Children & Nature

WIth increasing concerns about childhood obesity and nature deficit disorder, there has never been a more critical time to work mindfully to connect children with their natural world. EE Week provides the following resources and tools to help educators involve students in outdoor learning experiences and understanding their relationship to nature.  

• Curricula Library EE Week's Curricula Library provides access to hundreds of standards-based lesson plans on a wide variety of topics, organized by grade level.
• Nature Bee Quizzes Developed in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, EE Week's Nature Bee Quizzes are short, grade-appropriate, multiple-choice online quizzes on the topics of nature and wildlife.
• Nature Center Map EE Week's Nature Center Map allows users to search by zip code for local facilities which offer outdoor learning experiences for K-12 students. 
• Nature Deficit Disorder Survey This activity encourages students to think about their relationship to nature and how it differs from that of their parents. Students read an article and conduct an interview, reflecting on their outdoor activities. 
• Nature Journaling Blog EE Week's Nature Journaling Blog, written by Mark Baldwin of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, provides tips and ideas for engaging students in observing nature.
  

The National Environmental Education Foundation's Health & Environment program has also developed this Fact Sheet on Children's Health and Nature, discussing the role of nature in combating childhood obesity, asthma, and other health concerns.  

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