Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children

Hundreds of ideas for fun, easy-to-do, hands-on experiences for families and teachers to connect children ages 1–6 to nature, with a focus on trees. Through indoor and outdoor activities, children explore nature through their five senses, experience trees throughout the seasons, and connect with their community.

Who Is the Guide For?

The activities are designed for families, childcare providers, and early childhood educators to use with kids ages 1–6 in a range of settings, including preschools, childcare and nature centers, and at home. Special instructions tailor many experiences for children under 3 years.

What Are the Benefits to Children?

Children learn concepts they need to succeed in school, including age-appropriate literacy, math, and critical thinking skills. They make music, create things, and gain physical dexterity. They are empowered to work independently and in groups.

What’s more, research shows there are lifelong benefits from early exposure to nature. Connecting kids to nature and the outdoors improves their emotional and physical well-being, enhances learning, promotes positive social behavior, and makes them more likely to care about their environment.

What Are the Benefits to Caregivers?

For anyone who has struggled with keeping the attention of young children and channeling their boundless energy, Trees & Me is a wish come true! Easily use the hands-on activities and adapt them as necessary to meet each child’s unique needs, the different environments where they live, and the materials available.

What’s Inside?

Twelve hands-on activities and hundreds of ideas for fun, engaging experiences are organized into three sections: Exploring Nature with the Senses, Experiencing Trees through Seasons, and Meeting Neighborhood Trees.

Each activity:

• Includes group experiences, for example Exploring the Neighborhood and Enjoying Snacks Together to encourage conversation and interaction with others, and free exploration encourages children to explore topics on their own through Art, Outdoor Play, Discovery Tables, Math and Manipulatives, Dramatic Play, and Woodworking
• Contains all the information needed to lead each experience, including background information for adults, preparation steps, and materials
• Organizes the information visually with bright colors, icons, and photos that make the guide easy and efficient to use
• Makes connections with early learning standards in science, English language arts, math, and social studies, as well as programs such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Head Start
• Integrates art throughout and includes exemplars for children to practice STEM through ten essential skills, integrating the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math
• Suggests ways that families and friends can enhance the learning experience at home, including helping out in the community
• Plants ideas for a child’s future in Explore Careers through dramatic play and skill practice
• Suggests theme-related nonfiction and fiction children’s books
• Offers free downloadable music and sound samples to accompany the Music and Movement experiences. Scannable QR codes direct to specific tracks

The guide also includes 10 appendices, such as tested techniques for engaging early learners, tips for outdoor learning, and bringing nature inside that support the activities and serve as a resource to improve young children’s learning experiences in any setting.

Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program that advances environmental literacy, stewardship, and pathways to green careers using trees and forests as windows on the world. Our fun, hands-on activities, suitable for all ages and settings, can be easily used by educators, families, youth groups and community leaders to teach children about nature. We also offer high-quality professional development and multi-disciplinary supplemental curriculum correlated to academic standards for teachers to integrate teaching about the environment into their lessons and become comfortable teaching outdoors.