The Nature Detectives kit offers fun and easy science activities developed with the unique nature of afterschool, out-of-school time, and club programs in mind. Classroom teachers love the kit too! Indoors and outside, the six lessons will engage 3rd–8th grade children through hands-on activities.
With Afterschool Investigators: Nature Detectives, you will…
- Get kids active and motivated for fun and easy activities that will teach them about science and the environment.
- Easily tailor activities for different group sizes or ability levels (most activities have extensions and suggested adaptations).
- Learn in your outdoor environment, no matter what kind of environment it is!
- Delegate responsibilities to children and inspire a sense of ownership and leadership.
- Incorporate science and nature into daily life.
- Use discussion and collaboration to practice and reinforce literacy and social development.
Nature Detectives helps build essential skills in areas such as:
- Science process: questioning, observing, collecting and graphing data, making predictions, and critical thinking
- Interpersonal communication: collaborating in groups, sharing thoughts and perspectives, defending ideas and opinions
- Creativity: sketching, designing, building
Nature Detectives provides fun and exciting games and hands-on activities about these science concepts:
- Food webs
- Bird diversity and adaptations
- Life cycles
We make it easy for you!
The supplies are durable and fun to use. We’ve kept non-kit supplies to a minimum so you don’t spend a lot of time or money on “extras.” Everything you need is either:
- Contained in the kit (all the posters, cards, signs listed above)
- Easy to get at your nearest store (such as animal crackers, bird seed, and dry erase markers)
- Items that you probably already have on hand (such as crayons, string, glue, paper)
You can easily participate even if your program is held exclusively outdoors or if you don’t meet in the same space from session to session. Except for an extension in one activity, internet access and computers are not required. Purchase your AfterSchool Investigators: Nature Detectives or get more information about kit materials.