Teach Go Green

Screen Free Summer Activities You Need To Try

Teach Go Green — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:07:02 +0000

This summer, we’re making a habit of doing screen free summer activities!

Everyone talks about the benefits of going screen free, but you hardly see any practical ideas about how to implement this idea. I find this especially true in the summertime when the kids are homeschooling less, and we find ourselves in less of a routine and more of a rhythm.

It’s so easy for one episode to turn into three or four, or for 30 minutes of iPad time to turn into two hours!

We’re not letting that happen this summer, though. This summer, we are going to focus on intentional parenting and some screen free summer activities.

Here are my best ideas for activities to keep your kids engaged and enjoying the summer without constantly being bored, behind a screen, or that mom burnout feeling.

Ice Excavation

Sink or Float Experiment

Lemonade Stand

We got this idea from the Blipee episode here!

Chalk Math Hopscotch (Outdoor)

DIY Bird Feeder

Pretend Restaurant

Baking Soda Volcano Science

Build With Cardboard

Nature Treasure Hunt

Planting Seeds in Milk Cartons

Recycling Crayons

Rock Walk and Sort

DIY Candles

Create Costumes and Have a Superhero Day

Smores Outside

Create a Summer Memory Book

Find the Icecream Truck

Make Homemade Playdoh

Make a Solar Oven

Looking for more ideas for the summer? Check this post out: The Chaos of Summer Homeschooling Without a Schedule (And the Simple Fix That Saved Our Summer)

The Chaos of Summer Homeschooling Without a Schedule (And the Simple Fix That Saved Our Summer)

Teach Go Green — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:41:43 +0000

Every year during summer homeschool, I tell myself the same thing.

“This summer will be relaxed. No rigid schedule. Just fun.” And every year by about week two of summer break, everything starts to feel absolutely feral.

My two kids are bored or bickering, the house is messy because we’re home all day, and someone is asking for a snack every 12 minutes. I feel like I’m spiraling.

The days start to blur into a random mix of activities, too much TV/iPad time, and me wondering how it is only 11:17 AM!

If you’re anything like me, at first, it feels freeing not to follow a schedule. But after a few days, I start craving structure.

If you have ever paused during these summer months and thought, “Why does this feel harder than the school year?” You are not alone!

Kids thrive when they know what to expect. And honestly, so do us moms!

Without any structure, my kids are waking up at different times, everyone is wondering what we’re doing today, our time for learning starts to evaporate, I’m choosing more screen-time than usual, and I spend my day reacting and surviving.

Instead of feeling relaxed, it starts to feel like you are managing chaos all day long.

Summer does not need a strict schedule. But it does need a rhythm.

The Summer Homeschool Structure That Helped Me

Instead of recreating a full homeschool day, I started using a simple daily flow for summer homeschool. It’s nothing complicated, but predictable enough to keep me from spiraling.

Our summer homeschool day usually looks something like this:

Morning outside time
Learning activity or project
Lunch
Quiet time or reading
Creative play or hands-on activity
Family time in the evening

Why a Summer Schedule Actually Makes Summer Feel More Relaxing

This sounds backwards, but a simple schedule actually makes summer feel more relaxed.

When kids know what to expect, they stop constantly asking for directions. When you have a loose plan, you stop scrambling for ideas all day, and when learning has a small place in the routine, you avoid the summer learning slide.

My Typical Go-To Summer Homeschool Day Looks Like

I’m a firm advocate of using the summer to start your homeschool journey. You can get in some sort of groove, before the school year starts, and understand your kids’ learning styles.

If you are not sure where to start, here is a simple structure that has worked well for us for years!

1. Morning: Outside Time

Kids wake up with energy. This is the perfect time for:

• nature walks
• backyard science
• gardening
• bike rides
• chalk drawing
• water play

Fresh air early in the day makes a huge difference.

2. Late Morning: Light Learning

Summer learning does not need to be heavy. Your goal should be about 20-30 minutes. This is the time where you are reviewing and making sure they stay up to date on what they already know. We’re not teaching new concepts at this time. Think about things like:

• reading together
• simple science experiments
• journaling
• math games
• themed unit studies

Here are some awesome workbooks we love during the summer:

The Summer Before Kindergarten

The Summer Before Second Grade

Math With Confidence

3. Afternoon: Quiet Time

This is the reset button of the day, AKA my favorite part of the day! I pour myself an afternoon coffee and try to do something other than cleaning up the house/doing laundry! Sometimes this is even our transition into our late afternoon acitivity and the kids fall asleep in the car. I’ll put on a podcast, bring my coffee with me, and relax on our drive to our next destination.

This is also a work in progress for my family. My kids do not do quiet time well. They get bored, restless, and if they start feeling sleepy, they fight it…hard. Here are a few things that we try to incorporate into quiet time. I usually pair this with lunch time too to help.

Here are some ideas we use:

• independent reading
• drawing
• puzzles
• listening to audiobooks
• journaling

Although we haven’t gotten this part down perfectly, I stress to the kids that it is everyone’s time to reset. We need to rest and give our bodies a break.

4. Late Afternoon: Creative Play

This is our big activity or playdate. Think high energy, peak activity to start the descent into the nighttime.

Some of our favoirtes are

building forts
crafting
LEGO challenges
Pinterest science experiments
Trying new recipes

These are more hands-on learning activities.

5. Evening: Family Time

Time to start slowing down in the evening. This is my second favorite part of the day because my husband is off work and we’re all together. Here are some things we do during this time

Family walks around the neighborhood (good for the dog and us!)
Backyard games (swing set or those giant games like Connect 4!)
Movie nights
Grilling dinner outside (or smores nights!)
Local events

These moments always create those summer memories my kids remember years later!

My Homeschool Summer Scheduling Survival Guide!

After realizing how much smoother our days were with a gentle routine, I created something for our homeschool. It quickly became one of the most helpful things I use every summer. So I turned it into a free printable to share.

This printable guide helps you create structure without making summer feel like school.

Inside the guide you will find:

• A simple daily homeschool schedule planning guide
• A blank schedule page to customize
• A screen free activity idea list for bored afternoons
• Monthly learning themes for the entire summer

It is designed to help you plan just enough structure to keep the day flowing while still leaving plenty of room for summer fun.

You can download it here

Summer homeschooling does not need to look like the school year. Summer homeschool should feel slower, more playful, and less rigid, but a tiny bit of structure can make the difference. Adding some structure to your summer homeschool schedule is the difference between me having a house full of bored kids asking for snacks every ten minutes and a summer full of learning, exploring, and peaceful afternoons.

Sometimes the secret to a relaxed summer is simply knowing what comes next.

If you are planning your homeschool year or looking for more hands-on learning ideas, you might also enjoy:

Do not forget to grab the Homeschool Summer Scheduling Survival Guide to make this summer feel a little calmer.

The Best Ways to Teach Forms of Water To Elementary Kids

Teach Go Green — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 17:23:16 +0000

When I first started teaching little learners about the forms of water, I realized something quickly…saying solid, liquid, and gas over and over does not stick! My kids needed to see it, touch it, and play with it.

As a science teacher and homeschool mom, I learned that the best lessons happen when kids feel like they are discovering something instead of just memorizing vocabulary. That is exactly why I created my Forms of Water worksheets and use various activities to make sure my kids really get the concept down.

I need something simple, visual, and hands-on that helps kids truly understand what water looks like in different states.

In this post, I will show you how I teach the forms of water in a way that works for homeschool families and classrooms.

Here is my easy lesson introduction activity, lesson structure, discussion questions, and a printable activity you can use right away.

Items You’ll Need:

Before starting the lesson, you’ll need to gather a few items to help make this hands-on. It makes the lesson so much smoother if you already have these items gathered before you start going through the lesson.

Ice cubes
A clear glass of water
A kettle or pot (for steam!)
Paper and crayons (for drawing)
Whiteboard
Towels (for cleanup)
I’ve included some great worksheets for you here! Forms of Water Activity Pack

These simple materials make the lesson feel like a mini science lab for young learners.

Here’s How I Introduce the Forms of Water Lesson:

Start with the idea of a water mystery to build curiosity. My kids get so excited when I build up the anticipation.

Grab your ice, water, and your tea kettle (steaming hot!)

Show the kids the ice, water, and steam, but make sure not to say what each of them are.

Then you ask the kids one question: “Are these the same thing?”

Kids almost always say no at first.

Now, you start to invite them to say why. Give them space to say those observations out loud.

Ask questions like

• What does the ice feel like
• What happens when the ice sits in the tray
• Where does the steam go

Forms of Water Lesson Plan

I first explain that water can change form depending on temperature. I show how this happens using the following examples:

Solid

I hold the ice cube and explain that cold temperatures turn water into ice.

Liquid

I pour water into a clear glass so students can see how it moves and takes the shape of the container.

Gas

I show steam rising from warm water and explain that heat turns water into a gas.

Remember to keep the language simple! Water can be a solid, liquid, or gas. It is still water in every form.

Hands-On Practice

1.) Draw

It’s time to invite the students to draw the three forms of water in their notebooks or use their forms of water activities packet.

Ask them to label ice (solid), water (liquid), and steam (gas)

2.) Act it out

I ask my kids to show me what a sold, liquid, and gas would look like. They LOVE this part.

Solid stands still like ice.
Liquid wiggles and moves like water.
Gas floats around the room like steam.

Kids love this part.

Discussion

This is the part where we’re making sure the kids actually got the information.

Here are some questions I ask my students:

Where have you seen ice before
When do you see steam in your house
What happens to ice if you leave it outside
What happens to water when it gets very cold

These conversations help students understand that the forms of water are part of everyday life.

You simplify the lesson with a ready to use printable

You can grab my printable activity here: Understanding the Forms of Water

This resource works well for

• Pre K
• Kindergarten
• First grade
• Homeschool science lessons

Inside the resource, you will find activities that help kids identify and understand the forms of water in a simple visual way.

I designed this resource because I needed something quick and clear for my own lessons.

More Forms of Water Activities Kids Will Love

If your students enjoyed this lesson, try extending the learning with a few more activities.

Ice Melt Observation

You place an ice cube on a tray and let students watch what happens over time. Ask them to describe the change.

Steam Watch

You boil water safely and let students observe steam rising. Talk about how heat changes liquid water into gas.

Freeze and Predict

You place water in the freezer and ask students to predict what will happen overnight.

These small experiments help young learners see the science in action.

You might also enjoy these related activities on the blog:

Teaching the forms of water does not need to be complicated. Kids learn best when they can see and explore the concept in real life.

That is why I love using simple demonstrations and printable activities that keep the focus on curiosity and discovery.

If you are teaching early science at home or in the classroom, this resource can make the lesson feel simple and engaging.

You are already doing something powerful by helping kids notice the science in everyday moments. Keep going. The small lessons you teach today are building lifelong curiosity.

I Pulled Off A Schoolwide STEM Day! Here’s What Happened and How You Can Do It Too

Teach Go Green — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:08:00 +0000

Here’s exactly how I organized a vendor-driven STEM Day that ran like clockwork!

The idea of schoolwide STEM Day was sparked by my previous profession as an education and outreach professional who participated in hundreds of STEM Days. As a teacher, I knew that I wanted to find a way to bring real STEM professionals to the school to show students that what they’re learning in class can really translate into the real world. What’s more, choosing local professionals helped the students learn about STEM events and opportunities happening in their own community.

Last month, my school hosted our first schoolwide STEM day, which was both memorable and rewarding for the students. Instead of stations being run by teachers or student leaders, I invited community STEM vendors to partner with us!

Every student group met with our vendors for about 5 minutes, then rotated. They were able to connect with real professionals in a high-impact, fun way.

In this post, I’m breaking down exactly how I planned the schoolwide STEM Day, how I ran the day, and the lessons learned so your school can do it too! Also, even if you’re not in a formal school setting, I’ve attending these with a homeschool coop, and it still works well!

Why I chose a Vendor STEM Day

I chose a vendor STEM day because I wanted students to hear real voices from STEM fields. I didn’t just want them to learn what STEM stood for, I wanted to see it happening in the realworld. Our school is pre-k through 12th grade, so it was important that our STEM Day was highly engaging and varied for multiple age groups. I didn’t want the kids waiting in long lines or being bored, so we structured the day to be broken into short, five minute rotations to keep everyone’s energy high.

As a teacher, I also looked at this event from my perspective. Although we always love to have opportunities for our students, we don’t necessarily want extra work in order to participate. I made sure that this was a guiding principle while I was planning the schoolwide STEM Day.

I asked for permission to plan this event from my admin about 14-20 weeks before I planned to have the actual schoolwide STEM Day. My administration allowed me to lead the planning and run the event with periodic update meetings throughout the planning process.

Choosing Vendors

In full transparency, I have been in the STEM field in my community for over 10 so I already had a lot of built-in contacts. However, I wanted to make sure I had a wide-range of vendors to peak various student interests.

First, research! This is your brainstorming stage.

When you’re looking for vendors, make a list of all the vendors you want to invite. Check their website, social media, and if possible, fill out their vendor request form. For each potential vendor, write their name, contact number, contact email, and the contact person’s name.

For your first schoolwide STEM Day, double the number of vendors you want to attend. My goal for this schoolwide STEM day was 10 vendors. I reached out to 20 vendors and received confirmation from 11 vendors.

What To Say To Vendors

My first form of contact for each of the vendors was email. This was easiest for me to reach out to a large number of people at one time. Later, some vendors set up a phone call with me to brainstorm and talk about details, but initially, I reached out via e-mail.

At this stage, I didn’t have a lot of details to send about the event. My goal here was to make sure interested vendors saved the date and reserved their calendar to attend. At this stage, you still have time to plan the details.

Suggested Timeline: Send an email request for vendors 8-10 weeks before the event. Here is my sample e-mail.

Planning the Details of the Schoolwide STEM Day

This is the meat and potatoes of the event. In my opinion, this is my favorite part because I love details. For me, the more details, the better.

I planned out the day based on my goal number of vendors I wanted to attend the event. Once I received confirmations from the vendors, I was able to make mild adjustments according to my actual numbers.

I divided our students by grade level.
I assigned each group a starting vendor station
Timed out each rotation for 5 minutes.

Here is what my rotation system looked like:

Communication with Vendors, Staff, and Students

Communication is so important!

Throughout this process, I kept an active Google Document with my admin so they could see any updates in real time. This helped keep them informed if they needed additional information. I also set up a meeting with the admin once a month to give updates and ask any logistical questions I had at the time

For teachers, we sent out a flyer with all the information teachers needed to know, including times and location. They were also made aware of their roles and student expectations.

Communication with Vendors

For vendors, I sent out an email with the schedule, objectives, and answers to questions they may have had.

Email to vendors one month before – please customize for your event specifics.

Roles for Vendors, Staff, and Students

Vendor Roles

Ensure vendors know to bring hands-on activities. I told the vendors our students love activities that are messy, uses technology, is a competition or game, and anything helps them think of everyday items in a new way. Make sure to find out if your vendors need electricity or access to water, and whether they need a table and chairs or if they will bring their own. Vendors received a “stamp“/dot marker to mark the sheet of each of the students who came to their table to count as attendance for the student. I left a welcome sheet and a schedule of the day on each table.

Staff Roles

I created signs for staff to keep their students together in groups. The teachers were responsible for making sure the students were broken up into groups before they came to the gym for the schoolwide STEM day.

Student Roles

The students received a STEM bingo card. They were required to have each vendor stamp their name on the bingo card. On the back of the bingo card are reflection questions that their teacher can use with them in class after the event.

Screenshot

Lessons learned

Now that our first schoolwide STEM Day is done, I will incorporate an FAQ. This will help answer questions before they’re asked outloud. I will also add some sample questions for the students to ask the vendors. This will help the students stay engaged while at each of the vendor tables. I will also do a morning huddle with the vendors and staff before the event to make sure everyone knows how the day is going to go.

Integrating real STEM careers into a schoolwide STEM Day elevated student learning in ways that felt authentic, exciting, and unique. The 5-minute rotation worked so well because it kept the energy high for every class.

Whether you’re in a small school district, a large school district, or a local homeschool coop, I encourage you to plan a schoolwide STEM Day. This model is adaptable for any size.

Products you may like

Check out these guest speaker worksheets for your next career day event or guest speaker presentation! Keep your students engaged with these activities to pique their interest, encourage critical thinking, and prepare them to make the most of the guest speaker’s insights.

The Best Homeschool Ideas For Teaching Living and Nonliving Things

Teach Go Green — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:44:47 +0000

Why Teaching Living and Nonliving Things Can Feel Tricky

When I’m teaching living and nonliving things I’ve found that some students actually have a hard time with the conept! When we start this unit, students have an easy time catorizing items like “a dog” or “a rock”, but when it comes to things like “clouds” or “fire” or even “a leaf that fell of the tree”, the kids have a harder time categorizing.

As a homeschool mom, it’s important to be prepared for this potential confusion and be prepared to meet the students where they are and help them understand the concepts of living and nonliving things, even when the choices seem less clear.

When something moves, changes, or looks alive, even if it technically isn’t, it can get confusing. However, with simple language, real-life examples, and hands-on experiences, kids can build a strong understanding that actually sticks.

What Living and Nonliving Things Really Mean

Keeping it simple, here are some characteristics of living things.

A living thing is something that needs food and water to live! Living things can grow and change.

Criteria for living things:

Need food, water
Need air
Need shelter
Grow and change
Can reproduce
Move or respond to their environment
Need care to stay healthy

A nonliving thing does not need food or water. Nonliving things do not grow or change on their own.

Criteria for nonliving things:

Do NOT need food, water, or air
Do NOT grow or reproduce
Can move or change, but only because something else causes it

Remember, movement alone does not mean something is living. Once kids understand that living things meet their own needs, I’ve found that everything becomes clearer.

Real-Life Ways to Teach Living and Nonliving Things

You don’t need the perfect lesson plan to make this work! Honestly, this is such a great lesson to teach outdoors, especially during the springtime. Here are a few ways to teach living and nonliving things with a real world connection.

1. Nature Walks

On a nature walk you’ll find plenty of living and nonliving things.

One way we extend this living vs. nonliving exploration is with nature walks using this nature journal. Being able to actually see different living and nonliving things helps bring this lesson to life.

2. Everyday household items

As we know as homeschool moms, everyday household items are an excellent opportunity for learning. Even when I’m teaching in the classoom, I can guide students to pull from things found in their home rather than having them identify items that may not have as much meaning to thing.

The home is already full of so many examples!

Living: pets, houseplants, people

Nonliving: furniture, toys, dishes, books

Talking about these familiar objects helps kids connect science to real life instead of seeing it as just a school-only topic.

Hands-On Living and Nonliving Activities Kids Actually Enjoy

3. Planting

You can build on these living vs. nonliving observations with simple planting activities.

Planting is one of the easiest ways to reinforce living and nonliving concepts. Kids have an opportunity to observe seeds change over time, notice how plants need water, sunlight, and care, and even compare a growing plan to nonliving soil or pots.

4. Living and Nonliving Sorting Activity

This sorting activity is such a great way to help kids practice decision-making related to the topic of living and nonliving things.

Here are some questions to make sure to ask your students:

“Why did you place this here?”
“What made you so sure or unsure?”

Having conversations about their choices helps to utilize critical thinking skills and check for deeper understanding.

5. Simple Science Investigations

If you have a microscope, this is a perfect opportunity to compare living and nonliving things under the microscope!

Creative & Visual Ways to Reinforce Living and Nonliving Concepts

6. Drawing and Labeling

Drawing and labeling the characteristics helps slow down your kids’ thinking and deepen their understanding.

7. Journals, Mini Books, and Anchor Charts

My kids LOVE anchor charts. These anchor charts with characteristics of living things can be incredibly powerful when confusion comes up later. You can refer back to this visual tool to remind the kids the difference between living and nonliving things again and again.

Teaching Living and Nonliving Things Through Play and Movement

8. Scavenger hunts

My default is a scavenger hunt as often as possible! They require little to no prepa and help get the kids up and moving. It also allows them to make connections to the real world!

Have you kids search for living and nonliving things around the yard or at a part and you can either sort them as they go or have them do it all at the end.

9. Act it out (grow, move, stay still)

This one is so fun because it allows kids to use their imagination! Personally, my son LOVES the opporutnity to act it out.

Here are some ideas:

Pretend to grow like a plant
Breath like a living thing
Freeze like a non living object

Movement really helps cement abstract ideas in a memorable way!

How We Approach Living and Nonliving Things in Our Homeschool

TIPS: Adapting Living and Nonliving Lessons for Different Ages

For Younger Learners

Focus on observation
Fewer words
Repetition

For our little learners, here are some great age-appropriate science ideas to incoporate at home.

For Older Learners

Life cycles
Needs vs wants
Environmental connections

For older students, you can connect living and nonliving concepts to the life cycle of a compost pile.

Simple Nature Tools We Actually Use for Homeschool Science

We don’t bring much with us, but having a magnifying glass or small observation tool really helps kids slow down and notice details.

Outdoor Essentials for Year-Round Homeschool Learning

Getting outside is always easiest for us when eveyone is comfortable and prepared.

Get a full Living and Nonliving Things Mini Packet Here

Earth Day Stations: Creative Spring Activities You Need to Try

Teach Go Green — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:08:00 +0000

Earth Day stations are a favorite way to celebrate because they’re interactive, fun, coordinate with learning goals, and also get the kids moving! The students get to try a little bit of everything all in one day.

You can do this in your homeschool or classroom. If you work alongside other teachers, you can set up these stations in a central location, like the library or the resource room, and have each class rotate into the room. Coordinate with the other teachers in your grade/subject and make a schedule so each student has time to rotate.

These Earth Day stations can be adjusted for different grade levels too! I’ve done this even with high school students, just make each station applicable to what they may be learning in science or important Earth Day concepts. Below, I’ll give some examples to help inspire you.

Earth Day Stations: Transform your classroom into an Earth Day celebration with multiple stations:

Below is your detailed guide to running 4 Earth Day-themed stations, complete with activities for each. Grab your supplies, set expectations, and let’s make Earth Day hands-on and memorable for your students!

Step 1: Prep Your Station Rotation Plan

Decide on your group size — I recommend 4 groups with around 5-6 students per group (adjust for your class size).
Timing: Plan for 15-20 minutes per station. The whole event will run about 1.5 hours, including cleanup and transitions.
Print and prep materials — Print all printables ahead of time, prep sensory bins, gather rocks, planting materials, and recyclables.
Label your stations — Use signs or posters: “Story Time Station,” “Rock Station,” etc.
Create a rotation chart — Display it so students know where they’re headed next.

Step 2: Introduce Earth Day Stations

Before jumping in, gather your class and explain:

What is Earth Day?
Each activity
Rotation expectations (quiet voices, clean-up, teamwork)
How they’ll rotate (timer/bell will signal when to switch)

Tip: Use a fun Earth Day video or read an Earth Day book to kick things off!

Step 3: Run The Stations

Step 4: Rotation Logistics

Set a timer or bell for 15-35 minutes per station.
Give a 5-minute warning for wrapping up and cleaning.
Have students rotate clockwise to avoid traffic jams.
Assign one adult/volunteer per station if possible for smoother flow.

Step 5: Wrap-Up and Reflect

Gather your students back together:

Share what they loved most
Let students show off their crafts (books, rocks, handprints)
Recap what we learned about Earth Day and taking care of the planet

Extra Tips for Success

Play soft nature sounds or Earth Day music during stations
Have a clean-up plan ready for the sensory bin, paint, and planting
Take photos to create an Earth Day bulletin board or digital slideshow
Send home student creations with a short Earth Day info sheet for parents

Station Idea #1: Trace and Color Pages

Students trace Earth Day words and color the pictures.

Station Idea #2: Earth Day Bingo

Play a round (or two) of bingo using printable cards. Reward winners with a sticker or small prize.

Station Idea #3: Earth Day Bookmarks

Students color bookmarks with Earth-friendly messages.

Station Idea #4: Earth Day Book

Students color and staple their mini book to read later.

Station Idea #5: Rock Hunt

If you can go outside, students search for unique rocks (if not, provide rocks in a bin).

Station Idea #6: Rock Sink or Float Activity

Students predict, test, and record if rocks sink or float in a tub of water. Keep towels nearby!

Station Idea #7: Rock Sensory Bin

Set up a bin with rocks, dirt, sand, and magnifying glasses for exploration.

Station Idea #8: Rock Bingo

Play rock-themed bingo based on rock types, textures, or colors.

Station Idea #9: Happy Earth, Sad Earth Habits

Students write whether each practice is a happy or sad environmental actions.

Station Idea #10: Earth Day Coloring Spinner Wheel

Students color their spinner and play by spinning and landing on actions.

Station Idea #11: Recycling/Trash/Compost sort

Use printed pictures. Students sort using the provided sheet.

Station Idea #12: Earth Day Handprint Activity

Students make a handprint Earth using the printable below by dipping their hands in the paint and adding it to the paper.

Station Idea #13: Planting seeds in old egg cartons, cleaned keurig cups, or small plastic cups

Use egg cartons or yogurt cups. Label them for students to take home.

Station Idea #14: Gardening Bingo

Play bingo with garden-themed words or pictures.

Station Idea #15: DIY Seed paper

Use shredded scrap paper. Mix with water, press into shapes, and dry to plant later.

Station Idea #16: Garden Rock Painting

Students paint rocks with flowers, Earth symbols, or words like “Grow” or “Recycle.”

Station Idea #17: Window Sill Herbs

Station Idea #18: Ecosystem Coloring Pages

Station Idea #19: Earth Day Scattegories/Fact or Fiction

Station Idea #20: Create an Earth Day Poster

I hope you enjoyed this blog post all about Earth Day Stations!

You’ll Be Surprised How Much Learning Happened When We Tried These Simple Valentine Homeschool Ideas

Teach Go Green — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 14:08:00 +0000

I’m always looking for Valentine homeschool ideas because If I’m being honest, February is one of the hardest months for me. The pace is still slow, the cold dark days are getting old, and the magic of Christmas feels like a distant memory. Even though it is the shortest month, I often find myself searching for little ways to bring joy into the gloom.

Valentine’s Day is one of those bright spots that I make sure to emphasize for my homeschool students. I love weaving this fun, love-filled holiday into our lessons without making it complicated, expensive, or overly “Pinterest perfect.” Instead, I look for meaningful activities that spark curiosity, invite connection, and make learning feel gentle and hands-on.

If you’re looking for Valentine’s Day homeschool ideas that add joy, comfort, and creativity to your days, you’ll love the simple activities I’m sharing here.

Download the FREE Valentine’s Day Candy Hearts Chemistry Mini Lab!

Valentine Homeschool Ideas:

“Heart Hike”

Bundle up and take your kids outside! Have your kids gather items they can use to make a heart!

Extension for older students:

As an extension for older kids, have them draw a real heart and label each part of the heart and rearch the role of each component of the heart. Have the older kids then read this article and in a paragraph (3-5 sentences) answer how did the human heart become associated with love?

Candy Heart Dissolving

Candy Heart FREE Mini Lab Lesson

Let’s combine the holiday with chemistry for these Valentine’s Day homeschool ideas! Grab a bag of candy hearts and let’s do some experimenting! Test different liquids to see which liquid will cause the candy hearts to dissolve the quickest. I use

Water
Vinegar
Juice
Soda

Before we begin, my students predict what they think will happen. They record the start time and the time the candy fully dissolves. For older students, I challenge them to explain why certain liquids worked faster than others based on acidity, composition, or chemical reactions.

Nature Love Letter

I get my kids to write a love letter to Earth! I ask them to use words like plants, animals, water, sun, air, trees, flowers, etc. They may even be able to use words like pollinators, climate, or habitat. You can even ask them to explain how we can show love to our Earth. Once they are done writing their “love letter,” have them draw a picture of something they love on Earth/in nature. For older students, I have them write a love letter or a poem to something in nature that they love and cannot imagine living without.

Shoe Box for Candy Collection

I saved the best for last!

For younger kids:

Grab a shoe box and don’t just decorate it with random items, go out into nature and collect items during a nature walk. Use those items to glue on the box and use it as a candy collection box for Valentine’s Day treats.

For the older students:

This is where I blend hands-on learning with our curriculum. One of my favorite Valentine’s Day homeschool ideas is turning a shoebox into an ocean model and a treat box.

My eighth graders love decorating their boxes because they know that after we label the ocean features, the candy goes inside!

We label:

Continental shelf
Slope and rise
Abyssal plain
Mid-ocean ridge
Deep ocean trench
Seamounts
Hydrothermal vents
Any other ocean details they want to include

It becomes such an engaging and memorable lesson. Cozy. Intentional. Real science without losing Valentines Day theme.

I hope you found some value in this post to help bring some fun and connection into your home this month. These fun science homeschool Valentine’s Day ideas are meant to make learning at home uncomplicated, but educational.

Don’t forget to check out this freebie to help you with the candy dissolving activity.

And if you’re looking for more easy Valentine’s Day science activities, check out the fun, hands-on resources in my TPT store as well.

TPT Activities You May Like:

Last Minute Teacher Valentines Day Gift Ideas (Easy Printables)!

Teach Go Green — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 14:08:00 +0000

1. Amazon Gift Card Holder

As a way to say thank you for being an AMAZON teacher, grab this Amazon gift card holder to add to thier Amazon Gift card.

This gift is great even as a last minute teacher Valentines Day gift idea because it is easy to print and add a gift card!

2. Target Gift Card Holder

Similiar to the Amazon gift card holder, this last minute Valentines Day gift idea is easy because it is editable and printable. This makes it an easy gift idea for any teacher.

3. Coffee Shop Gift Card Holder

These are the cutest! Coffee is essential for most teachers and this gift card holder adds a special and personalized touch to a last minute Valentines Day gift.

4. Sweetheart Candy Card

Print out this last minute Valentines Day gift tag to add to some sweet treats as a gift for teachers!

5. Reasons Why I Love My Teacher

Your child can show their teacher some love with this super simple fill-in-the-blank teacher card! Download this card, print, and gift it!

You can print these at home the night before (or the morning of!) and have your kid fill it out right before school, making it a great last minute Valentines day gift idea for teachers.

6. Flower Tag

Head to your garden to pick some flowers for this last minute teacher Valentines Day gift idea!

7. Hand Sanitizer Gift Tag

This is one of the best last minute teach Valentines Day gift ideas because every teacher could use more hand sanitizer.

Download this gift tag and add it to a bottle of hand sanitizer for the perfect gift.

8. Lotto Ticket

This is such a cute and fun last minute teacher Valeintes Day gift idea. You can print this tag before you leave that morning and grab a lotto ticket from the gas station on the way!

9. Donuts

Print out this free printable and grab a box of donuts for this teacher’s Valentine’s Day gift! It’s so simple and the teachers will absolutely love it!

10. Coloring Page

All our kids are little artists at heart! Let your artist show off their skills with this last minute teacher Valentines Day gift idea.

Simply print this page, and have your child draw a picture for their teacher for Valentines Day!

11. Editable Thumbprint Keepsake

Grab some paint (or ink!) and have your child add their thumbprint to the hearts in this printable.

You can easily print this at home and add it in a frame for your child’s teacher to keep!

12. Plant Tag Valentines Card

Grab a plant or a plant propagation from home and add this tag to it!

Have your child write their favorite things about their teacher to really make them feel the love.

Don’t forget this free download! I’ve used it for Valentine’s Day AND Teacher Appreciation

I hope you enjoyed these last minute teacher Valentines Gift Ideas!

The 7 Best Habits to Reset for the New Year and Get Your S*it Together

Teach Go Green — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:03:00 +0000

If you’re looking for ways to reset for the new year, this post is for you! The start of a new year feels like the perfect opportunity to analyze what you want to improve from the year before and move forward with how you’d like to get your s*it together.

This post is all about the 17 best habits to reset for the new year!

1. Take a look at the past, present, and future

Take some time to reflect on the past year, the present year and the future. By future, I mean the latter half of the year. Often when we’re resetting for the new year, we start habits that we don’t carry throughout the year. In order to have a successful reset and truly get your s*it together, we’re going for longevity here!

Ask yourself:

Past: What is one thing from the past year I want to bring into this year?
Past: What is one thing from the past year I don’t want to bring into this year?
Present: What actions can I take to be more mindful in the present?
Present: What matters in my life right now? Why?
Future: What challenges have I overcome so far this year?
Future: Look back at your list of goals for the year. Which goal can I strive to achieve by the end of this year?

2. Bask in silence

A study in the journal Heart in 2006 found that silence can relieve tension in just two minutes (source). If you’re trying to reset for the new year, consider making space for silence. Although many of us are intimidated by silence and often avoid it at all costs, silence is incredibly beneficial.

One of the biggest benefits of silence is that it encourages mindfulness and increases focus. The clarity provided by silence can help you to think more clearly about your goals and actionable steps to achieve them.

Additionally, silence has medical benefits for your body such as decreased stress, stimulated brain growth, lessened insomnia, increased awareness, ability to hear your inner voice, and decrease feeling overwhelmed.

This year, challenge yourself to bask in silence. Silence is truly golden.

3. Declutter your email inbox

Let’s declutter that inbox this year! Let’s be honest, how many unread emails do you have? Declutter is such an easy way to help reduce stress and get your s*it together. While most people think of a part of their home to declutter such as minimizing their closet, don’t forget to tackle that email inbox.

Not only can decluttering your email inbox help you become more organized, they also help decrease your carbon footprint! Sending emails and storing them requires energy which creates CO2 (carbon dioxide), a greenhouse gas. Although this is a very small percentage of overall CO2 emissions, think about what a difference this can make if everyone unsubscribes from unwanted email lists.

Don’t forget to unsubscribe from unwanted e-mail lists as well. This will prevent your inbox from cluttering back up!

4. First Fifteen

When you are considering how you want to reset for the new year, consider your morning routine in the process! What you do when you first wake up in the morning is instrumental. In fact, the first fifteen minutes of your day can determine the outcome of the rest of your day.

How your first fifteen looks may be different for everyone because we may each have different goals we want to get out of the day. Regardless of the way the first fifteen look, being intentional about those first few minutes will make a difference.

Here are some things to consider for your first fifteen:

Praying/Meditating
Reading
Not checking updates on your phone (texts, emails, etc.)/ not going on social media
Make your bed
Enjoy a cup of coffee in silence
Listen to a podcast or audiobook
Go outside
Journal

Take control of your day as soon as it gets started!

5. Wake up before the kids

I’ll be honest, this one tip has completely reset and reshaped my year.

If you’re a mom, this is a habit you absolutely have to incorporate in your reset for the new year! This tip goes hand in hand with the tips above, the first fifteen. Even if you’re only waking up 15 minutes before your kids – it makes a difference!

Waking up before my kids allows me time to be ME before I am MOM. I can set my intention for the day on my own terms instead of reacting to the terms of others. In addition, it helps you bring more clarity and patience to the start of your day! You’ve already taken care of yourself, now you have more mental space to take care of others. When I wake up before the kids I’m more gentle, peaceful, and understanding. This habit makes mornings much smoother which helps for a less chaotic start to the day.

6. Move your body

I cannot talk enough about the benefits of moving your body. Being physically active is not only great for you mentally, but also physically.

The release of endorphins to your body helps reduce stress and it is beneficial for your health. Moving your body actually helps you better do other things in your life! It helps your memory and your thinking.

Now I know that we’re all incredibly busy and we often don’t have time to fit in moving our body, but don’t overcomplicate it. Moving your body does not have to mean spending 30 minutes to an hour in the gym 5 days a week.

Sometimes we’re not able to truly get feel like we’ve gotten our s*it together because our goals for ourselves are unrealistic.

Here are some simple ways to incorporate moving your body in your reset for the new year:

Take a walk around your neighborhood in the morning before work or evening after work. If you work from home, take a short walk during your lunch break.
Practice yoga! I’ve recently been loving Yoga by Adriene on YouTube. Some of her videos are 10 minutes long (like this one!). I even do bedtime Yoga videos if I’m pressed for time! Those are usually very short, can be done in bed, and help reduce stress and promote sleep.
Walk your dog. Having a dog is great motivation to get your body moving. Both you and your fur baby will appreciate it!
Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
Park far away when you drive to the store. This will help you get a few extra steps in!
Use a tracker to track your steps: a Fit Bit, an Apple Watch, etc.
If you work at a desk, stand up during part of your workday.

7. Top three goals of the day

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re trying to reset for the new year. Start the habit of writing out 3 goals for the day. This is helpful because it allows your mind to focus on a smaller about of items to tackle. It is also helpful because it is realistic and manageable. This inspires you to actually get things done instead of experiencing paralysis from overwhelm.

For more on how to make an effective to-do list, check out my blog post here on How To Create a To-Do List That Actually Motivates You

BONUS: Set up monthly reminders to check in on progress

As we get further from the new year, we have a habit of forgetting about the goals and resolutions we made at the beginning of the year. In fact, research has shown that about 80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail by February (source).

To hold yourself accountable, set up monthly reminders to check in on your progress. Are you meeting the goals you’ve set for yourself? Are you maintaining the habits you’ve wanted to put into place? Checking in with yourself will help you make corrections and continue your reset throughout the year.

I hope you enjoyed this post all about how habits to reset for the new year!

20 Tips To Help Kids Play Outside More (Helpful Ideas!)

Teach Go Green — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:02:09 +0000

No matter if you love being outside, live in the middle of a busy city, or have a cozy home in the suburbs, we probably all want to help our kids play outside more. There’s a lot of research on why outdoor play is so important for young kids, but honestly, the benefits don’t stop there. Teens, adults, and really anyone can gain so much from spending time in nature. Being outside matters at every age.

Here are some of the reasons it is important to help kids play outside more:

You get natural vitamin D. Did you know 1 in 4 U.S. adults has low vitamin D (source)? We all need vitamin D to help with bone health, heart disease, depression,and even weight loss. While some people resort to taking supplements with Vitamin D, it can also be obtained naturally – by spending time outside! According to the National Institutes of Health, Vitamin D cannot be absorbed from a window (source).

Being outside decreases anxiety, stress, and depression. There is a direct correlation with time outside and a decrease in anxiety levels. If your children or teens are experiencing any feelings of stress and anxiety, encouraging them to go outside more could have a positive impact on their mental health. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, “participants who took nature walks had a significant increase in positive emotions and a decrease in negative emotions following the activity” (source).

Time outside encourages children to stay physically active. This is important for their overall health and well-being. When children are outside, they are more likely to run, jump, lift, etc. This type of exercise is incredible for promoting physically healthier children.

Time outside leads to longer attention spans. If you’re a parent, I’m sure you’re incredibly familiar with the (selective) short attention span of children. Sometimes it is incredibly hard to get children to focus and concentrate. Did you know that spending more time outside can help kids have better focus? According to the Attention Restoration Theory, exposure to nature actually helps us concentrate. Instead of fatiguing our minds with distractions from urban settings, nature provides a restorative role, aiding in focus (source).

How Do I Encourage Kids To Want To Go Outside

Volunteer Doing an Outdoor Event

From Great American Cleanup and community gardens to wildlife surveys and tour guides, there are an incredible amount of opportunities to help your kids want to go outside!

Plan outdoor events around good weather

This is a beginner tip to help encourage your kids to want to go outside. If going outside is out of your kids comfort zone, try planning your time outdoors around good weather to start! This is a fun way to remove a barrier and help them more easily enjoy their time. When the weather feels too hot or too cold, it may be harder for kids who do not enjoy being outside to have fun. Planning your outdoor time around mild temperatures is the best way to help your child begin to create a connection with the natural world, and even if they don’t want to go outside at first, they certainly won’t mind as much.

Utilize outdoor facilities

From new parks to nature conservancies, there is an exorbitant amount of outdoor facilities to help encourage kids to want to go outside. Depending on the age of your child, they may be too young or too old to just go outside in play on their own, so this is a way to have more structured time outdoors. Some of my favorite places to take the kids outdoors include the zoo, parks (of course), and community pools. These, of course, will vary as the colder weather sets in, but bundle up and go for it! You can even try places like farmers’ markets and outdoor malls/shopping centers. Bonus: these places almost always have outdoor games and outdoor space for kids.

Make it fun with outdoor scavenger hunts

I’ve create a few nature scavenger hunts for different age groups! Whether you’re looking for a comprehensive nature walk guide complete with an outdoor scavenger hunt, or just an easy scavenger hunt to do in your neighborhood, I’ve got you covered. Check out these options on my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Invite others along with you

I call this the accountability buddy! This is an especially helpful tip to encourage kids to want to go outside if you have an older child – invite others along with you! Whether that is other family members, neighbors, some friends/classmates, or even just a friend for you to chat with while you child plays. Inviting others along with you is a great opportunity to hold you accountable to make sure to stick to the commitment of getting outside.

Check out Social Media and Facebook groups to find play groups or groups with similar interests to your child

Use social media to your advantage by finding Facebook groups to find groups of people you can connect with on your journey to spending time outside. I’m incredibly new to using Facebook groups in this way, but I’ve found it so helpful! Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures for young kids or just looking for things to do to get your kids away from sitting in front of a screen, Facebook groups can offer you a plethora of options.

This summer, I recently connected with a Facebook group for toddlers 2-5. We went to new places we had never experienced, met new friends, and had so much fun on play dates with kids the same age as mine. Even though this example is for my younger kids, there are still opportunities for older kids through Facebook groups. Especially if your kids have a particular interest or hobby. Use that as a way to search for groups to join. Another great way to use social media to your advantage to encourage kids to go outside is to use the events tab on social media platforms and enter a keyword. You can also search using hashtags!

Create a reward at the end

This helpful tip works great for older kids and younger kids who don’t spend much time outside, but may need some encouragement to get outside. Is there something your child can look forward to when they get back inside? Or perhaps something you will do after your time outside. For example, perhaps after your time outside, your child can have screen time or play video games for a period of time. During the summer, I use the incentive of getting a cold treat. My children and I will walk to the nearest store and the reward is them being able to pick a snack at the store. If we’re doing an outdoor event, perhaps we’ll get icecream or an icee after the event concludes.

Romanticize the time

I’m all about romanticizing my life. When I reflect back to my childhood, I realize my mom encouraged us by romanticizing the things we may not want to do, but we needed to do for whatever reason. Romanticizing is a great way to make a task that kids may not want to do, like going outside, more appealing and exciting. Here is how I would suggest romanticizing outdoor time to help kids want to go outside:

Use the 5 senses to talk about what the child will experience. What will the child smell when they are outside? What will they see? What will they hear? Will they be able to taste anything when they go outside?

How long will your kids be outside? Perhaps you can mention that you will set the timer for 30 minutes, and when the timer goes off, you all will come back inside and move on to another activity.

Talk about how your child will feel after getting outside. Use mental, physical, and emotional feelings they may experience.

Dress appropriately for the weather/season

Whether you’re going to a nearby park at a local playground or spending time in a big yard, dress appropriately for the weather/season. This is especially appropriate for inclement weather such as rain, snow, extreme cold weather, etc. Although this tip may seem obvious, it is a simple idea that is often missed and can drastically contribute to why a child may not want to spend time outside.

Last week, temperatures changed drastically, and we still wanted to go on a nighttime walk. My husband was going to let the kids go outside in the same clothes they had been wearing around the house. I knew that if they were dressed appropriately,y they would start complaining and want to head back inside before we got a decent walk in. So I took the time to dress them appropriately before we went outside, so everyone was more comfortable and could actually enjoy this time. Sometimes this means bringing “just in case clothes” that you may need to add or change your child into.

Just sit outside

Okay, this is super low-hanging fruit. Literally, just sit outside. This is an effortless idea to encourage your kids to get outside. During my own childhood, I remember hating to go outside. Between the bugs and the humid Virginia weather or snowy Connecticut weather, I much preferred the controlled temperatures of indoors. To get me outside, my mom would just encourage me to sit with her. She would tell me to grab a book, grab a drink, and just come sit. Although I didn’t necessarily look forward to it initially, I eventually began to not only enjoy that time, but also look forward to spending time sitting outside with my mom. It usually turned into conversations, discussions, and a bit of a bonding experience.

Take the inside, outside

Encourage your kids to go outside by bringing the inside outside! Here’s what I mean: if you don’t have outdoor toys for your kids to play outside, bring some toys from inside! Although it is always great to have toys made for the outdoors, you don’t have to have the latest swing set or picnic table to spend time outside. Bring the same items you kids play with inside, outside!

Eat outside

This is such an easy and effortless way to spend more time outdoors. I find this especially helpful for older kids. Take your child out to lunch or on a coffee date and sit outside and enjoy your food. Even though this may not be a great outdoor adventure, it does allow your child to be able to experience some time outside a building and get some fresh air and (hopefully) sunshine!

Unstructured Play

If possible, encourage unstructured play. Again, my kids are young, so I do have to be there to supervise a bit, but I like to give them parameters – don’t go past this or this, everything else is fair game. I sit back and let their imagination run wild! If necessary, I will introduce items like sidewalk chalk or outdoor toys, but usually I let them enjoy imaginative play.

Kids can get so creative and imaginative if we give them to space to do so. I am fascinated by the way my kids will create their own rules and the games they create when I sit back and let them do their thing.

If your child struggles to join sports (like me!) or participate in extracurriculars, unstructured play may be for them! Remember to try not to intervene too much and allow them to put their minds to work.

Make it a family thing

Similar to romanticizing spending time outside, make it a family thing! Instead of your child feeling like you’re forcing them outside or forcing them to turn off their devices, change it into a “this is what our family does”. This may look like a routine – on Saturday mornings, we go for a walk, or after dinner, we have our dessert on the back porch. This can also look like once a month we go on a bike ride, or each family member gets to take turns picking an outdoor activity for the family.

Encourage Your Kids To Get Messy

As an environmental educator, I always try to add fun to lessons and activities. This often includes water, dirt, and general messiness. While most kids love it, there’s the occasional kids who clearly were not allowed to get dirty at home and refused to do the activity or asks to wash their hands immediately after.

If you’re looking for a way to encourage your kids to get outdoors, let them get messy! Turn on the house, go outside in the rain, make dirt patties, and let them enjoy themselves. Spend less time worrying about the mess and allow more time for self discovery and free play.

Take a hike

There a bit of a difference between a hike and a walk. Hikes are a bit longer and can include changes in elevation. Hiking takes a bit of a commitment because it is typically a bit harder than a causal walk, but when I’m hiking I feel so much more submerged in nature and my natural environment. Get on some comfortable shoes or hiking boots, find a trail or nature park and get out for a hike. You can even incorporate games like scavenger hunts, I spy, twenty questions, etc. to make it even more fun.

Take the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge (source)

Have you heard of this challenge? It’s an awesome idea to challenge families to spend more time outside and less time on screens. According to research, children are spending 1200 hours a year, on average, on screens (source). In order to help to match some of the times students are spending on screens, the 1000 hours outside challenge was created.

Download the free tracking sheet and get outside! I love the idea of this challenge because it makes it a bit of a competition. How many hours can you do? Can you beat the amount of hours you did last year? Maybe you can even set milestones and rewards once you hit a certain number of hours outside.

Resources To Know About That Will Help Your Kids Want To Go Outside

Read Raising An Outdoor Kid In an Inside World

Get It Here

This in an inspiring book helping to encourage you to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. The author is both knowledgeable and motivating to help you create your own relationship with nature. Although the lifestyle of this author is unique and may not apply to everyone, the principles mentioned in this book still help to cultivate an appreciation for our natural world.

Try a Green Hour (source)

In an effort to increase outdoor experiences for kids and parents, the National Wildlife Federation creates new activities and tips each week to encourage kids to want to get outside. Although most activities can be completed in 15-30 minutes, it is encouraged to spend at least one our doing these activities, hence the “Green Hour”. One activity I’m loving for the current colder weather is how to look for signs of winter. I love this activity because it fosters curiosity and has so much room for expansion depending on the age of your child.

Understand nature-deficit disorder

Nature-deficit disorder was termed by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods. According to Louv, elements of our urban settings has caused us to have less time (or time!) in nature. He states this has occurred in both adults and children (source). Activities that have contributed to this change include fewer natural spaces, a car-focused culture, more screen time, changes in the perception of risk, less leisure time, and increased time pressures from work or school (source).

Based on the lifestyle most of us live in, it is so easy for us to resort to spending more time indoors. However, this is why it is even more important for us to make sure we are doing our best to connect with nature and get outside! In order for us to have empathy to protect our environment, we must create our own relationship and love ofr it.

For more information on Nature-Deficit Disorder, check out Last Child In the Woods by Richard Louv.

Patience is Key

Accept that if you child currently doesn’t like going outside, this won’t be an incredibly easy task at first. Just like in adulthood, there are things we just don’t want to do. Sometimes in life, we have to do things begrudgingly.

Regardless of their dislike of going outside for whatever reason, it is still our job to encourage kids to want to go outside. Not only for the benefits of getting your child outside, but also because it is important to create a routine in which children feel a part of nature.