A Child & Nature Reunion
nature gifts

Whether your child's teacher is an off the beaten path hiker or considers glamping too rugged, an end of year gift that helps them bring nature to students is a win for everyone.

Here are a few last-minute nature-inspired ideas to help get more nature in your child's school day.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS is a fact-filled, fast-paced magazine created especially for ages 6 and up. Articles and departments entertain and inspire readers to learn about their world with amazing information about animals, science, technology, archaeology, geography, and pop culture, plus jokes, games, activities in every issue.

No need to wait for delivery time with a class magazine subscription.Cricket is a magazine that "feeds the minds and imaginations of kids ages 9 - 14."  Every issue of Cricket is filled with stories, poems, puzzles, recipes, and science and nature articles - all designed to stimulate the imagination and help young people discover and explore the world around them.

From National Wildlife Federation, Ranger Rick is a magazine for children ages 7 and up. Your subscription includes 10 issues. Each issue is packed with amazing facts, stunning photos and outdoor adventures that help kids sharpen reading skills and develop a deeper appreciation for nature. A Parent's Choice Gold Award recipient in 1999. Published monthly.

The book that launched the movement to get kids outside, Last Child in the Woods is the groundbreaking work from Richard Louv who directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today's wired generation-he calls it nature deficit-to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as rises in obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder (Add), and depression. An inspiring read for any teacher!

Balanced and Barefoot is a "must read" for anyone who works with children. Pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement are vital for children’s cognitive development and growth, and offers tons of fun, engaging ways to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults.

The nature-based curriculum for parents, educators and homeschoolers, 15 Weeks of Nature, is a fun outdoor learning crash course designed to turn any child into a young naturalist. The course was designed specifically for elementary and middle school children to help them look more closely at nature. The 15 easy-to-follow activities can be followed in any order and is an ideal entry point for learning in and from nature.

Play expert Peter Gray's Free to Learn draws on evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history to show us that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient. Free to Learn suggests that it's time to stop asking what's wrong with our children, and start asking what's wrong with the system.

The Big Book of Nature Activities is a comprehensive guide for parents and educators to help youth of all ages explore, appreciate and connect with the natural world. Includes nature-based skills and activities such as species identification, photography, journaling and the judicious use of digital technology. Packed with ideas!

Not much time for learning outdoors? Encourage nature-inspired indoor learning with this live butterfly kit which comes with 5 Painted Lady Caterpillars and a pop-up cage.

Encourage outdoor learning with these portable pocket microscopes. Sold in a pack of six, your child's teacher can build out a few sets or have a few on hand as they take their class outside to explore nature up close!

Sponsor a tree in honor of your child's class. National Wildlife Federation partners with schools, local government and nonprofit organizations to care for the trees for years to come, benefiting the local community and wildlife. For every purchase, one tree is planted for wildlife. Species and tree planting locations are based on need and therefore specific sponsorship information cannot be individually identified.

2780_HOLSP

Choose a class pet for your child's class. By symbolically adopting an Audubon bird, the class will receive a plush bird that plays a recording of its song when squeezed, as well as an adoption certificate and a personalized letter from Audubon CEO David Yarnold. Bonus: each adoption provides funding for Audubon’s critical science, education, advocacy, and on-the-ground conservation.

apa_2013_28874_229038_margoburnison_barn_swallow_kk

A few of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain our own.

nature gifts

Whether your child's teacher is an off the beaten path hiker or considers glamping too rugged, an end of year gift that helps them bring nature to students is a win for everyone.

Here are a few last-minute nature-inspired ideas to help get more nature in your child's school day.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS is a fact-filled, fast-paced magazine created especially for ages 6 and up. Articles and departments entertain and inspire readers to learn about their world with amazing information about animals, science, technology, archaeology, geography, and pop culture, plus jokes, games, activities in every issue.

No need to wait for delivery time with a class magazine subscription.Cricket is a magazine that "feeds the minds and imaginations of kids ages 9 - 14."  Every issue of Cricket is filled with stories, poems, puzzles, recipes, and science and nature articles - all designed to stimulate the imagination and help young people discover and explore the world around them.

From National Wildlife Federation, Ranger Rick is a magazine for children ages 7 and up. Your subscription includes 10 issues. Each issue is packed with amazing facts, stunning photos and outdoor adventures that help kids sharpen reading skills and develop a deeper appreciation for nature. A Parent's Choice Gold Award recipient in 1999. Published monthly.

The book that launched the movement to get kids outside, Last Child in the Woods is the groundbreaking work from Richard Louv who directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today's wired generation-he calls it nature deficit-to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as rises in obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder (Add), and depression. An inspiring read for any teacher!

Balanced and Barefoot is a "must read" for anyone who works with children. Pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement are vital for children’s cognitive development and growth, and offers tons of fun, engaging ways to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults.

The nature-based curriculum for parents, educators and homeschoolers, 15 Weeks of Nature, is a fun outdoor learning crash course designed to turn any child into a young naturalist. The course was designed specifically for elementary and middle school children to help them look more closely at nature. The 15 easy-to-follow activities can be followed in any order and is an ideal entry point for learning in and from nature.

Play expert Peter Gray's Free to Learn draws on evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history to show us that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient. Free to Learn suggests that it's time to stop asking what's wrong with our children, and start asking what's wrong with the system.

The Big Book of Nature Activities is a comprehensive guide for parents and educators to help youth of all ages explore, appreciate and connect with the natural world. Includes nature-based skills and activities such as species identification, photography, journaling and the judicious use of digital technology. Packed with ideas!

Not much time for learning outdoors? Encourage nature-inspired indoor learning with this live butterfly kit which comes with 5 Painted Lady Caterpillars and a pop-up cage.

Encourage outdoor learning with these portable pocket microscopes. Sold in a pack of six, your child's teacher can build out a few sets or have a few on hand as they take their class outside to explore nature up close!

Sponsor a tree in honor of your child's class. National Wildlife Federation partners with schools, local government and nonprofit organizations to care for the trees for years to come, benefiting the local community and wildlife. For every purchase, one tree is planted for wildlife. Species and tree planting locations are based on need and therefore specific sponsorship information cannot be individually identified.

2780_HOLSP

Choose a class pet for your child's class. By symbolically adopting an Audubon bird, the class will receive a plush bird that plays a recording of its song when squeezed, as well as an adoption certificate and a personalized letter from Audubon CEO David Yarnold. Bonus: each adoption provides funding for Audubon’s critical science, education, advocacy, and on-the-ground conservation.

apa_2013_28874_229038_margoburnison_barn_swallow_kk

A few of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain our own.