and performance skills in children with disabilities.
