Learn about 5 common preschool philosophies: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, Play-Based, and Forest. Print our free infographic.
Exploring ponds with kids is a fascinating summer activity! We're sharing interactive, educational & fun ways to explore a pond with kids.
Creative forest walks, nature meditations and mindful activities to help you connect with nature.
Try this simple activity with your child to guesstimate the age of a tree in your yard and nurture her developing math skills while you're at it!
Ask any herbalist just beginning their journey into herbal education, and everyone I've met says they wish they'd been exposed to the wonders of plants as a child. All those days spent carefree playing in the
We turned a recent walk in the forest into a lesson on symmetry- such a fun, hands-on way for kids to learn math! We searched for symmetry outside and even created our own symmetry art using nature we had found on our walk! Follow our Math for Kids Pinterest board! Learning opportunities are everywhere you look. …
Oh my friends, I have Spring on the brain! I saw this neat graphic on Facebook yesterday (via Richard Louv) and wanted to share it here. I think it's a wonderful framework for a family nature "curriculum" ... sounds very...
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. I love loose parts. I love playing with loose parts and sharing loose parts with other educators. My hope is when adults mess about with loose parts that there will be…
In the age of standardized testing, screen time and what some see as a generation of excessively coddled children, a new movement of preschools is pushing kids outdoors, come rain or shine, heat or cold, to connect with nature and learn to take measured risks, in addition to math and the ABCs. Jeffrey Brown reports from Midland, Michigan.
Enjoy these 8 easy and fun outdoor literacy activities. Reading activities and writing activities to build skills during every season of the year.
Outdoor learning is a great way to connect with nature and have fun. Forest School activities can incorporate art, craft, science, sensory play, and s
David and I are weather geeks. We both wanted to be meteorologists when we were younger and I think Caroline got some of the genes. She found a homemade weather station in a library book and was very excited to make it. So I drafted David to do this as a science project with her!
Using these ten free nature study lessons, you'll learn just how wonderful nature study can be for your homeschool in any season.
Looking for an activity to get your kids outside and active? Print this FREE Back Yard Scavenger Hunt printable to get your kids exploring outdoors!
This collection of tree activities for kids is full of hands-on ways to learn about trees for kids to go along with Earth Day, Arbor Day, or a tree theme. It includes tree science activities, tree crafts, tree art ideas, parts of a tree, lesson plans and more for your tree theme.
As Big Brother is getting older it's really interesting to see both his interests and skills develop into more specific skill sets. Lately he's been really interested in the building of things (mostly stemming from a love of Legos, Magnatiles, and our wooden railroad track.) As he leans that way I'm finding myself looking for other creative ways to develop those interests and skills. A few weeks ago he had the chance to observe a beaver dam up close with my husband on one of their nature walks. This lead to some great questions. A few days later I followed up with a drive to a local man made dam which he was able to inspect from a distance. When we came home I set up this building investigation in the yard. It was inspired by a great tinfoil river activity we did last year from the amazing book 101 Kids Activities That Are the Bestest, Funnest Ever by the team over at Kids Activities Blog. Similar to that experience, we used tinfoil to create a river (this time on our lawn.) This time we set it up on slight slope. The boys and I also collected natural materials from around the yard that might be useful in building the dam. We collected sticks, acorns, rocks, and old reeds from lilies. I added in a few non-natural materials I also thought Big Brother might want to use: modeling clay, popsicle sticks, and lumber scraps. Big Brother's goal was to be able to get his dam to hold enough water so that these three acorn boats could float. It was so interesting to watch his process, which mostly involved trial and error. First he started with just a pile of the wooden natural materials. When he observed the water move through those, he decided to try using more rocks. With each trial he would tweak his design a little, before trying again. In the end I encouraged him (although I was really trying to let it be his process to try using a little clay. I led him to the idea that he had seen mud on the beaver dams.) He started to get into the idea of building a space for the water to collect. He never quite got to the place where all the boats could continuously float, although his last design definitely best slowed down the water. He continued to tinker on his dam a few more days, and even brainstorm other materials he would like to add in. (Including trying to find some clay like mud on our property.) We'll definitely be looking for other ways to invite building experiences. What do your children like to build? This post may also have been shared at some of these terrific link parties.
Building a Mini Ecosystem is an excellent way for kids to observe and learn about different small critters found on nature hunts and while in nature.
Tips for creating your own outdoor classroom full of ideas for making the most out of your outdoor learning space for preschoolers.
Learn what plants breathe through with this easy leaf & tree science experiment as kids get hands-on with the process of photosynthesis!
Are you ready to spend time outside? These outdoor science experiments and activities are just what you need. Ideas for different ages included.
Looking for a cool ocean experiment for your next ocean or nature lesson? This is an acid-base experiment with shells and vinegar and will amaze your kids!
Nature Art – ways to find calm, creativity and clarity through art in the forest.
Welcome to a science blog by Science Alcove. Grab a cup of coffee and relax as you find interesting articles of science in the everyday.
As summer break comes to a close and garden plants are ready for harvest, what can you do with the leaves of the plants you pull out, besides compost them? Leaf prints! Leaf prints are fun easy to make, and depending on whether you do it as art alone or as an extension to a botany lesson this activity spans the age ranges from K-12!
Most kids have a natural curiosity about the world and the way things work. That makes it easy to teach them some basic science concepts in fun hands-on ways. In the past we have done a Magnet Exploration which proved to be very engaging. Today, I am sharing another one of our Easy Experiments. Making Color Disappear seems very magical for kids, but there are some scientific concepts at work. For more fun with color check out our Outdoor Color Station. Easy Experiments You will need: See through cups Water Food Coloring Bleach Pipette Like most easy experiments, this requires adult supervision. I would
A blog about homeschool, containing support, information, unit studies and resource lists for Home Education.
In this lesson we’ll be learning about seeds, talking about how they grow, and investigating seeds with our senses. Investigating seeds spring nature study Investigating Seeds Do you remember the video we watched of the chicken embryo growing inside its egg? A seed is a plant embryo, inside its own protective covering. We’re planting […]
Peanut and I have been keeping a nature journal. He’s 4 now, so right around the preschool/kindergarten age. I think it’s been a wonderful experience for us. I keep it very low-key, but…
These outdoor writing ideas for primary students are a great way to get kids enjoying outside, but with an academic focus as well!
