Garden Doubles Opportunities for Homeschoolers to Investigate Science and Explore Nature
As part of its commitment to advance environmental-STEM education for North Texas-area children, the Garden has doubled the number of Homeschool Day and Homeschool STEM Studio programs offered this school year.
Strengthen Family Connections with Back-to-School Traditions
The start of a new school year can be both stressful and thrilling. Certainly for families with school-age children, it’s a time of nervous preparation, of anxiety about the year ahead, of shopping and scheduling and strategizing. But mixed into that stress is excitement about new things to learn and new friends to meet. To foster excitement and reduce anxiety, Education Program Coordinator Joanne Howard encourages families to mark the start of the new school year by establishing family traditions.
Garden Education Team Supports Fourth-Grade Teachers with New Interactive STEM Program
The education team is putting the final touches on a new STEM initiative starting in September and aimed at helping fourth-grade teachers meet state standards for energy, organisms and environments. The program, funded by a generous grant from the Sid Richardson Foundation, combines professional development workshops, field trips and peer support.
Talk a Walk Through a Book on the Garden’s Pollinator Pathway
School is out for the summer, and caregivers are always looking for fun activities to keep kids happy, busy–and learning. One suggestion from the Garden’s family education team: go on a StoryWalk®. “In a StoryWalk, the pages of a book are placed along a pathway to propel the reader along,” says Early Childhood Program Manager Cheryl Potemkin. “It makes reading an active experience involving movement, attention and reflection.”
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: