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Just for Kids!
Welcome to Just for Kids!
My love for helping children discover the outdoors began in the early 1980s, when my three sons were young. I made the decision to leave a rewarding state career to become a full-time mom, and later worked in the school system, helping children with learning challenges. Those experiences reinforced something I continue to believe today: children learn best when they are curious, engaged, and encouraged to explore the world around them.
Parents, grandparents, and educators have long understood that time spent outdoors helps children develop curiosity, confidence, problem-solving skills, and a lifelong appreciation for nature. Whether they're watching a honey bee visit a flower, digging in the garden, or simply asking, "Why?", every outdoor experience becomes an opportunity to learn.
I also know that giving parenting advice can feel like walking on thin ice! Every child is unique, every family is different, and no one approach fits everyone. My goal isn't to tell you how to raise your children—it's simply to encourage you and share ideas that have inspired my own family and many others over the years.
One of the wonderful things about nature is that it offers something for every child. Gardening, for example, teaches responsibility, patience, and the connection between effort and results. It also opens the door to conversations about where our food comes from, healthy soil, water conservation, pollinators, beneficial insects, sustainability, and the incredible diversity of life all around us. Most importantly, these experiences build confidence as children discover they can observe, grow, create, and care for the world around them.
This page is dedicated to parents, grandparents, teachers, and anyone who wants to nurture a child's love of nature. I'll continue gathering high-quality activities, crafts, videos, books, and educational resources that make exploring the outdoors both fun and meaningful. My hope is that these ideas spark wonderful conversations, unforgettable adventures, and perhaps inspire the next generation of environmental stewards—one curious child at a time.
Work-in-Progress
This page is a work-in-progress. Keep checking back, as I will continue to work on this page as I have time to find and add more resources. My goal is to keep the page updated with local events and activities in the Central Iowa region of the state.
In addition, if you find great resources, use our Contact Us page to reach out and provide the resource to me, and I will add it to the list!
Feedback
I hope you find at least some of the resources beneficial! If you have the time, I would greatly appreciate feedback on the the information provided, so this page can be of value to parents and children alike! Please use our Contact/Subscribe page to send the feedback via email!
Internet Resources
Conservation for Kids - Top Tips and Tricks
Focuses on water conservation - take time on the site - there is a lot of resources and activities!
Pollinator Activites
Look for the educational videos for kids on this site under the Youth Education tab.
Pollinators for Kids
Information on pollinators! At the bottom of the page, you can click on various pollinators to learn more.
https://kidsgrowingstrong.org/pollinators/
Iowa State Extension - Milkweed Planting Kit 2020
Target audience is youth grades 3 through 8.
Plant a milkweed, grow a butterfly! These kits are provided at no cost courtesy of a partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa DNR REAP Conservation Education Program (CEP) Grant, and the Iowa State University Seed Science Center.
Simply pay a nominal postage fee during checkout. Kits appear to be limited.
Iowa State Extension - The Sweet Lives of Honey Bees
This colorful, interactive info-graphic provides a look into the life of a honey bee. Beekeeper Ben guides readers through information on beehives, types of honey bees, bee jobs, planting flowers for bees and harvesting honey.
Download the brochure using the hyperlink below.
Handy Activities To Teach Your Kids About Environmental Issues
Website lists a handful of ideas and activities to get kids interested in environmental issues, as well as features a resource section towards the bottom of the page which provides links to independent studies, recycling resources and even some fun games that kids will enjoy.
Iowa State Extension - Insect Investigator
Learn how to keep an insect investigator journal and see how many of the world's one million different types of insects you can find.
Download the brochure using the hyperlink below.
Environment for Kids
This link just takes you to the environmental section. Site has tons of information, and is geared to learning activities for kids on many subjects. I encourage you to take the time to view all that is available.
Reduce - Reuse - Recycle
Site has activities and games, and much more. Explore!
Iowa State Extension - Gardening for Butterflies and Pollinators
A butterfly garden can be created as simply as planting a bunch of butterfly-favorite plants in a sunny corner of your yard. Learn about effective butterfly garden characteristics and which host and nectar plants are best for different butterflies.
Download the brochure using the hyperlink below.
A Kid's Guide to Recycling
Nico is on a quest to help save the planet! He’s passionate about sharing his knowledge of recycling with everyone, so join Nico on his journey to reduce, reuse and recycle with tips and fun activities. Once you have the practices down, you can share your recycling knowledge with your family and friends too!
This is a great site for engagement activities for your children - provide opportunities to help develop your environmental ambassador today!
How to Be Sustainable in College: 18 Green Tips for Students
In this article, you can learn about the benefits of adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle, including 18 tips on how you can go green today! There is no need to go vegan or throw out all of your plastic stuff right away. They will teach you how to make this transition smoothly. Plus, no student should ignore an opportunity to save some cash, and a sustainable lifestyle is much cheaper!
Iowa Resources
A lot of information once you reach the hyperlink destination. Take time and explore each site to gain the most value.
Children's Gardening Books
The link to each book takes you to Amazon. Take advantage of the reviews and descriptions to ensure this is a topic that will be engaging for your child.
1. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
2. Frog and Toad Together, by Arnold Lobel
3. Compost Stew, by Mary McKenna Siddals, illustrated by Ashely Wolff
4. Water, Weed, and Wait, by Edith Hope Fine and Angela Halpin, illustrated by Colleen M. Madden
5. Plant a Little Seed, by Bonnie Christensen
6. The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson
7. Sunflower House, by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt
8. The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown
9. Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Ehlert
10. The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle
11. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Children's Conservation/Environmental Books
The link to each book takes you to Amazon. Take advantage of the reviews and descriptions to ensure this is a topic that will be engaging for your child.
1. The Earth Book, by Todd Parr
2. I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, by Alison Inches
3. Biscuit's Earth Day Celebration, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
4. The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps, by Jeanette Winter
5. Don't Let Them Disappear, by Chelsea Clinton
6. Bee and Me, by Alison Jay
7. 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World, by Melanie Walsh
8. The Water Princess, by Susan Verde
9. Green, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
10. The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest, by Lynne Cherry
11. Miss Maple's Seeds, by Eliza Wheeler
12. Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles, by Philippe Cousteau
13. One Love, by Cedilia Marley (Bob Marley's daughter)
14. The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling, Alison Inches
15. The Lonely Polar Bear (Happy Fox Books) A Subtle Way to Introduce Young Kids to Climate Change Issues, by Alison Inches