Evergreen trees offer a sensory overload! Through these experiences, children will touch, smell, see, hear, and taste the season of winter. Many of these experiences can be used year-round in areas with or without snow.
This is one of 11 activities that can be found in PLT’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood guide. To get the activity, attend a training either in person or online and receive PLT’s Early Childhood guide. Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Download the copyright-free student pages that are included with this activity:
Family and Friends Page (PDF)
Spanish Student Page:
Familia y amigos (PDF)
Expand your students’ learning and imaginations. Help students meet their reading goals, while building upon concepts learned in this activity, with the following children’s book recommendations:
Try a simple variation of this activity to engage children in the outdoors at home. Download this fun and easy-to-do family activity.
The following tools and resources may be used to enhance the activity.
The Evergreens in Winter document provides outlines of common tree shapes during winter.
Print out pages containing many examples of everyday products from trees!
AllTrails is a free app that helps users discover the outdoors. Use it to find a hiking path suitable for children, to search for local places to bike or fish, or to plan a national park visit.
Are you looking for information on the field of childhood education? All Education Schools offers a clearinghouse of resources to explore professional organizations, licensing and credentials, teaching strategies, research, and more – all related to early childhood.
A free app that can be downloaded onto any Apple device (try iBird Lite for Android). Use WildLab Bird to learn the basics of bird identification. This application uses audio, photographs, maps, and the process of elimination to help identify over 200 bird species. Sightings can also be entered into a national bird watching database for comparison.
Are you looking for new literature connections to support your favorite PLT lessons? This growing Epic! online library offers thousands of picture books, chapter books, early readers, and even nonfiction books (think Common Core Connections!) that elementary teachers can access free of cost. Registered users receive unlimited access to books and customized recommendations for readers’ age levels and interests. Epic! is available for iPads, iPhones, and Android devices.
With Nature Maestro®, sound recordist and composer Dennis Hysom is your guide. Use this series of applications to explore sounds in nature. You might compose a soundscape for the rainforest, build a nature scene using audio paired with imagery, and discover fun facts about animals all along the way. Immerse yourself in these biomes to compose and share creative soundscapes and then share them with others.
Teaching outside year-round is a rewarding experience for students of all ages. Teachers in Maine share how to make winter outdoor learning safe and fun.
As the holiday season approaches, it’s a great time to get outside to refuel and recharge yourself by taking a gratitude walk! A gratitude walk helps us pause, reflect, and give thanks to every person and living thing in our natural world.
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