Project Learning Tree: Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood

Exploring nature is a complete sensory experience, and early experiences with the natural world excite children’s imaginations and foster their inborn sense of wonder and curiosity—important motivators for lifelong learning.

Since 1993, Project Learning Tree’s PreK–8 Environmental Education Activity Guide has featured more than 35 activities designed for use with PreK and Kindergarten children. PLT has added a variety of experiences for the young learner to some of these activities, and created more, to produce a new Project Learning Tree Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood Guide designed specifically as a resource for educators that work with early childhood audiences.

PLT’s Early Childhood Guide integrates nature-based exploration, art, literature, math, music and movement, and outdoor play into early childhood education programs.  The guide contains eleven activities that encourage young children to explore the senses, the seasons, and neighborhood trees.  The activities highlight the importance of kinetic learning and engagement by incorporating music and movement using an accompanying music CD.  PLT’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood encourages children to explore, discover, and communicate in expressive ways, and provides an introduction to environmental education at a key developmental period in children’s lives.

Here's what's inside the module:

• Introduction

• Background Information

• Student Activities - Overviews and additional resources for each activities can be viewed by clicking on the activity titles:
  
  Section 1. Exploring Nature with Five Senses
  1. The Shape of Things
  2. Sounds Around
  3. Get In Touch With Trees
  4. We All Need Trees
  
  Section 2. Experiencing Trees Through the Seasons
  5. Signs of Fall
  6. Evergreens in Winter
  7. Bursting Buds
  8. Adopt a Tree
  
  Section 3. Meeting Neighborhood Trees
  9. To Be a Tree
  10. Trees as Habitats
  11. Three Cheers for Trees

• Appendices:
  
  1. PLT’s Environmental Experiences for Early
     Childhood CD 100
  2. Playing It Safe Outdoors
     Collecting Plants and Animals
  3. Taking Neighborhood Walks
  4. Setting Up an Outdoor Classroom
  5. Encouraging Unstructured Outdoor Play
  6. Bringing Nature into the Classroom
  7. “Greening” Your Classroom
  8. Setting Up a Woodworking Center
  9. Using Technology with Early
     Childhood Learners

• Online Resources
  
  Natural Wonders: A Guide to Early Childhood for Environmental Educators
  This guide is written for naturalists and environmental educators who are interested in learning more about how and why young children think and act. The guidelines this resource provides will help educators implement developmentally appropriate early childhood programs and activities. The Natural Wonders guide does not contain any activities, but it is a concise compendium of early childhood pedagogy. It is free to download, copy, and distribute, and offers a great compliment to PLT Early Childhood workshops.  Get your copy today! 

• National Standards Correlations
  
  PLT’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood guide has been correlated to national standards for preschool education by three major early childhood accreditation programs:
  - National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
  - North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Early Childhood Environmental Education Guidelines for Excellence
  - Head Start Child Outcomes Framework
  

• Find an Early Childhood workshop near you. Check our Calendar of Events, and contact your PLT State Coordinator for the latest information.