NATURE'S FOR ME!

Would you like to take a belly hike, walk the un-nature trail, guess without looking what can be recycled, or discover the many kinds of wildlife which come from an egg? You can do this and more with Nature's for Me, an early childhood environmental and recycling activity guide for teachers and parents.

How does the program work? For indoors or out, Nature's for Me invites learning in an urban or natural setting. While experiencing the wonders of nature, the young child learns about his or her responsibility toward managing natural resources.

Each activity provides the opportunity for the child to develop skills in classification, numbers, representation, seriation, time and spatial relations­all key experiences that are often emphasized in an early childhood program.

You don't have to be an environmental expert to teach Nature's for Me. The activities were created by early childhood educators for adults at all levels of environmental understanding. For ease of teaching and to meet developmentally appropriate requirements, the activities, crafts, food, poetry, and books described in the activity guide have been tested in classrooms with educators and children.

What does the program include? The Nature's for Me kit includes a guide explaining interactive activities and listing reference materials, a magnet, and two recycling coloring activities. The materials are packaged in a special reusable box, decorated with wildlife families, which is ideal for storing hands-on program materials.

• Nature's For Me Excerpt: Take a Belly Hike
• Education Order Form (PDF)