FOR KIDS"May we raise children who love the unloved things — the dandelions, the worms, & spiderlings."
— Nicolette Sowder |
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Learn About Nature
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With growing, strong evidence of the benefits of outdoor and nature-based learning for kids, nature-based learning is a growing phenomenon both in classrooms and homeschools. Nature can help a student feel more attentive, less stressed, more self-disciplined, more engaged, more interested, and more physically active and fit. In fact, just learning about nature can help kids feel more connected to it, which can help foster pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors that ideally all people would have throughout life.
Let's Get Started. |
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The Take Care of Texas Video Contest
The Take Care of Texas Video Contest is a fun way for young people to learn about protecting the environment and come up with creative ways to share this knowledge with others! Students film a 30-second video that shows positive ways to Take Care of Texas. The students that submit the best videos can win great prizes, awarded by the contest sponsor, Waste Management of Texas, Inc. The contest runs from September through December 2021.
PRIZES
9th-12th Grade Students Can Win Scholarships!
1st Place: $2,500 Scholarship
2nd Place: $1,500 Scholarship
3rd Place: $500 Scholarship
Prizes for middle school students (grades 6 through 8) will include gift cards for camera equipment awarded as follows:
1st Place: $800 gift card for camera equipment
2nd Place: $600 gift card for camera equipment
3rd Place: $400 gift card for camera equipment
The middle and high school students who win first place will be recognized by TCEQ Commissioners and representatives from Waste Management of Texas, Inc.
IMPORTANT CONTEST INFORMATION
Students residing in Texas and enrolled in the 6th through 12th grade can participate. Check out the rest of the information about the Video Contest: takecareoftexas.org/teens/video-contest
Our friend, Dakota, a young lady who is very interested in conservation, sent this link to us to share with you. Thanks, Dakota. Hope your conservation project is a success.
Water Conservation Resource Guide
By Derek Hales
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It only takes a few small changes to your daily life to make a big impact on how much water you use. Water conservation is important because we need water to live.
If we don’t take care of our water supply, we won’t have enough clean water to drink, cook with, or bathe in. Plants and animals can also suffer when they don’t have clean water. Learning about how to protect and save water is important, and it can also be fun! Conserve Water With Aqua Watch a video about a girl named Aqua and how she learns about saving water. Then, you can print out a coloring book or comic book for more fun. 25 Ways You Can Be a Water Hero National Geographic Kids offers 25 tips for how you can help to conserve water and protect the planet. Water Conservation Activity Book Learn about the water cycle and water conservation while having fun with the word scrambles, mazes, and quizzes in this activity book. Water Tip Tank Game Test your memory by flipping over the cards to match the pairs. For every pair you find, you’ll learn a helpful tip about using water wisely. Water Conservation Workbook This workbook is filled with activities and games about water and ways that we can use less of it. WaterSense for Kids If you’re thirsty for knowledge, the EPA can help with this page of facts, activities, and games. Water Use Calculator You can use this handy calculator to find out the amount of water your family uses. The calculator will add up the number of gallons you use on a daily basis. Drop in the Bucket This worksheet can help you think about how much water is used all over the world and where that water comes from. Facts About Water This brochure has a lot of fun tips about water that you may not have heard before. Conservation Concentration This matching game covers all kinds of conservation, not just water conservation. Find the matching pictures as fast as you can: The clock is running! Teaching Conservation in America In this article, former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar talks about getting kids involved in learning more about conservation. How Much Water Do You Use at Home? Did you know that you use a lot of water in your everyday life? Enter your answers about things you do every day and you can learn how much water you use. Saving Water Outdoors This page has tips and tricks for saving water while gardening. |
Water Conservation Tips
The state of Indiana offers helpful tips for how to conserve water all around your house. Ten Tips for Outdoor Water Conservation This page has a bunch of fun and helpful tips that you and your family can use while trying to save water inside and outside of your home. Stop Water Waste Even small actions can help to save water, like turning off the sink while you’re brushing your teeth. Earth Savers: Water Conservation Tips for Kids This page lists some fun and easy ways to conserve water and keep your town’s water from getting polluted. Edible Aquifer Create your own model of an aquifer out of sweet treats to learn about where your water comes from. When you’re done, you can eat the results! Play a Game to Learn About Water Conservation This fun board game was created by a Girl Scout troop leader to teach her troop about water use. It’s a great way to learn while having fun! Water Conservation Activities for Kids Try these fun activities you can do at home to learn about the importance of water conservation while obtaining life-long habits that are good for the environment. Conservation Puzzle Each of these puzzles promotes smart habits and teaches you about water while you have fun. Water Conservation for Kids: How Kids Can Help to Save Water Saving water doesn’t have to be something only adults can do; even kids can help out around the house to keep water from being overused in your home and town. Conservation Facts for Kids Scroll down to learn some incredible facts about how we use water and how you can use less of it. Water Activity Book Conserving water can be fun! San Jose Water has created some fun activities to help you learn more about water conservation. Professor Davis Green Saves Water Play a matching game to learn about ways to save water, or play a game that asks you to find water leaks and save the town’s water supply. Play both to become a certified water conservation whiz! The Water Game This is a great game for a group of friends or a whole class to play outside while learning about water conservation. Water Conservation Tips for Kids These 35 tips can help any kid do their part to save water inside and outside of the home. A Teacher’s Guide to Water Conservation This lesson includes games, activities, and facts that your class can use together to become water-wise! |
Fun Crafts for Kids & Bird Lovers: How to Make DIY Ice Cream Cone Bird Feeders
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You’ll need:
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Here’s how you make them:
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Bat Boxes: Help Texas Bats Bounce Back
Nested in the eaves of roofs and buildings or secured to tall poles are all common locations for bat boxes.
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While Take Care of Texas focuses on how humans can take action to protect our state, native wildlife also play an essential role in Texas environmental conservation. In celebration of National Bat Appreciation Day on April 17, here are some ways you can help our black-winged neighbors, especially after thousands of bats were harmed or killed by winter storm Uri.
Bats vacation in Mexico for the warmer winters there before migrating to Texas around February, spending most of their time here in caves and trees. However, they also commonly roost in man-made structures like bridges, buildings, and even abandoned houses. Another way that we Texans can make them feel at home is a comfy bat box where they can reside, safe from predators and the elements! What Are Bat Boxes? Bat boxes are like birdhouses, just for bats! Also known as bat houses, they come in all shapes and sizes ranging from high-end premade models to do-it-yourself plans. These boxes provide a slim design mimicking the space between bark and a tree trunk, a bat’s ideal nursery. Here are a couple of resources from The National Wildlife Federation’s How to Build a Bat House and Bat Conservation International’s Bat House which offer step-by-step plans and tips to build a bat box of your own. The ideal location for your bat box:
Bat: Texas Conservationists According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “Texas happens to be the battiest state in the country. It is home to 32 of the 47 species of bats found in the United States. Not only does it hold the distinction of having the most kinds of bats, it also boasts the largest known bat colony in the world: Bracken Cave Preserve, near San Antonio, and the largest urban bat colony, Congress Avenue Bridge, in Austin.” The Mexican free-tailed bats, our state’s official flying mammal, are the most common bat found throughout Texas. All bats play essential roles in conservation in a variety of ways.
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“If you happen to find a bat on the ground, DO NOT TOUCH IT! For the safety of the bats and yourself, give the bat space and avoid contact. The bat could be a youngster learning to fly or an ill bat. Wild animals may bite when threatened. Bats, like other mammals, can contract rabies, but the vast majority do not. Please never touch or handle a bat. Notify the site’s manager or volunteer or call a local animal control office.”--Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Below are some additional resources about bats in Texas.
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Texas Children in Nature
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Discover Nature Near You
We envision that all Texas children and their families will spend more time outdoors, engaged in nature for a healthier and happier life. Nature Rocks Texas is one of our tools that we designed in partnership with our regional collaboratives and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to help connect families to nature in their communities. Research shows that children today are spending between 7-11 hours per day indoors, sedentary with media and only minutes per day playing outdoors. This disconnection with nature has ill effects on children and adults such as a rise in obesity, diabetes, depression, near-sightedness and attention deficit disorder. The good news is this is a solvable problem! |
Our 300 plus partners around state are working hard to create access to nature, develop curriculum that teaches kids about their natural world and helping break down the barriers that disconnect families from nature. We now know that children and families who play and learn in nature are Healthier, Happier, and Smarter.
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Encyclopedia of Life (eol)
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The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is an international effort, led by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, to raise awareness and understanding of living nature by providing free, open, multilingual, digital access to trusted information on all known species. EOL has grown to become one of the world’s largest free digital biodiversity information resources, with curated information on nearly 2 million species. Lesson plans are divided into three grade and age ranges, with five themes. Some lesson plans have one or more learning perks including the use of free Species Cards. Lesson plans are created by EOL and partners.
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Christmas Tree Worm
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Kids Gardening
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Kids Gardening is an organization that has been doing the work to plant more school gardens around the US for decades! The group aims to create opportunities for kids to play, learn, and grow through gardening, engaging their natural curiosity and wonder. Unsurprisingly, their website offers excellent resources to do this including lessons plans focused on garden activities arranged by grade level. Educators can read and download activities ranging from winter bird observation to studying life in the soil.
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San Antonio River Authority
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If you're looking to learn more about community science activities or some great science videos for the whole family, the San Antonio River Authority has you covered with their ...
River Camp Virtual Series
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Other areas of interest:
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Science Mill
The Explorer Zone at Science Mill in Johnson City has some fun videos and activities for young scientists, including a Tortoise Hatchling Live Stream. Take a virtual tour of their Aquaponics Greenhouse and try your hand at Greenhouse Bingo!
Educators:
Educators:
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What To Do With That Pumpkin
Audubon For Kids
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Audubon Adventures introduces young people to the world of nature and wildlife through colorful magazines, online features and interactive games and puzzles, plus activities, guidance, and resources for educators. Designed for classrooms and other educational settings as well as for enjoyment at home, Audubon Adventures opens children’s hearts and minds to the wonders of birds, other wildlife, and the fascinating and complex natural world that is Planet Earth. Their homepage is filled with options to enjoy.
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KLRN — PBS for Parents
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You will be amazed at what KLRN offers to kids of all ages. Smartly separated by education level, you can find crafts, movie night, videos, and much more to keep kids interested and educated. You don't want to miss what they've put together. Land on their homepage to explore things you can do.
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San Antonio Zoo
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For many of us, a highlight of spring is a family visit or field trip to the zoo for exploration and learning about animals from around the world. Until we can safely return to these places we love, the San Antonio Zoo offers fun video tours and lessons. Go to their Facebook page to enjoy the videos.
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The Houston Zoo
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It's all happening at the zoo. Every week day starting at 11 a.m. the Houston Zoo is going live on Facebook, Twitter and, Instagram to bring the Zoo animals and science to your home. Zookeepers will hop in front of the camera and give daily updates of what the animals are up to while the zoo is shut down, all while sharing fun facts about the animals they’re featuring.
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Hi. My name is Squirt and I love mud puddles. You can watch me play by going to the Houston Zoo website.
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The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Probably the premier site for all things bird, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is filled with resources for all ages. Start here to begin your journey to information about birds.
The Academy The Academy, which is part of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has great bird games and interactive fun tutorials for kids and adults who like to be kids. Teacher's Guides Our Educator’s Guides provide detailed lessons and activities to engage students while meeting a variety of national learning standards including the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Math. K-12 Education: Science & Nature for Cooped Up Kids This fabulous part of the Cornell Lab's website lets kids explore the world of birds with interesting activities. Designed for any age group, they offer a |
new activity each week for you to explore the world of birds. Don’t forget to share your kids’ work on their Facebook group.
Grades K-12: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/k-2-resources/ Grades 3-5: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/3-5-resources/ Grades 6-8: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/6-8-resources/ Grades 9-12: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/9-12-resources/ |
Prefer Something To Read?
BirdSleuth Investigator, an annual publication, written by and for students, is also beautifully illustrated by K-12 kids. We think you'll be amazed at their great work? Download these great magazines by clicking any file below.
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Taking Care of Texas
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Let's all Take Care of Texas! This website has some fun and interesting ways to learn about the environment and how to help protect it. Play animated games, watch videos, explore interactive posters, and get ideas on ways to help out. Don’t forget to tell us about the great things you and your family are doing to Take Care of Texas, and be sure to share our site with your friends.
The Take Care of Texas Kids Art Contest is a fun way for K-5 students to learn about protecting the environment and come up with creative ways to share this knowledge with others! Students submit their artwork of how they, along with their friends and family, help keep the air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste. The students that submit the best art can win a tablet or laptop computer. Prizes are made possible through a donation from the Texas Chemical Council. |
Contest Opens: January 4, 2022
Contest Closes: March 24, 2022 Winners Announced: April 15, 2022 |
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USDA Forest Service
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The Educator Toolbox is jam-packed with helpful resources to make your challenging job just a little easier. Here you will find background resources to help you understand forests and grasslands, professional development opportunities and resources, and a collection of great materials and programs organized by each grade-level for kids to learn and enjoy forest lands.
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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The EPA's educator resource center includes categorized offerings of an array of environmental and science-based lesson plans, activities and ideas below from EPA, other federal agencies and external organizations. While not entirely nature and wildlife-focused, some of the topics include climate change, energy, asthma, ecosystems and others. Resources include toolkits, activity books, lesson plans, flyers, coloring books, and experiments. Grade level is indicated.
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Texas Wildlife Association
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How about watching Texas Wildlife's Youth on-demand webinars? These webinars are available for showing to an in-person classroom, or you can register your virtual learners and provide them with a link to view at home. There are a number of different topics that are fascinating.
Available Programs:
Read-along With Critter Connections Learn more about read-along Critter Connections Critter Connections magazine is now available in a read-along format. Watch videos of former issues or join us live as we read the November 2020 issue about Sparrows. Our live broadcast will be through TWA's YouTube. Learn more below. |
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Newly Added Programs
Birds of prey, also known as raptors, are a common sight in the skies. During the program, we will take an up-close look at a live Peregrine Falcon to discuss the important body structures and their functions. We will investigate the falcon’s diet, their role in the food web, the habitats in which they are found, and the adaptations that allow them to be such powerful predators and fast fliers. November 11th (W) 9:00, 10:15, 12:30, 2:00, Recording This program features the largest reptile in Texas and North America, the American Alligator. We will discuss the wetland habitats they call home, their adaptations including their role in the food chain as an apex predator, and the differences between alligators and crocodiles. Students will also get to see a real alligator egg and skull, as well as our guest star, a real live alligator. December 1st (TU) 9:00, 10:15, 12:30, 2:00, Recording
This presentation will introduce students to the classification system. Students will learn about the levels of taxonomy from Domain to Species and identify the basic characteristics of organisms with an initial focus on Domains and Kingdoms, followed by a look at some familiar classes of wildlife from the animal Kingdom. This program is intended for grades 4th and up, with a primary focus on 6th grade classification TEKS. Available anytime as an on-demand webinar. |
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The Nature Conservancy
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Get a view of a coastal rainforest from a canoe or download school garden design tools! The Nature Conservancy and its 550 scientists created Nature Works Everywhere to help students learn the science behind how nature works and how to protect it. Videos, virtual field trips, webinars, lesson plans, and toolkits make this a fantastic resource for teachers, homeschoolers or even weekend learning with your kids. The interactive lesson plans align to standards and can be customized for each classroom. You can search by grade or type of resource.
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YouTube
Below are some cool videos about nature for all age groups. Click on a box and enjoy.
Learning Ocean Zones: Younger
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Environment & Me: Grade 2
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Living Things Change_Early Grades
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All About Insects_Early Grades
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Biomes: Grades 3-5
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Plants & Animals: Grade 5
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How Beavers Build Dams
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The American Bald Eagle
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Planet Earth
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Texas Blackland Prairie
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Azra Visits Guadalupe River State Park
We hope you found this page full of fun activities. Each of the organizations update their websites on a regular basis, so come back often to see what's new.
