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Nature Chef

Activity

Mud Pies Anyone?

Visit the outdoor kitchen and play a round of Nature Chef! See what kind of pretend dishes you can make inspired by what you can find around campus. Challenge your friends to compete alongside you, seeing who can make the most creative dish. Who can make the most realistic dish? Mud pies anyone?

Science Seed

Wild foraging, the practice of gathering food directly from nature, has deep historical roots as one of the earliest methods of sustenance, or nourishment, for humans. Throughout history, foraging was important in the survival of ancient civilizations, fostering a deep connection between people and their natural environment while providing essential food. Please only eat food approved and harvested with an experienced adult and never forage for wild foods without being 100% sure of the ID. In Texas, many edible plants look similar to many toxic plants!

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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 the Travis Elementary

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.

SPARK’s mission is to work with public schools to develop their playgrounds into community parks. SPARK has built 200+ community parks in 17 different school districts throughout the Houston area. Each park is designed based on ideas and needs of the school and surrounding neighborhoods. While all of the parks are different, a typical park consists of modular playground equipment, a walking trail, benches, picnic tables, trees, an outdoor classroom, and a public art component.