Turn to Nature to Support Mental Health in Children
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, when Americans are urged to recognize the toll of mental illness, fight stigma and advocate for better support for the millions of people affected. One increasingly important area of focus: Children. Mental illness among children is caused by a bewildering array of factors, but no matter the exact situation, parents and other caregivers can adopt one simple strategy to buttress the mental health of the children and adolescents they love. They can foster a connection to nature.
Get in the Spirit of Spring by Reading these Books with Your Family
You can teach your children about spring in many ways. You can watch trees and shrubs leaf and bloom, explore patch of bluebonnets and dance in a spring rainstorm. In quiet moments, you can also read some of the great children’s books about the season.
Children Explore, Engage and Discover at the Garden’s Summer S.E.E.D. Camps
Registration has opened for the Garden’s summer camps. S.E.E.D (Summer Exploration, Engagement, and Discovery) Camp in the Garden offers fun and stimulating experiences for kids from preschool to high school. Camps sell out every year, so make sure to sign up today!
Celebrate Spring Break with Family Workshops that Combine Science and Fun
Spring Break is just around the corner, and now is the time to sign up for the Garden’s Family Workshops. These sessions are a great way to get out of the house, play with your kids and learn something along the way.
Saturday Storytime Welcomes Families with Young Children Starting in February
“Story time” has a magical sound. What can be better than sitting with a favorite adult and hearing a new story read with enthusiasm and love? Fostering this kind of positive experience with books is one of the goals of the new Saturday Storytime program, which will begin in February.
Share the Joy of Reading and Nature with These Recommended Books
Members of the Garden’s education team love nature, love books and love books about nature. Winter is a great time to snuggle down with your kids and a great story–and to look for gifts for the young readers and soon-to-be-readers in your life. We asked our educators for recommendations of new or favorite children’s books, and here’s what they suggested:
Welcome Winter with Festive Snow Globes while Learning about Renewable Energy
Snow globes are so simple but so mesmerizing. Most children love shaking the globes and watching sudden blizzards engulf whatever tiny worlds exist inside. This December, your family can build their own custom snow globes that will not only serve as cheerful outdoor decorations but also introduce the fundamentals of renewable energy.
Girls’ Nature Workshops Share a Love of Nature with the Next Generation of Young Women
Think back to your own childhood: How much time did you spend outside? Now think about how much time the children you know and love spend outside. No matter how much or how little time you enjoyed in nature, it’s likely the kids of today are outside much, much less. The result is an entire generation suffering from what some scholars call “nature deficit disorder.” Education experts at the Garden have been working in partnership with the Fort Worth Garden Club since 2018 to remedy this deficit for as many area girls as possible through the Girls’ Nature Workshop series.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage with Your Family during a Full Day of Activities at the Garden
Our four-week festival of Hispanic heritage, ¡Celebramos!, begins Sept. 15, and our calendar is packed with events that range from a Quinceañera community celebration to an outdoor market to an art exhibit of depictions of the plants of Latin America. Families looking to celebrate Hispanic Heritage with their children should highlight Saturday, Oct. 1 on their calendars and plan to attend Día de la Familia. The day is packed with educational programs and performances and culminates with movie night at the Garden.
Early Childhood Program Heads Back to School, Bringing Nature-Based STEM Learning to Pre-K Students
Most area school districts begin classes this month. Alongside all of the students and teachers, those heading back to the classroom include members of the FWBG | BRIT early childhood education team. They will spend the school year helping some of the youngest learners in our area explore the outdoors. “Our goal is to help teachers incorporate nature into learning for three-year-old pre-k students,” says Early Childhood Program Manager Cheryl Potemkin.