Nature-based education is growing throughout the world. Although it already existed at the beginning of the 20th century, WWII in Europe and the Civil War in Spain put an end to it. The first outdoor preschool in Spain started in 2011, now ca 60 exist. Nature-based education includes family-led playgroups, outdoor preschools and forest school sessions provided by conventional schools. From 2022 this approach is taught at the university and academic literature on the topic has grown. However, it has not been officially recognized by the authorities, leading to various challenges for families and practitioners. One priority is obtaining legal recognition by, among others, establishing quality criteria, covering pedagogical, logistical, and environmental aspects, to reassure decisionmakers. Another priority is the expansion of training for practitioners. These key aspects stimulate an environmentally sound, sustainable, and fair access to nature-based education. In summary, this contribution offers a critical view of the strengths and challenges of nature-based education in Spain. This work adopts a qualitative, (auto-)ethnographic perspective, drawing on the experience of the author, co-founder of the first outdoor nursery in Spain, as well as on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the field.