Children's books and activities
Nature: Our Green World
Do you know any outdoorsy kids who are happiest dipping their toes in a freshwater pond, searching for animal tracks, listening for birds, or hiking to a waterfall? We've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, and websites for learning all about nature.
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 nature and the environment. 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
A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi
By: James Yang
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
Stones look like birds. And birds look like stones. Imagine a day in the boyhood of Japanese...
Bear Came Along
By: Richard T. Morris
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
Once there was a river flowing through a forest. The river didn't know it was capable of...
Can You See Me?
By: Ted Lewin
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Sharp eyes are needed to see most of the well-camouflaged creatures in the Costa Rican...
Eddie's Garden and How to Make Things Grow
By: Sarah Garland
Age Level: 3-6 years old
The garden that Eddie and his Mum plant while his younger sister "helps" grows in the...
Every Autumn Comes the Bear
By: Jim Arnosky
Age Level: 3-6 years old
As the seasons change, a large black bear prepares for hibernation. In his search for a den, he...
Fabulous Frogs
By: Martin Jenkins
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Endpages show swimming tadpoles; turn the page and the progression from tadpole to frog appears...
Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move
By: JoAnn Early Macken
Age Level: 3-6 years old
The many ways seeds get to where they can grow is revealed in poetic language enhanced by...
Green
By: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Green Green: A Community Gardening Story
By: Marie Lamba, Baldev Lambda
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
Green grass is wide and fresh and clean for a family to play in, and brown dirt is perfect for...
Hello, Crow
By: Candace Savage
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
Gently motivates kids and their families to be observant when exploring parks, backyards,...
Hey, Water!
By: Antoinette Portis
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
An introduction to the water cycle and water conservation for the youngest readers. Join a young...
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food
By: Lucia Gaggiotti
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
In the Small, Small Pond
By: Denise Fleming
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Inside Outside
By: Lizi Boyd
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Jo MacDonald Had a Garden
By: Mary Quattlebaum
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Kate, Who Tamed the Wind
By: Liz Garton Scanlon
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
A wild wind blows on the tippy-top of a steep hill, turning everything upside down for the man...
On Meadowview Street
By: Henry Cole
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
Caroline doesn't see much of the name of their new street, Meadowview, as she and her family...
Out on the Prairie
By: Donna Bateman
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Picture a Tree
By: Barbara Reid
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Plant a Little Seed
By: Bonnie Christensen
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
Planting a Rainbow
By: Lois Ehlert
Age Level: 3-6 years old
A dazzling celebration of the colorful variety in a flower garden and the cyclical excitement of...
Plants Feed Me
By: Lizzy Rockwell
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Redwoods
By: Jason Chin
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Giant redwoods are usually found in the Northwest United States, so how does a boy on a New York...
Secrets of the Garden
By: Kathleen Zoehfeld
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Seed, Soil, Sun: Earth's Recipe for Food
By: Cris Peterson
Age Level: 3-6 years old
The Big Green
By: Peggy Gifford
Age Level: 3-6 years old
How many types of green exist? There’s “anaconda green, electric-eel green, green-iguana-in-the-...
The Curious Garden
By: Peter Brown
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
The Forever Garden
By: Laurel Snyder
Age Level: 3-6 years old
A young girl and an older woman, Honey, bond over Honey’s garden and her chickens. When Honey...
The Little Plant Doctor: A Story About George Washington Carver
By: Jean Marzollo
Age Level: 3-6 years old
George Washington Carver was always curious and grew into a recognized scientist in spite of the...
The Water Walker
By: Joanne Robertson
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
The determined story of an Ojibwe grandmother (nokomis), Josephine Mandamin, and her great love...
There Was a Tree
By: Rachel Isadora
Age Level: 3-6 years old
They Say Blue
By: Jillian Tamaki
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
An exploration of color and the seasons in a lyrical, philosophical way that is rooted in a...
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
By: Traci Sorell
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
Sorell, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, offers readers a look at contemporary Cherokee life as...
We Are Water Protectors
By: Carole Lindstrom
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
An Ojibwe girl confronts a grave situation by channeling age-old wisdom. The “black snake” of an...
We're Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific
By: Laurie Krebs
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Nonfiction
Two people in bright, stylized garb sail to the islands known as the Galapagos. On successive...
Where the River Begins
By: Thomas Locker
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
Why Do We Need Bees?
By: Emily Bone
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Why do we need bees? Where do they live? Who's who in a beehive? This lift-the-flap book answers...
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Print List
111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl
By: Rina Singh
Age Level: 6-9 years old
In a small village in India, a boy grows up to make a huge difference in his community by...
A Garden to Save the Birds
By: Wendy McClure
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
Callum and his sister, Emmy learn that the U.S. has lost a lot of birds in recent years ― and...
A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems
By: Deborah Ruddell
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Beneath the Sun
By: Melissa Stewart
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci
By: Joseph D'Agnese
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
As a young boy in medieval Italy, Leonardo Fibonacci thought about numbers day and night. He was...
Butterflies Belong Here: A Story of One Idea, Thirty Kids, and a World of Butterflies
By: Deborah Hopkinson
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
In this story of community conservation, a girl finds a home in a new place and a way to help...
Chavela and the Magic Bubble
By: Monica Brown
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Chavela loves chomping chicle — chewing gum and blowing bubbles. One day, while out with her...
City Green
By: DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
There is a garbage-filled, vacant lot on the street where Marcy lives. Instead of growing...
E-I-E-I-O: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm
By: Judy Sierra
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
When Old MacDonald tires of cutting his large suburban lawn, he gets a goat and then a very...
Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed their World
By: Allan Drummond
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
It's windy on the Danish island of Samsø. Meet the environmentally friendly people who now...
Everglades
By: Jean Craighead George
Age Level: 6-9 years old
As an Indian storyteller guides a boat of children down the sea of grass, he reveals the story...
Eyewitness Plant
By: David Burnie
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table
By: Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Martin shares the remarkable life story of former professional basketball player Will Allen,...
First Garden and How It Grew
By: Robbin Gourley
Age Level: 6-9 years old
White House gardens started with John Adams in 1800 and continue with Michelle Obama. History...
Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles
By: Philippe Cousteau, Deborah Hopkinson
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
To help baby loggerhead turtles find their way back to the sea, a group of children involve the...
Fresh Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers’ Market
By: Michelle Schaub
Age Level: 6-9 years old
As the weather warms farmers’ markets begin to open. Celebrate the start of the season through...
Galápagos Girl / Galapagueña
By: Marsha Diane Arnold
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
As a Galápagueña, Valentina spends her days observing the natural world around her. This...
Get Outside: The Kids Guide to Fun in the Great Outdoors
By: Jane Drake, Ann Love
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
Gone Again Ptarmigan
By: Jonathan London
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
Follows a year in the life of a willow ptarmigan, giving young children a delightful...
Greta and the Giants
By: Zoe Tucker
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
This picture book retells the story of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greta Thunberg—the Swedish...
How Does My Garden Grow?
By: Gerda Muller
Age Level: 6-9 years old
How to Make a Better World: For Every Kid Who Wants to Make a Difference
By: Keilly Swift
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
This guide to making the world a better place is packed with inspiring ideas and tips for kids...
Jack's Garden
By: Henry Cole
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
In this cumulative tale, Jack plants, tends and harvests his garden. Not only will readers...
Life in the Amazon Rainforest
By: Ginjer Clarke
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Crisp, clear, full-color photographs are carefully placed with text to present an overview of...
Little Dandelion Seeds the World
By: Julia Richardson
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
Did you know dandelions thrive on all seven continents? The cheery blooms are among the most...
Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet
By: Elizabeth Rusch
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
Mexican-American Mario Molina is a modern-day hero who helped solve the ozone crisis of the...
Marshes and Swamps
By: Gail Gibbons
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
Get an introduction to the concept of wetlands (swamps have trees, and marshes do not) and learn...
Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story
By: Thomas R. Yezerski
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
The 20,000 acres of wetlands in New Jersey now known as the Meadowlands were once home to...
Miss Rumphius
By: Barbara Cooney
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
Miss Rumphius leaves the world more beautiful with an unusual legacy. This gentle story can...
Nature Log Kids: A Kid's Journal to Record Their Birding Experiences
By: DeAnna Brandt
Age Level: 6-9 years old
No Monkeys, No Chocolate
By: Melissa Stewart, Allen Young
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Olivia's Birds: Saving the Gulf
By: Olivia Bouler
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
One 11 year-old girl can make a difference, as young ornithologist and artist Olivia Bouler has...
Our School Garden!
By: Rick Swann
Age Level: 6-9 years old
The garden at Michael’s new school is full of fresh sensations. Thirteen poems describe holding...
Over and Under the Pond
By: Kate Messner
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Discover the plants and animals that make up the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain...
Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World
By: Allan Drummond
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
How one person helped make one community into the bicycle capital of the world is told in...
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangara Maathai
By: Claire Nivola
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Wangari Maathai's native Kenya was a changed land, literally blowing away because its trees...
Poetree
By: Shauna LaVoy Reynolds
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Poetry
The snow has melted, the buttercups are blooming, and Sylvia celebrates winter's end by writing...
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World
By: Laurie Lawlor
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Rachel Carson was a shy child, always drawn to nature. She grew up to become a professional...
Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John "Appleseed" Chapman
By: Esme Raji Codell
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, changed his world "seed by seed, deed by deed"...
Stand Up! Speak Up!: A Story Inspired by the Climate Change Revolution
By: Andrew Joyner
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
Celebrate young climate change activists in this charming story about an empowered girl who...
Start Now! You Can Make a Difference
By: Chelsea Clinton
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
What can I do to help save endangered animals? How can I eat healthy? What do I do if I'm being...
Story Worlds Nature
By: Thomas Hegbrook
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Examine each double page spread in this oversized book. See the realistically pictured animals...
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature
By: Joyce Sidman
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Strong lines and evocative language call on readers to observe the natural world around them in...
Thank You, Earth: A Love Letter to Our Planet
By: April Pulley Sayre
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
This love letter to Earth is an exploration of the beauty and complexity of the world around us...
The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon
By: Jacqueline Davies
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
The story opens with 18-year-old French naturalist John James Audubon roaming Pennsylvania...
The Fog
By: Kyo Maclear
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
When a fog rolls into Icyland, it prevents Warble, a small yellow warbler, from enjoying his...
The Green Frogs: A Korean Folktale
By: Yumi Heo
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
Have you wondered why frogs croak on the edge of streams? It all started long ago with two...
The Sun Shines Everywhere
By: Mary Ann Hoberman
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Poetry
This rhyming read-aloud celebrates how we’re all connected under the sun. As readers are...
The Tree Lady
By: H. Joseph Hopkins
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
The true story of green-thumbed pioneer and activist Kate Sessions, who helped San Diego grow...
The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just
By: Mélina Mangal
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Nonfiction
Ernest Everett Just was not like other scientists of his time. His keen observations of sea...
The Year Comes Round: Haiku through the Seasons
By: Sid Farrar
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Poetry
Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm
By: Deborah Hodge
Age Level: 6-9 years old
This look at one local farm presents a look at work on a farm raising food and animals while...
Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City
By: Deborah Hodge
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Growing fruits and vegetables doesn't take a lot of space; they can even grow in crowded...
What If There Were No Bees?
By: Suzanne Slade
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Grassland ecosystems can be found on nearly every continent. Countless animals and plants live...
When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons
By: Julie Fogliano
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Short poems and gentle illustrations present seasons almost as a journal. Each entry captures...
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...
Wilderness: An Interactive Atlas of Animals
By: Hannah Pang
Age Level: 6-9 years old
A conversational tone and flaps to lift on each double page look at different biomes are sure to...
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Print List
A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park
By: Ashley Benham Yazdani
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Nonfiction
How did Central Park become a vibrant gem in the heart of New York City? Follow the visionaries...
Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard
By: Loree Griffin Burns
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Nonfiction
Anyone can get involved in gathering data for ongoing, actual scientific studies such as the...
Condor Comeback
By: Sy Montgomery
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Nonfiction
Scientists are working to save the endangered California Condor. In rich narrative, the author...
Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up
By: Sally Walker
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Sophisticated haiku and illustrations done with colored pencil explore the Earth inside and out...
Leaf Litter Critters
By: Leslie Bulion
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Default blurb text. Just the good ol' boys, never meanin' no harm. Beats all you've ever saw,...
Least Things: Poems about Small Natures
By: Jane Yolen
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Short poems (haiku) were written in response to but also evoke creatures shown in crisp close-up...
Luz Makes a Splash
By: Claudia Davila
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Fiction
With a heat wave and a drought threatening the city's water supply, Luz and her friends dive...
Small History of a Disagreement
By: Claudio Fuentes
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Fiction
A lively introduction to voting, democracy, and activism for kids. Should an ancient monkey...
The End of the Wild
By: Nicole Helget
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Eleven-year old Fern lives near an old-growth forest which her family relies on to forage for...
The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk
By: Jan Thornhill
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Nonfiction
The Great Auk was a northern penguin that lived and thrived in the cold waters of the Atlantic....
Water: A Deep Dive of Discovery
By: Christy Mihaly
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Concept Book
A friendly water droplet character guides children through topics ranging from melting and...
Wishtree
By: Katherine Applegate
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Fiction
Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"―people write their...
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 -
Animal Migration
National Environmental Education Foundation -
Backyard Nature Map
Kid World Citizen -
Backyard Photo Scavenger Hunt
No Time for Flash Cards -
Backyard Scavenger Hunt
National Wildlife Federation -
Baking Soda Volcano
Thought Co -
Big and Small in Nature
National Wildlife Federation -
Biocubes: A World in One Cubic Foot
National Museum of Natural History -
Build a Green Roof
American Society of Landscape Architects -
Busy Blossoms
National Wildlife Federation -
Butterfly Feeder
PBS Parents -
Community Plant Count
PBS KIDS SciGirls -
Daily Water Log
Waterways -
Design a Rain Garden
Start with a Book -
Evolve or Perish Board Game
National Museum of Natural History -
Exploding Seed Balls
NASA Climate Kids -
Fairy Garden I
My Small Potatoes -
Fairy Garden II
The Magic Onions -
Flower Hunt
Woodland Trust -
Hexagon Hunt
Lawrence Hall of Science -
How Big Is Your Tree?
Project Learning Tree -
Landscape Architecture Activities
American Society of Landscape Architects -
Leaf Hunt
Woodland Trust -
Nature Art
PBS Parents -
Nature Box
Little Pine Learners -
Nature Exploration Table
The Imagination Tree -
Nature in One Minute
National Wildlife Federation -
Nature Journal
Great Stems -
Nature Match
PBS Parents -
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Woodland Trust -
Nature Sound Safari
Woodland Trust -
Nature's Alphabet Game
National Wildlife Federation -
Oil Slick
San Diego Zoo -
Oil Spill Challenge
Start with a Book -
Outdoor Fairy Hunt
Woodland Trust -
Pollinator Hunt
National Wildlife Federation -
Pond Dwellers
National Wildlife Federation -
Red, White and Blue Nature Scavenger Hunt
Moritz Fine Designs -
Salt Dough Leaf Impressions
The Imagination Tree -
Seed Paper
NASA Climate Kids -
Seed Study
National Wildlife Federation -
Shapes and Patterns in Nature
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation -
Stuff to Do Outside
Discover the Forest -
Summer Nature Sleuth
Woodland Trust -
Terrarium Mini-Garden
NASA Climate Kids -
Treasure Map
National Wildlife Federation -
Water Conservation at Home
Project Learning Tree -
Water Detective
Start with a Book -
Weaving a Food Web
Start with a Book
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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A Walk in the Woods
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Amazing Bees
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Aphid Eater
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Brain Pop: Earth Systems
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Brain Pop: Our Fragile Environment
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Bumblebee Conservation Trust
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Buzz About Bees
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California Academy of Sciences: Live Webcams
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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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Gizmos: Ecosystems
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Gizmos: Plants
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Journey North
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Kids Gardening
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Kids Recycling Guide
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Maggie's Earth Adventures
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My First Garden
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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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Nature Sound Map
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NOVA: Nature
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Ocean Adventures: Shark Protector
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Ocean Adventures: Whale Watcher
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Oil Spill
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PBS Kids: Plum Landing
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Project Noah
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Sortify: Natural Resources Game
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The Nature Conservancy: Nature Lab
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Think Garden
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Trees with Don Leopold
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WebRangers
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Where Do Plants Grow?
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Why do leaves change color?
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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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A Sunbrella for the Planet
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Earth Rangers
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Fun Kids Science Weekly
Fun Kids
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How do monarch butterflies travel so far?
Brains On!
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Operation Earth: How to Be Cool to a Planet That's Hot
Wow in the World (NPR)
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The Big Melt
Earth Rangers / Gen-Z Media
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Tumble Science Podcast
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Wow in the World
NPR
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
