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Earth-Built Homes

Activity

Natural Materials for Shelter and Survival

Draw up plans for a house or shelter made from natural materials. What kind of clay, plants, or other materials would you use? If you can, go build it outside – either human or fairy-sized!

Science Seed

Houston’s natural materials, like clay and silt, have shaped how people build. Clay-rich soil can be molded into bricks, but it also expands and contracts with moisture, which can crack buildings and roads. Architecture requires engineering skills to design strong structures that work with the land. Practice your problem-solving skills by sketching a shelter using local materials, then build a 3D model. If your structure collapses, don’t worry—redesigning is an important part of engineering!

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Billy Reagan K-8 Education Center

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.