NATURE

Rockwell, R. E., Sherwood, E. A., & Williams, R. A. (1986). Hug a tree : and other things to do outdoors with your children. Mt. Rainer, Md.:Gryphon House, Inc.
By the same authors who wrote Everybody has a body: science from head to toe. Age appropriateness is given for each activity /experiment. The introduction section details how to use the book to achieve the best results. The text, and the complementary illustrations, make this title accessible to both educators and parents. Chapters such as "expanding the outdoor experience" include information about lesson plans, composing a school release form, and materials list. There is also a resource page, which lists books and magazines on the topic of nature--aimed at young children--for educators and parents. LB 1532 .R63 1983

Bowden, M. (1989). Nature for the very young: a handbook of indoor & outdoor activities. New York:John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
This title is divided into four sections. Each section examines a specific season, and each season contains a series of topics that examines nature in both indoor and outdoor activities. The detailed black and white drawings facilitate animal and plant identification. Each topic section suggests how best an adult can further the learning process by organization and activity planning. LB 1140.5 .S35 B68 1989

VanCleave, J. P.(1997). Janice VanCleave's play and find out about nature : easy experiments for young children. New York : Wiley.
Kids age 4 and up will enjoy this simple nature experiments and activities of plants and animals which includes easy instructions. A total of fifty experiments that covers basic life-forms; predators and prey; body temperature; animal movement; plant growth; plant parts; and flowers. QH 316.5 .V366 1997

DIRT

Wyler, R. (1986). Science fun with mud and dirt. New York:Simon & Schuster.

This book provides a variety of activities that examine the properties of dirt and mud. The text, which is written in simple, accessible language, includes an introduction section on "What dirt is made of." Activities range from an examination of animals in the natural world who dig and tunnel in dirt and mud to building a replica of house made of mud and sticks.
Q 164 .W84 1986

GEOLOGY

Freeman, M. B. (1970). Do you know about water? New York, Random House.
Do you know where does water comes from and how it's formed? Why do we need it? An easy concept for ages 3-5.
GB 661 .F74 1970

Yee, B. S. (1999). Sand castle. New York : Greenwillow Books.
Jen starts to build a sand castle at the beach, and others come along to help make the moat, path wall, and road around it.
TT 865 .Y44 1999

Maestro, B. (1990). Temperature and you. New York : Lodestar Books.
Discusses what temperature is and how it is measured. Learning temperature through daily life of four seasons. Body temperature, boiling point, celsius, fahrenheit, freezing point, shivering, sweating. QC 271.4 .M34 1990

Bains, R. (1982). Wonders of rivers. Mahwah, N.J. : Troll Associates. Briefly discusses the characteristics, origins, formation, and uses of river. GB 1203.8 .B34 1982

GARDENING

Taylor, B. (1992). Green thumbs up!: the science of growing plants. New York:Random House.

This book is part of the Step into science series (Hear!Hear! is also part of this series). Colorful illlustrations and a simple text support numerous activities. Activity sections include potting potatoes and creating stem cuttings.
QK 731 .T33 1992

Hillen, J. editor. (1990). Primarily plants : a plant study for K-3. Fresno, Calif. : AIMS Education Foundation.

Created by the non-profit Project AIMS (Activities to integrate Mathematics and Science), which publishes hands-on instructional materials that integrate curricular disciplines such as mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies. This is an activity book all about plants that will allow hands on experiences for ages 4 and up. Kids will learn the importance of plants and the concept of a seed through activities in growing plants. "Little brown seeds way down below up through the earth they grow, grow, grow...." QK 52.6 .P75 1990