Curriculum - Early Childhood

Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood

Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood provides an introduction to environmental education, encouraging children ages 3 to 6 to explore, discover and communicate in expressive ways. With over 130 experiences that engage young children in outdoor exploration and play, it’s no wonder Learning® Magazine chose PLT’s Early Childhood guide as a Teachers’ Choice Award winner!

Activities in the Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood guide is correlated to the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for ages 3-4 years and 4 years-Kindergarten. Visit the Standards Correlations page for more information. 

To receive Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood, attend a Project Learning Tree professional development training (click here to view the Florida professional development training calendar) or sign up for an online course that can be completed in your own time, wherever you are.

Introduce young children to nature through trees and forests

Seeds to Trees Pocket Guide connects children to nature through sensory experiences. It encourages exploration and discovery through the lens of trees and forests, exciting children’s imagination and curiosity about the natural world.

The Pocket Guide is designed for educators, group leaders, and family members to use with children ages 3–6. It includes four hands-on experiences to do with children in groups up to eight, plus preparation instructions, material and time requirements, and directions for leading each experience. The introduction provides guidance and tips for leading outdoor activities and embracing play and exploration, as well as recommendations for non-educators, such as forestry and natural resource professionals, for collaborating with schools and teachers for field tours.

At just 4 by 6 inches, the guide is small enough to fit into a pocket or backpack. It’s a useful resource for anyone to use outdoors with the children in their lives.

Preview an excerpt that describes concepts about forests that young learners will understand through the activities in this guide.

Purchase the guide here.

GreenSchools for Early Childhood

PLT’s GreenSchools for Early Childhood program specifically meets the needs of early childhood educators and younger learners. It is designed to teach young children about their environment and how they can make a difference, while developing their skills in language, mathematics, science, and more. PLT’s GreenSchools for Early Childhood includes an Educator Guide and five Investigations.

To receive the materials, register to get access to each investigation and the educator guide online.

K-Grade 2:

E-Unit – Treemendous Science!

PLT’s Treemendous Science! e-unit is an invitation to increase the quantity and quality of your K-2 learners’ contact with nature and trees. With Treemendous Science!, students will experience, explore, and collect tree data to develop understandings about how trees grow, the roles trees play in ecosystems, and the ways in which trees and humans interact. 

To receive the Treemendous Science! e-unit, attend a Project Learning Tree professional development training (click here to view the Florida professional development training calendar) or purchase the e-unit with accompanying online professional development from shop.plt.org.

PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide

Ninety-six multi-disciplinary activities can be found inside PLT’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide – each one tailored to specific grade levels and learning objectives.  Each activity is filled with opportunities to build critical thinking skills, incorporate technology, and use differentiated instruction.

To receive the PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide, attend a Project Learning Tree professional development training (click here to view the Florida professional development training calendar) or sign up for an online course that can be completed in your own time, wherever you are.

Family Activities

Nature is a great teacher! Try these activity ideas from Project Learning Tree to connect the children in your life to the outdoors and nature. This printed guide contains a collection of more than 30 fun and easy-to-do activities. Suitable for children ages 3 – 15, some activities work better for younger children, others are more suited for older children. The way you present them will change depending on your child’s knowledge and ability. 

Purchase Nature Activities for Families from shop.plt.org.