April is Earth Month, which makes it a perfect time to teach our kids some fun facts about nature. We think a lot about conservation during Earth Month, and that is, of course, important. But part of conservation is knowing about nature. When we know how the natural world works, we can have a better understanding of how to preserve it. So where do we start? Let’s think about some fun ways to teach our kids about nature during Earth Month.
Kids can really enjoy certain aspects of nature. And there are so many ways to help them enjoy nature. They especially relate to the living things in nature. So let’s look at some living parts of our world to find some fun ways to teach our kids about nature.
Trees
Trees are alive, and they are full of fun. We can climb them, we enjoy their shade, and we are amazed at the way they change colors in the fall. And trees produce oxygen that we need to breathe.
Here is the ASL sign for tree:
You can learn about the photosynthesis that helps trees to eat with our TreeSchoolers Sing and Sign video about Photosynthesis. And if your kids are really into trees, look for a tree identification book or app for your region. It’s so fun to look around and figure out what types of trees are in your neighborhood.
Birds
Do your kids love to see birds in your yard? There is so much information about birds, and this is another fun way to teach our kids about nature.
Let’s start with the sign for bird:
Similar to learning about trees, a bird book or app can help you identify what birds you see around your home. Use a simple pair of binoculars to help your child see close details of the birds. If you have kids who love to draw, have them draw the birds they see and then help them look up some facts about that bird.
If you really want to get into birds, try putting out a bird feeder with bird seed or a hummingbird feeder with sugar water. When you can get birds to hang out at a feeder right near your window, it makes it really easy to learn about their behavior.
While you learn about birds, check out a couple episodes of the SciShow Kids series, Why Do Birds Sing? and Bird Watching.
Flowers
It’s a great time to start learning about flowers, as many flowers are beginning to grow this month. Head outside with your child, and check out any flowers you can find beginning their season. You can even look at the library for some simple picture books about flowers. Or maybe pick up an inexpensive bunch of flowers at the grocery store for your child to look closely at, to arrange in a vase, or to take apart and really see what flowers are like inside.
If you have space and time to tend to it, you could plant a flower garden with your child. Then you could enjoy cutting flowers throughout the season.
And of course, we need to learn the sign for flower:
Insects
Insects make up a huge invisible world that we rarely see. And kids love to learn about creepy crawlies. There are an abundance of fun insect books for kids at the library or for purchase. And you really can’t talk about flowers and their role in nature without talking about insects. You can keep your kids busy for a long time with an insect study.
What bugs do you see a lot around your house and yard? You could start there. And while spiders are not insects, they are still fun to study, and they definitely relate to an insect study. So why not add them to your learning about insects?
Check out our Rachel & the TreeSchoolers show Incredible Insects. Insects are such a fun way to teach our kids about nature, even if they can make us a little squeamish.
And here is the ASL sign for bug:
So there are 4 fun ways to teach our kids about nature with living things during Earth Month. Learning about these simple topics will open our kids’ minds to the things of nature and to understanding its importance. Which of these fun basics will you start with this month?