Back to School with Nature

It is that time of year again – back to school time! As children are picking out new backpacks and sneakers; teachers are preparing themselves and their classrooms for another year filled with growing and learning.

This year, as you are preparing your classroom for the new school year, try to incorporate nature into the overall design and layout of your room. There are multitudes of ways that you can create a nature-themed classroom. Here are just a few starting points:

Classroom Design
Choose a nature-theme for your classroom and incorporate in throughout. Your theme can change as the seasons change. Or your theme can simply be “nature” and incorporate nature in various forms throughout your classroom. Use it for bulletin boards, newsletters home, nametags for students, and cubby spaces.

Create a “nature table” where you can display natural objects that you and your students have found. Encourage students to contribute to the table regularly. Cool looking sticks, rocks, feathers, old bird nests, etc…are great things to bring in to share. Create a “brag board” for pictures of students outside and participating in outdoor activities.

Fill your classroom with living things such as plants, fish tanks, ant farms, worm farms etc… Set up bird feeders outside your classroom windows for students to observe daily.

Out the Door
Take students outside as much as possible. Studies have shown that even a few minutes of outdoor time during the school day can lower stress levels in children. Plan outdoor time into your day and/or week as time allows. Think of your school grounds and the surrounding community as an extension of your classroom.

County Conservation Boards
As you are preparing your school year remember what a wonderful resource you have in your local County Conservation Board. CCB Naturalists are usually more than happy to come into your classroom and present programs on various subjects. They often also have access to wildlife that have been injured, rehabilitated and are used for education purposes, such as snakes, salamanders, and owls. They can also bring in animals furs, owl pellets, animal bones, and many other nature and wildlife items.