Kids who play in nature are happier, healthier and smarter…
Local Parks & Nature Centers with Programs for Little Learners
Armand Bayou Nature Center - Clear Lake
Artist Boat - Galveston Island
Brazos Bend State Park - Needville
Big Thicket National Preserve - Big Thicket
Deloris Fenwick Nature Center - Pearland
Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center - Baytown
Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary - Memorial
Frankie Carter Randolph Park - Friendswood
Galveston Bay Foundation - Kemah (coming soon!)
Hana & Arthur Ginvbarg Nature Discovery Center - Bellaire
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center - Central
Houston Botanic Garden - Hobby Airport
Houston Zoo - Central
James Driver All-Inclusive Park - Aldine
Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center - Humble
John Paul Landing Environmental Education Center - Cypress
Kickerill-Mischer Preserve - Tomball
Kleb Woods - Tomball
Mercer Botanic Gardens - Spring
Moody Gardens - Galveston Island
Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center - Sheldon
resources
Natural Start Alliance - a network of organizations, educators, and parents committed to connecting young children to nature and the environment through education.
Nature in the Schoolyard - Get an in-depth look at nature play with the Innovations in Nature-Based Play book
Research database from North American Association for Environmental Education and Children & Nature Network providing rationale and evidence for environmental education programs
Nature Explore offers professional development, research, products, & design ideas
Green Schoolyards America seeks to transform asphalt-covered school grounds into park-like green spaces that improve children’s well-being, learning and play while contributing to the ecological health and resilience of our cities. Learn about their research, policies and find support to transform your own schoolyard. Read their “Outdoor Infrastructure Planning Strategies for Taking Learning Outside as Schools Reopen.”
Texas Children in Nature compiled a list of resources including research, grants, how-to guides and more!
Learning Activities
Extensive list of learning activities from Learning with the Outdoors.
Be a Texas Nature Tracker with iNaturalist or Seek applications for cell phones and iPads. Students identify the plants and animals in the schoolyard (with a little help from the app). Students can create research quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. Teachers can create a project within the program, and students can easily upload to it. Introduce students to citizen science!