Over the past few years Project WILD has been working with writers and early childhood experts to produce a national early childhood guide called Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children which is now available for educators of young children! To visit the new Growing Up WILD website visit www.projectwild.org/GrowingUpWILD.htm.

Growing Up WILD features new activities designed to stimulate young children in new and exciting ways while connecting them to nature and many of its wonders.

Growing Up WILD is a national early childhood initiative that builds literacy skills and environmental appreciation among early learners through participation in engaging wildlife-based educational activities. 

The Project WILD K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guides contain many activities designed for early childhood education. Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children activities include:

• First Impressions
  Children Combine movement and math to show how they think and feel about animals.
  
  
• Ants on Parade
  Children go outside to observe ant behavior and learn insect characteristics.
  
  
• Spider Web Wonders
  Children learn about spiders and spider webs.
  
  
• Looking at Leaves
  Children practice their observation skills by comparing leaves.
  
  
• In a Grasshopper's World
  Children observe grasshoppers in their natural habitat and study them in the classroom.
  
  
• Wiggling Worms
  Children observe and learn about earthworms.
  
  
• What's WILD?
  Children engage in stories comparing the lives of a wild and a tame animal, then sort animals into categories.
  
  
• Wildlife is Everywhere!
  Children make observations and understand that wildlife is all around us.
  
  
• Lunch for a Bear
  Children identify the kinds of foods that black bears eat by creating a plate of "bear food."
  
  
• The Deep Blue Sea
  Children develop an awareness of oceans and ocean life.
  
  
• Who Lives in a Tree?
  Children develop an awareness of trees and some of the animals that call them "home. "
  
  
• Fishing Fun!
  Children engage in a dramatic play fishing game and learn about fish.
  
  
• Hiding in Plain Sight
  Children play a game of hide and seek with small animal replicas to learn an important adaptation in many animals.
  
  
• Tracks!
  Children explore animal tracks and make and measure tracks of their own.
  
  
• Grow As We Go
  Children explore the life cycles of familiar wildlife and understand that all living things grow and change.
  
  
• Backbone Bonanza
  Children learn about vertebrates and some characteristics that distinguish them.
  
  
• Bird Beak Buffet
  Children learn about the special functions of bird beaks.
  
  
• Terrific Turkeys
  Children learn about wild turkeys.
  
  
• Owl Pellets
  Children dissect an owl pellet and learn about owls.
  
  
• Oh, Deer!
  Children explore components of habitat in a physical activity.
  
  
• Seed Need
  Children explore seeds as a food source for people and animals and learn how animals disperse seeds.
  
  
• Show Me the Energy!
  Children discover that all animals, including people, depend on plants as a food source, either directly or indirectly, and that food energy comes from the sun.
  
  
• Aqua Charades
  Children explore the importance of water for people, animals and plants.
  
  
• Wildlife Water Safari
  Children discover water resources for local wildlife and create a field notebook.
  
  
• Field Study Fun
  Children investigate a field study plot to observe plant and animal interactions over time.
  
  
• Wildlife as Symbols
  Children explore how wild animals are used as symbols for a variety of purposes.
  
  
• Less is More
  Children consider ways they can use less of the earth's resources.
  

Contact your Project WILD Coordinator to inquire about your state's early childhood offerings.

For further information about early childhood education, check out www.earlychildhood.com, www.nhsa.org, or www.naeyc.org.