For KIDS CLUB information for kids and teens,
just click here!
Welcome to the
Earth's Kids KID'S CLUB for parents and educators! This
is the place for grown-ups to find more information about the benefits of connecting
kids with nature, ideas for related activities and Eco Challenges,
including Family Nature Walks. You can
even learn how to start your own Earth's Kids KIDS CLUB chapter where you live,
or learn about existing chapters in your area.
Email us for more info!
The emphasis of the KIDS CLUB is on
connecting kids with positive experiences with nature and wild spaces.
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that kids who spend more
time in nature are healthier, more mentally focused, and happier! And
we also know that kids who love and value nature are more likely to grow up
to be adults who value and safeguard wild spaces and wild creatures.
Studies and copious anecdotal evidence suggest that the best ways for
children to connect with nature are through:
unstructured play in natural settingsand
an
age-appropriate formal or informal guided introduction to wild
creatures, plant life, and open spaces that models the art of the
naturalist -- i.e. taking time to really notice and understand the
wonder, complexity, and joy that is our natural heritage.
Such teaching should ideally allow the child or youth to drink the
experience in, through all their senses. It should
also allow the individual to connect with nature on a deep
feeling level.
Family nature walks are an ideal way to
provide this experience. And we have found that family walks
with friends are more enjoyable for children and adults.
We chat, make friends, and share each others knowledge and
enthusiasm. Children also benefit in many ways from...
taking
meaningful constructive action, however small, that nurtures a sense of
optimism, responsibility, and teaches the value of creative problem
solving.
Through our handouts and online materials
for families, we also seek to help kids master simple yet useful
Eco Challengesskills that enhance their feeling of competence and
their awareness of green living principles. Service projects
are strongly encouraged, especially for teens.
Emphasis too is placed on learning and practicing simple
ethical behavior: treat others as you would like to be treated;
take only pictures, leave only footprints.
Participants discover new dimensions of self through engaging in
new experiences, making new friends, and exploring new ways of thinking
about their world.
For more information email
earthskids@earthlink.net.
Do you Facebook? The Earth's Kids KID CLUB Facebook page is
chalk full of interesting nature facts, fun photos, activity ideas and
links:
As seen at our Eco
Fair booth. Here is a
printable handout version that
you may share with friends and family. (pdf) Please
respect copyright -- do not copy/paste this material, but you
may link to it to share.
Nature
& Brain Development
Learn more about how time spent in nature promotes healthy brain development
in young children.
Discover simple tips to help kids enjoy time spent in Nature,
including how to talk to kids and have "teachable moments"!
Also includes parent suggested ideass for adding more nature experiences to
your daily life -- without long car trips. (pdf)
Please
respect copyright -- do not copy/paste this material, but you
may link to it to share.
Places To Go With Kids Our printable resource for families in the
South San Francisco Bay area. Includes
many outdoor adventures, with new ones being added. What's
your favorite place to go for outdoor fun?
(pdf) For our live Places To Go web pages,
click here.
A listing of some of our favorite books
for children and adults to help connecting kids with nature.
Even more book suggestions may be found by surfing the pages of
this website.
Whether they are out to change the world, save the environment, or just tackle the daily challenges of growing up, kids and teens can benefit from the sense of competency and self-confidence that comes from engaging in a service project. Plus, community service is a great way to build life experience, potential job skills, and to build an impressive resume that will come in handy when they are applying for jobs, scholarships, and college admissions.
Click here
for a listing of many different types of service projects that a family, school, or KIDS CLUB chapter might do. Please contact us with any questions or suggestions or to let us know how your service project went.
For additional ideas see
Giving Service In Your Community.
Please
respect copyright -- do not copy/paste this material, but you
may link to it to share.
Kids spend so much of their
day at school. Doesn't it makes sense to find ways to
re-infuse nature into the school environment? This article
will help you get the logistical information to make a great
proposal.
This is the seminal work that
launched the grass roots movement to reconnect children and
nature.
Breathtaking in the scope of its
exploration and vision -- and in the sheer quantity and power of
the scientific evidence cited.
Strongly recommended
for any KIDS CLUB chapter leader or for teachers and
others seeking to bring nature back into the school or
preschool experience!
(Order from Amazon.com or check your
local library.)
Sharing Nature with Children.
Joseph Cornell. As Joseph Cornell�s classic book reached its
20th anniversary, Cornell drew upon a wealth of experience in
nature education to significantly revise and expand his book.
New nature games�favorites from the field - and Cornell's
typically insightful commentary makes the second edition of this
special classic even more valuable to nature lovers world-wide.
The Sharing Nature movement that Cornell pioneered has now
expanded to countries all over the globe. Recommended by
Boy Scouts of America, American Camping Association, National Audubon Society and many others.
Sharing Nature with Children II.
Joseph Cornell. A wonderful explanation and exploration of his �Flow Learning� concept. Flow learning recognizes the challenge of getting kids and teens to settle down, settle in, and achieve the engaged and attentive focus that helps kids really see what is around them, work well with others, and build connections between concepts and the real world in which they are immersed. It also allows a deep-feeling connection with the natural world, what the great naturalist John Muir often described as the most profound spiritual experience. We can�t emphasize enough how valuable this book is to anyone seeking to lead children on nature walks in the group setting. Includes activity ideas. Scouts of America, American Camping Association, National Audubon Society and many others. �
101 Nature Activities for Kids. Jane Sanborn. Elizabeth Rundle. 101 Nature Activities for Kids
is a one-stop shop for anyone who is seeking a perfect and
memorable nature activity for their group. The authors
generously share their unparalleled depth and breadth of
experience in nature education and in helping others learn while
having fun. The book provides practical, field-tested, hands-on
activities and challenges that are designed to be used in any
outdoor location from Maine to California, and most of them are
appropriate for a backyard or city park, as well as for the
forest, a meadow, or the beach. In general, the activities do
not need a lot of equipment or much preparation time.
Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation.Sharon Gamson Danks. With this book, Danks broadens our notion of what a well-designed schoolyard should be, taking readers on a journey from traditional, ordinary grassy fields and asphalt, to explore the vibrant and growing movement to "green" school grounds in the United States and around the world. This book documents exciting green schoolyard examples from almost 150 schools in 11 countries, illustrating that a great many things are possible on school grounds when they are envisioned as outdoor classrooms for hands-on learning and play.
Nature's Playground: Activities, Crafts, and Games to Encourage Children to Get OutdoorsFiona Danks and Jo Schofield.
Introducing children to the excitement of the natural world, this guide to outdoor adventure provides hours of creative, safe, and fun activities. Children will learn how to build a den from branches, make twig boats to sail across a pond, and voyage through the backyard to find tiny insects and creatures. Activities include invigorating games, natural crafts, and lively adventures, all of which are organized by season. An additional chapter also addresses safe activities for children after dark. Perfect for families, caretakers, and educators, this creative resource encourages children to turn off the television and play outside all year round.
The Jumbo Book of Outdoor ArtIrene Luxbacher.
An attractive, colorful compilation of art projects. Four major sections (Digging Deep, Going Green, It's All Elemental, and Fertile Ground) each contain more than a dozen activities and/or experiments. Good-quality illustrations and photos bring these ideas to life. An introduction discusses how to start a nature collection; respecting the environment; trying new tools, techniques, and materials; staying safe; and having fun. Most of the projects can be completed in 5 to 12 steps with materials either purchased at an art-supply or novelty store, or found outside. Topics include marbling, frozen patterned paper, flower prints, bubble painting, rock research, and ancient art. Children will polish their creative skills with a wide variety of artistic experiences, such as a secret garden, silly sprouts, terrific topiaries, beautiful batik, super spider's web, weathervanes, great flowing fountain, sparkling ice chandeliers, and more.
