I come from a whole family of educators. My mom, grandpa, aunts…they are all teachers. My grandma was even a principal. I didn’t follow their footsteps exactly, but I do still share that passion for educating kids, especially when it’s related to nature and the great outdoors. I just love the look on a 4-year-olds face when they discover a ladybug or spiderweb. It’s true awe and wonder like no other.

Every once in a while, I come across a book that I just have to buy and give to someone. Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth is the book I’ve discovered recently. It’s by Patty Born Selly, a mom and educator from Minnesota. It is filled with project, ideas and activities for kids 3 to 8. While this book is a good resource for parents in general, I think it’s even better for educators…teachers, Sunday school classes, home schoolers, etc. It’s like this fantastic hands-on workbook. Each activity has a recommended age, a materials and supply list, activity goals and how the activity relates to the National Science Education Standards.

If you have an educator in  your life, I encourage you to have them check out this book. It’s an amazing resource, and everything is organized into lovely chapters like indoor environments, air, weather, food, etc. It doesn’t necessarily have flashy colorful pictures or a crazy design, but you’ll find activities in here that will keep kids busy for hours and will help them reconnect with the world around them.

Thanks to Patty for writing such a great book. Let’s start these kids as young as possible!

We love the motto of the CLIF Kid Backyard Game of the Year. Create! Play! Win! 

We’re still giddy with excitement to be judges for this year’s games. Do you already follow CLIF Kid on Facebook? You should. They offer great tips and advice. Plus, we’ll be sharing ideas for getting kids outside on their page during the next couple of months while they accept entires for the Backyard Game of the Year contest.

If you have a kid between 6 and 12, you really should encourage them to enter this contest. Even if they don’t win (the prizes are pretty awesome, though), it’s still a great experience to get kids outside and thinking about playing in their own backyards.

Also, if you’re a part of a non-profit group with kids 6-12, you should check out the Group category they have. It’s new this year, and the group with the top game could win $15,000 for their non-profit.

Seriously, encourage your kid or kids to get outside and give this whole “invent a backyard game” a try. They (and you) might be surprised at just how innovative, fun and easy it really is.

To celebrate the release of their new book, The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things To Do In Nature Before You Grow Up, Milwaukee authors Stacy Tornio and Ken Keffer are hosting an event at the Urban Ecology Center’s Riverside Park on Saturday, April 13.

This free event will feature activities from their book that celebrate nature. Kids and families will be able to start their own flower or veggie seeds, make their own trail mix, test out unique bubble wands, go on a scavenger hunt and get their faces painted.

The event will be held from 1 pm to 4 pm. Books will be available for purchase, and Stacy and Ken will be available for a signing beginning at 2 pm. The Urban Ecology Center Riverside Park is located at 1500 E. Park Place.