Cut-out Shapes
Use this labeled shape template for a triangle, circle, oval, diamond, star, rectangle, and square to make shape necklaces or bracelets.
The Branch Archive
Create a Schoolyard Wildlife Habitat
The Schoolyard Habitat Project Guide from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service gives step-by-step recommendations for creating a wildlife habitat at site, based on on-the-ground experience from successful projects.
ASL Kids
ASL Kids is an app that introduces users to the world of communication by sign language. that can be downloaded on Apple or Android devices. ASL Kids also has a YouTube channel with over 200 videos teaching words and phrases in sign language.
Variation on the Art Experience
Try this variation on the Art experience, Make Binoculars. It uses small plastic bottles instead of cardboard tubes to make sturdy binoculars that reinforce the idea of reuse.
Nature’s Alphabet
Where is A? Where is Z? Under a rock? In a tree? Go outside and see. Invite children to use this pictorial guide to discover the alphabet in nature.
Find Nearby Trails and Parks
AllTrails is a free app that helps users discover the outdoors. Use it to find a hiking path suitable for children, to search for local places to bike or fish, or to plan a national park visit.
Nature in the City
From Puddles to Pigeons: Learning about Nature in Cities, an article in the journal Young Children, explores the challenges and opportunities of exploring outdoors in urban settings.
Help Your School System Access Federal Funding to Incorporate Environmental Education
There is historic new federal funding available for environmental education through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Invite your school superintendent to learn how to apply for this funding and why.
Funding for Greener Schools
Have you thought about trying crowdfunding to help get a GreenSchools project off the ground? Or reaching out to your community to find advocates and volunteers? The ioby (in our back yards) crowd-resourcing platform can connect you with funding and support. Whether it’s updating your school garden, adding a cafeteria composting program, or teaching students… Read more »
Bird Sleuth
The BirdSleuth Guidebook from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers step-by-step instructions to enable families, school groups, and others to get outdoors and connect with nature. Use this booklet in conjunction with PLT lessons, for example, go on a habitat scavenger hunt (Trees as Habitats), create a sound map (Sounds Around), and identify backyard species… Read more »