NBG Homeschool Resources
Welcome to the NBG Homeschool Resources page! Our Youth Education staff have put together lists of the resources we use when planning our Homeschool Garden Science classes, Critter Club, and other youth and family programs.
This page also includes links to various Citizen Science projects. By participating in one or more Citizen Science programs, you can locally contribute to scientific research and studies to make a global impact.
For information on our guided and self-guided field trip opportunities, visit our School Programs page.
For additional nature and science-based activities for children and families to complete at home, visit our Backyard Explorers page HERE. For additional activities to complete at home, we also encourage you to join our Facebook page at NBG Youth & Family Programs!
Resource Recommendations
Books (with Amazon links):
- Fun with Nature: Take Along Guide
- 175 Amazing Nature Experiments
- Hands-On Nature: Information and Activities for Exploring the Environment with Children
- Nature Play Workshop for Families: A Guide to 40+ Outdoor Learning Experiences in All Seasons
- The Unplugged Family Activity Book: 60+ Simple Crafts & Recipes for Year-Round Fun
- Urban Forest School: Outdoor Adventures and Skills for City Kids
Book Recommendations for Parents:
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
- Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life
- Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children
- How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature
- The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution: 100 Ways to Build a Fossil-Free Future, Raise Empowered Kids, and Still Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Free Online Resources:
- Project Learning Tree – Plant Science Experiments
- EPA – Online Environmental Resources for Educators
- National Education Association (NEA) – Environmental Education Activities & Resources
- Birds & Blooms Magazine – DIY Backyard Projects
- National Environmental Education Foundation – Environmental Education at Home
Citizen Science
Interested in participating in scientific research? Check out the following Citizen Science collaboration opportunities! All of the following projects can additionally be found on the SciStarter website. For some of these projects, you will be encouraged to create a SciStarter account. You can also purchase a copy of The Field Guide to Citizen Science for a comprehensive list of projects – click here or on the book image for the Amazon link.
Bud Burst – help scientists by observing seasonal changes in plants.
Bumble Bee Watch – help track North America’s bumble bees.
Celebrate Urban Birds – help ornithologists learn about urban birds.
CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) – provide weather data to meteorologists.
eBird – collect, archive, and search bird observations.
The Great Sunflower Project – identify where pollinators are declining and improve habitats.
iNaturalist – contribute to the global database of biodiversity data.
NestWatch – help scientists monitor North America’s nesting birds.
Project FeederWatch – monitor backyard feeder birds.
Project Squirrel – help scientists better understand tree squirrel ecology.
What’s in Your Backyard? – assist with the discovery of life-saving antibiotics.
