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Wild Measurements

Activity

Craft and Measure with Nature

Walk around campus to gather natural materials like sticks, leaves, or stones to create your own ruler. If needed, receive visual assistance to help describe and choose the materials available. Decide what your unique unit of measurement will be (e.g., the length of a leaf or the width of a stick). Use the materials to measure objects around you, comparing sizes based on your ruler.
a boy measuring wood with a measuring tape
a child picking up sticks from the grass
a person measuring around a tree trunk with a measuring tape

Science Seed

Throughout history, people have used different units of measurement. These were often made from everyday things like branches or seeds, or even parts of the body like the forearm or foot. You can use anything to measure the world around you. By being creative with how you think about measurements, you can discover new ways to understand and connect with your environment!
botany jar illustration

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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 Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Ecologist School Pocket Guide: TSBVI edition is a collaboration between Families in Nature and the Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired as an effort to help our community learn more about the TSBVI campus, while getting outside into nature together! This booklet has 80 lessons across 16 different branches of science to help you play, learn, and volunteer on campus!

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.
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