— Nelson Mandela.
Environmental Activities For Kids
At Safari Ltd, we believe in the power of play to encourage learning. The following earth friendly activities will engage children in learning about stewardship and conservation through playful interactions. Let's have some fun!
The Power of Pollinators
Pollinators are helpful garden friends! They include insects, like butterflies and bees, plus some bats and birds. Pollinators help plants be able to produce seeds. 75%-95% of all flowering plants on earth (including vegetables, fruits, and nuts) rely on pollination.
Our pollinator insects and flower toys teach conservation and pollinator appreciation through play! Learning about animals and Insects (that sometimes provoke fear) with toys helps children experience the benefits of various animals in a playful manner that removes the fear component that some children may experience when faced with a new critter.
Our Toob figurines can be used outside in nature, in garden sensory bins, in conjunction with nonfiction books, as models for art projects, or so much more! Read books, watch videos, and talk with your children about all of the ways pollinators are beneficial to life.
Environment Toys for Kids:
Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Stuffed Puppet
Pollinated Foods and Snacks
This one's easy... and delicious. Learn about pollinators (see resources below). Find pictures from old magazines/draw your own or go on a scavenger hunt (at home or store) to identify plants that pollinators help to grow. Choose some of those foods to make a snack!
Recycled Egg Carton Garden Starter
Supplies:
Pollinator Friendly Plant Seeds (these can be easily found on Amazon)
Cardboard Egg Carton
Potting Soil
Tray (to place egg carton on to catch water)
Popsicle sticks (to label plants)
Spoon or Handy Scooper for dirt
Life Cycle of a Green Bean Plant
Procedure:
-Cut top off of cardboard egg carton
-Place bottom (egg cup) section of carton onto tray
-Spoon potting soil into each individual egg cup in the carton
-Gently press a seed or two into each individual cup
-Write plant name on a popsicle stick and place into the appropriate cup
-Place egg carton garden inside next to a sunny window. Water as directed on seed packets.
-When your plants get a few inches tall (and it is past the freeze danger in your area), replant outside in a pot or garden area. You can cut apart each egg cup and plant the entire thing (they are biodegradable).
More information and activities about pollinators:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services: Pollinators
Flowers that Welcome Pollinators
Books:
Various Children’s Literature about planting seeds (fiction and nonfiction)
Various Children’s Literature about pollinators
Recycled Material Small World Play
Use recycled items (cardboard tubes, boxes, containers, etc.) to create biomes (polar, tundra, boreal forest, temperate forest, tropical rainforest, grassland, savanna, desert, and freshwater ecosystems (including lakes, rivers and wetlands) or fantastic small world play invitations/dioramas to use with a variety of Safari Ltd. toys.
Through playful exploration, you can pursue learning about the biomes of the world. Biomes are extremely important to life on earth! Through land development, use of fossil fuels, overfishing, etc., humans have had a devastating affect on many ecosystems. Teaching children about biomes is the first step in appreciation which leads to a conservation mindset.
Materials:
Assortment of recycled cardboard, containers, etc.
TOOB(s) to match Biome(s):
Tape
Construction Paper
Paint
Scissors
Procedure:
Your imagination is the limit! There is really no set procedure, let your kids make 3D dioramas or flat landscapes for small world play.
Kid friendly information about Biomes:
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/biome/403913
https://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/world_biomes.php
Animal Rescue: Marine Debris Water/Sand
Pair with Ocean Animals and sensory bins or play tray to create a polluted body of water and /or beach that needs to be cleaned and animals rescued.
Materials:
Bin or other container
Water or sand
Small bits of trash (pieces of plastic, foil, bottle tops, rubberbands, etc)
Good Luck Minis Ocean Fun Pack
Tongs
Procedure:
Add all materials into the bin and have your child clean up the water/sand and rescue the animals. You can take it up a notch by wrapping some of the animals in plastic or foil, or by putting rubber bands around them. It’s great to combine this activity with books, articles, or videos about marine debris and rescue efforts.
Kid friendly information about Marine Debris:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/teaching-idea-plastic-pollution/
https://www.pinterest.com/redtedart/earth-day-activities-ideas/
Pairing Pro Environmental Children’s Books with Safari Ltd. toys:
A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry
An account of the pollution of the Nashua River in Massachusetts by factories and the subsequent conservation efforts.
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest by Lynne Cherry
Story demonstrates the interconnectedness of life in a rainforest.
Upcycle our products into home or party décor!
Safari Ltd. toys are durable timeless classics that are very collectable. Our fans often save the toys to be passed on to future generations, however there are also many creative ways to upcycle them into beautiful and fun décor items.
DIY Safari Ltd Tutorials and Inspiration:
Safari Ltd. DIY Activities Blogs
Safari Ltd. DIY YouTube Videos
We love the earth and all of its creatures big and small. At Safari Ltd., we continually strive to find ways to promote conservation. We would love to hear the ways that you and your family show love to the creatures of the earth.
