The World Around Us

Exploring nature brings awe and wonder into children's lives. Studies show that experiencing nature is an important ingredient for physical, academic, emotional, and spiritual growth. Making a connection to nature heightens children's curiosity and develops a desire to explore the world around them. With this knowledge, children learn to protect and preserve the natural environment.

Use nature and children's natural curiosity and love of the outdoors to develop:

• Mathematics concepts
  Children count, order, match, and classify rocks, leaves, flowers, seeds, nuts.
• Language concepts
  Children describe differences in color, shape, and position—in, out, over, under, around, through.
• Science concepts
  Children follow animal tracks, find animal habitats, watch plants and animals change and grow, discover shadows—learning when they are longest and shortest, experience the seasons and the changes they bring, and strengthen their powers of observation.
• Social Studies concepts
  Children connect with the world and the people and animals that live in it, learn to take responsibility, and develop sensitivity and caring.

Resources:

• "Your Family and Nature: Getting Outside Is Easy and Fun" from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes what parents can do to get their children away from television, computers, and video games, and into nature.
• "Teaching and Learning in Nature: Let's Go Outside" from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helps teachers expand the classroom into the great outdoors.
• "Children, Nature and You" provides activities, resources, and the rationale for teaching children about nature.
• "Preschool Nature" from Preschool Rock includes tips on making a butterfly nursery, a wildlife observatory and ways to make the most of a walk.
• "Camping and the Great Outdoors" from the Girl Scout/Guide Research Center Archives makes being outdoors even more fun for kids with games and activities that improve observation, and help children explore nature.