Children's books and activities
Homes and Habitats
Do you know any kids who are curious about the amazing homes that animals build in their natural environment? Or how we design and build our own houses? We've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, and websites for learning all about homes and habitats.
Try pairing fiction with nonfiction books and exploring different genres (like poetry and biographies) and formats (like graphic novels and audio books). You'll be creating your own "text sets" — collections of texts focused on a specific topic, such as homes and habitats. Reading widely in this way helps children build background knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
Great Fiction & Nonfiction Books
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Print List
Birds Make Nests
By: Michael Garland
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
Birds make many kinds of nests in many kinds of places, to keep their eggs safe and to raise...
Fleabag
By: Helen Stephens
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Home
By: Carson Ellis
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
Travel through time, imagination, literature, and more for a unique look at "home" in any number...
Home, Sweet Home: What Makes a House a Home?
By: Moira Butterfield
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
The world is full of different homes, from tents and huts to bobbing boats, and apartments high...
How a House Is Built
By: Gail Gibbons
Age Level: 3-6 years old
As readers quickly comprehend, building a house is a complex project requiring the cooperative...
In the Small, Small Pond
By: Denise Fleming
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Jump into Science: Coral Reefs
By: Sylvia Earle
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Readers explore a coral reef with a snorkeling young swimmer and see what the swimmer sees as...
Looking Closely Along the Shore
By: Frank Serafini
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Looking Closely Around the Pond
By: Frank Serafini
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Look very closely. What do you see? It may be something familiar or quite out of the ordinary....
Nesting
By: Henry Cole
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
Follow two robins as they build a nest with twigs and grass. Then mother robin lays four...
On the Way to the Beach
By: Henry Cole
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Young readers are invited to look and listen as they join a girl on a summer morning walk to the...
Out on the Prairie
By: Donna Bateman
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Trout Are Made of Trees
By: April Sayre
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Print List
A Beach for the Birds
By: Bruce McMillan
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
A City Through Time
By: Philip Steele
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Follow the progress of an imaginary city through six key periods of time, each captured by a...
A House Is a House for Me
By: Mary Ann Hoberman
Age Level: 6-9 years old
A Place for Fish
By: Melissa Stewart
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Full color illustrations and clear language present a range of fish in different ecosystems in...
Along the Tapajós
By: Fernando Vilela
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
Cauã and Inaê are a brother and sister who live in a small community along the Tapajós River in...
Birds, Nests and Eggs
By: Mel Boring
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
A fun, informative take-along guide that will help children identify 15 birds. Kid will learn...
Even an Ostrich Needs a Nest
By: Irene Kelly
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Birds live all over the world, but their nests come in many sizes, shapes, and some even borrow...
Home
By: Jeannie Baker
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
Little by little, baby Tracy grows. She and her neighbors begin to rescue their street. Together...
Home for a Penguin, Home for a Whale
By: Brenda Williams
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
With lyrical rhymes, readers explore a dazzling underwater menagerie. Each rhyming couplet gives...
If You Lived Here: Houses of the World
By: Giles Laroche
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Leaving the Nest
By: Mordicai Gerstein
Age Level: 6-9 years old
A baby jay, a small stripped kitten and a little girl with a bike come together in an unexpected...
Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas: Earth's Astonishing Animals and Where They Live
By: National Geographic Kids
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Dramatic photographs, attention-grabbing facts, and clear maps introduce a world of animals and...
Roberto: The Insect Architect
By: Nina Laden
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Ever since he was a wee mite (a termite, that is), Roberto has wanted to be an architect....
Seabird in the Forest: The Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet
By: Joan Dunning
Age Level: 6-9 years old
The mystery of why a Pacific seabird nests inland has only recently been solved. Lyrical...
Seashells: More Than a Home
By: Melissa Stewart
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
Young naturalists discover thirteen seashells in this elegant introduction to the remarkable...
The Barn Owls
By: Tony Johnston
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
A poetic tribute to the common barn owl, who doze "in the scent of wheat" and leave "the barn...
When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature's Balance in Yellowstone
By: Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Stunning photographs combine with a clear text to show how early use of Yellowstone, changed it...
Where Once There Was a Wood
By: Denise Fleming
Age Level: 6-9 years old
This book is a good introduction to the effects people can have on the environment. The simple...
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Print List
Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon
By: Sy Montgomery
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Take Shelter: At Home Around the World
By: Nikki Tate
Age Level: 9-12 years old
A roof, a door, some windows, a floor. All houses have them, but not all houses are alike. Some...
The Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea
By: Sy Montgomery
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Hands-on Activities
Build on what you're learning together through books with these family-friendly activities, experiments, and crafts.
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ABC Nature Book
Wild Tales of ... -
Animal Homes Hike
National Wildlife Federation -
Bird’s Nest from Twigs
Education.com -
Build a Giant Nest
Woodland Trust -
Engineer a Bird’s Nest
Great Stems -
Guide to Taking Kids Birding
Birdfreak -
Habitat Sweet Habitat
PBS KIDS Plum Landing -
Nest Quest
National Wildlife Federation -
Pond Dwellers
National Wildlife Federation -
Roman Villa
BBC Hands on History -
Snug as a Bug: Animal Shelters
Lawrence Hall of Science -
Stuff to Do Outside
Discover the Forest -
Tidepool Aquascope
Monterrey Bay Aquarium -
Treasure Map
National Wildlife Federation -
Webby Wonders
National Wildlife Federation
Summer Writing
Give kids a chance to flex their writing muscles all summer long. Try one of these prompts, selected from our writing contest archives and other literacy organizations.
Great Websites for Kids
Dive deeper into topics of interest with these media-rich and interactive sites.
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Biodiversity
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Children and Nature Network
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Discover the Forest: Find Forests and Parks Near You
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Earth Rangers
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EcoKids
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EekoWorld
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Gizmos: Ecosystems
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Humpback Whale Migration Game
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Kids Gardening
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Monterey Bay Aquarium Games
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National Geographic Kids
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Nature Find: Find Parks, Trails, and Other Nature Sites Near You
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Ocean Adventures: Shark Protector
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PBS Kids: Plum Landing
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PlanetPals
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Project Noah
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WebRangers
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YardMap: Citizen Bird Mapping Project
Great Podcasts for Kids
Listen and learn with these podcasts especially for kids. These podcasts are free and easy to listen to from any device via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher — or from Listen Notes, a podcast search engine.
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Smart Homes
Fun Kids Science Weekly -
The Smartest Homes
Fun Kids Science Weekly
Educational Apps
Educational apps recommended by Common Sense Media and other trusted reviewers.
More Themed Resources
Growing Readers Tip Sheets
Simple activities for parents and kids to do together to build reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Read online or print the PDF.
Our Summer Blog
Washington DC for Kids
