Encourage your child’s “blossoming” love of nature by introducing the art of Xeriscaping. Have him/her help you identify new plants that you can use to beautify your outdoor surroundings…that can thrive without additional irrigation. If they don’t know about it
Remember Which State is Which? Naturally!
Build on your child’s blossoming naturistic and visual intelligence to connect state nature and name. Print out (or purchase) a good sized map of the United States, then decide which of the following to “map” on top of each state:
Letter-Perfect Park Poems
Adapted with permission from Chicago Park District’s “Once Upon a Day Camp” Guide Go to a park or into another natural setting (e.g. beach, woods, etc.) with your child. Then show your child a letter perfect poem like this one (a poem
For the Birds
Inspired by 7 Times Smarter by Laurel Schmidt Birds are generally abundant whether you’re a city-dweller or rural resident…but by the age of nine, while most kids can name 16 TV shows and 7 fast-food chains, they can only name
References We Used As We Developed Kidzmet
Genesis of Kidzmet While we started building the current version of Kidzmet in late 2010, the inspiration for the idea actually came from Jen Lilienstein’s undergraduate senior thesis in 1994. Under the direction of Dr. Francesca Cancian at UCI, Jen
Autobiographical Cube
Inspired by an activity in Multiple Intelligences in the Elementary Classroom: A Teachers Toolkit by Susan Baum, Julie Viens and Barbara Slatin. Take a square box (or die) and put 4 of your child’s FAVORITE multiple intelligences on the sides
Butterflies & Blooms
Set a goal to help restore butterfly migration routes in your town by planting a butterfly garden with native plants or seeds. Research the best options to provide nectar, roosting, or food for caterpillars that migrate through your area. After
Sensory Sensitivities
Visit different outdoor environments—e.g. the playground, a field, the woods, school, your backyard, a community garden, the zoo, the beach—or even just the same one at different times of day with your child and tune into your senses. What does
Sing Like a Bird
Pop Quiz: How many cereal brands can your child name? How about fast food restaurants? Now ask him/her to name all the birds s/he can remember. There are probably just as many bird species in your neighborhood as fast-food brands,
10 Tips When Helping Your Children to Choose Their Science Fair Projects
Science fair season has become increasingly more competitive. This is because the stakes at these events are no longer limited to ribbons and plaques. There are big money rewards to be won and chances to impress college entrance boards as