Did You Know?
Studies show that students in classrooms with green views, particularly trees, tend to have better attention, reduced stress, and improved test scores.
Invite Nature In
In addition to memories, we can also, quite literally, bring nature into our indoor spaces through houseplants or pets. Just be sure to look for child- and pet-friendly houseplants.
Caring for plants and pets helps children recognize that all living things need food, water, shelter, and space to grow. They’ll also start to develop a relationship with nature where they both give—caring for a plant by watering it—and receive—experiencing joy when a flower blooms.
Without bringing nature indoors, you can still invite it closer to home by creating a welcoming environment just outside your home or classroom. Native plants, bird feeders, bird baths, and toad or bat houses are all great ways to invite nature closer.
Lindsey Brown
Urban Sprouts Child Development Center
Keep Learning Together
As you spend more time outside, kids will naturally start asking more questions. Having books and pictures about plants, animals, weather, and other parts of nature around the house or classroom encourages that curiosity. Look for books that feature characters, especially children, with diverse backgrounds. All children benefit from seeing people alike and different from them in the stories they read.
It’s also useful to keep field guides on hand. These guides, which have photos and facts, will help you identify local birds, bugs, or trees, and learn more about their behavior. That way, when a child asks, “What was that bird we saw at the park yesterday?” you’ll have an easy way to find out together.
Lean into whatever children are most interested in exploring. Do you have a child who is really into marine animals? Great! Search for books, like Over and Under the Waves, that they can look at or you can read together. Kid-friendly podcasts, such as Deep Blue Sea, are also great options.
Tips for Caregivers:
- Hang a bird feeder outside your window or in your backyard. Be sure to keep it clean and stocked throughout the year! Cornell’s Project FeederWatch is a great resource.
- Stock your home library with nature books from your local library or bookstore.
- Explore age-appropriate TV shows and movies about animals and nature. Some of our favorites for young children include Octonauts, Molly of Denali, Wild Kratts, and Kikabou. No screen time? No problem! Some nature-themed podcasts we like are Gardenkeeper Gus, Hola Nature! and Smologies.
- Bring a pet, or a houseplant, into your home! Pets, while a lot of work, teach kids responsibility, provide companionship, and nurture empathy and compassion. Plants, which children can help take care of, have been shown to reduce stress and improve air quality, among other benefits!
Little Trees
Tips for Educators:
- Provide a variety of nature-themed books in your classroom library. Rotate them out to match the season or children’s interests! Check out the Blueberry Award list, which highlights new nature books every year!
- Include informational texts in your classroom. Books like A Rock is Lively and The Big Book of the Blue are from nonfiction nature book series, with more to explore. Beyond books, you can put out field guides, maps, and illustrated dictionaries.
- Pick some houseplants for inside your classroom—snake plant, spider plant, Boston fern, and African violet are all fairly low-maintenance and safe for kids.
- Play nature games, like I Spy or a nature matching game, indoors. I Spy can be played looking out the window, and a simple nature matching game can be created by selecting a handful of nature photos and printing out two copies of each.
Don't assume nature has to be a park or a backyard. I used to keep a large ficus tree in my classroom. I would lie down under it and look up through the leaves with the kiddos. It was magical.
Nature School Director, Mother