Hands-on Activities & Advice for New Environmental Educators

Explore PLT resources to help you teach students about the environment, whether you’re new to teaching or looking for new environmental education resources to explore! PLT provides easy-to-teach, hands-on activities suitable for various settings, and a range of resources to support and mentor new educators.

group of young students running across a field

New Year, New PLT Resources

As we ring in the New Year and look forward to all the great things to come in 2023, it’s also a perfect time to reflect on and celebrate the past year.

From launching new PLT materials like Trees & Me and our activity collections, Connecting for Health and Planet and Trillions of Trees, to the continued success of PLT state coordinators and facilitators training over 6,000 educators—we made big impacts in 2022.

young girl pulling child on sled through the snow

How to Make the Most of Winter Outdoor Activities

The winter environment offers abundant outdoor learning opportunities for preschoolers and high schoolers alike. How do you make the most of outdoor activities for kids during the colder months? Molly Gillespie, Alaska’s PLT Coordinator, recently shared with us some tips for teaching outdoors in the winter.

Paper Craft Ideas for Hispanic Heritage Month

Whether you are a parent, classroom teacher, paper products professional, or museum activity leader – we’ve assembled a list of fun paper and cardboard activities that celebrate the culture of Hispanic and Latino communities and present an opportunity for a conversation about the importance of making better decisions for people and the planet

Red cardinal sitting on a fence

How to Introduce Students to Urban Birdwatching

Introduce kids to urban birdwatching and help them enjoy their immediate environments! Check out how to get started with urban birdwatching at your school, daycare, summer camp, or home, along with bird-themed activities that you can adapt for your classroom. 

A group of diverse young students wearing orange safety jackets sit on homemade log benches in an outdoor classroom surrounded by leaves

School Forests Connect Children to Nature

Enriching outdoor classrooms, ready-to-use lessons, and outdoor skill-based trainings in the woods. Learn how the Minnesota DNR’s School Forest Program helps teachers develop and enhance their outdoor instruction.

Illustration of a Family with Kids trying out a project learning tree outdoor activity

Activities to Do With Children Outdoors

Spending time outside is one way we can boost our resiliency while quarantining at home to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Bookmark a few of these free PLT family activities to try in your backyard, at a local park or trail, or another nearby safe space outdoors.