Now that everyone is home and we can enjoy spending time in nature together one fun thing to do is skip rocks. Combine a walk with a small adventure. Get the kids involved by showing them this quick video first https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LepEw8C_g9k Skipping rocks gives you an opportunity to not only locate rocks in nature, you can spend hours trying to identify the origin and age of rocks found. It also involves a little physics’ so there is a learning component https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LepEw8C_g9k Spending time out in nature takes your mind off things for a while and helps you t ..read more

When you gaze up at the Texas sky it seems never-ending. Just as the sun illuminates the sky during the day, natural light from the moon and stars used to be seen far and wide during the night. But today, artificial light pollution has brightened the night sky, making its natural wonders difficult to see. Four out of every five people can no longer see the milky way from where they live. The good news is Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is working to improve night skies in state parks across Texas through its Dark Skies Program and has teamed up with a host of partners to raise awareness o ..read more

Do you know what Walt Disney movies and famous painters, writers and musicians like Monet, Frida Kahlo, Kipling, Virginia Woolf, and Beethoven have in common? The natural world helped inspire their creative genius. Creativity is a trait that is relevant to more than just the arts. To be creative means to use one’s imagination or original ideas and is very important in many basic facets of life or employment, where innovative thinking or problem-solving is required. Fostering creativity and imagination is an important part of a child’s development that helps them develop cognitive and socio-em ..read more

Nature Rocks Texas is a website designed to help families find nature-based activities and places to play, explore, and connect with nature in their communities. It is just one of the many ways Texas Children in Nature promotes our partners and the amazing work they do every day to create opportunities for children and families to get outside and learn about nature. Nature Rocks Texas now covers over 100 counties and serves most major cities and regions including; Austin and Central Texas, San Antonio and South Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend, D/FW and North Texa ..read more

Do you remember learning about the official Texas symbols in school as a kid? Our state flower is the bluebonnet, state insect is the monarch butterfly, state small mammal is the nine-banded armadillo, state large mammal the Longhorn, and state reptile is the Texas horned lizard (aka, horny toad), to name a few. I remember learning about the symbols and thinking how cool it was to watch monarch caterpillars munch on milkweed in my Aunt’s garden in San Antonio. The land and waters of the State of Texas provide important habitat for copious plant and animal species. Many of us have marveled at ..read more

Have you ever volunteered your time to support a meaningful cause? Whether it’s donating your time to help clean litter from a park, serve food to the hungry, or collect toys for children without them, serving a mission that is good for society can give you a sense of fulfillment or purpose. People volunteer for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it’s because they have to (e.g., required community service hours). Some volunteer because they genuinely care about a mission or cause and feel compelled to devote their time to it. Others may volunteer because they have (or choose to have) the time an ..read more

The day was hot and dry in Coldwater, Kansas, and per usual, the wind blew, throwing clouds of dirt across the land. The weather never deterred my grandparents from spending nearly every weekend at Coldwater Lake, with me in tow. I remember splashing in the waves, digging up worms from the hard earth and casting a line with my grandpa in hopes of catching dinner. These are my very first memories of the outdoors. What I don’t remember about these trips is finding other children that looked like me. I attended Western Kentucky University to pursue my passion for the environment. I studied geolo ..read more

From the deserts of El Paso to the pine forests of east Texas, the summer season brings soaring temperatures to the state. What better way is there to beat the summer heat than by cooling off in one of the state’s many natural pools? Remember to put your safety first! It’s hot outside, and these natural areas may or may not have lifeguards. So, here are a few tips to help your family stay safe while enjoying the refreshing waters: Check the weather - if you hear thunder get out of the water Be aware of your surroundings - don't swim under or near logs, dams or objects that might trap you und ..read more

Texas is a vast state with unique ecoregions that promise no one “corner” of its landscape looks exactly the same as another. But, one thing these ecoregions do share is that for the vast majority of them, August is the month that brings the hottest days of the year! The good news is, with at least 150 lakes; 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers that meander across the state; and 367 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, there’s many options for taking a dip in refreshing Texas waters without having to travel far. Whether you swim, wade, float or paddle, get out there and make a spl ..read more

Did you ever have a fascination with bugs as a kid? Do you remember what it was like to chase them around in relentless efforts to catch them? As a kid I was fascinated with the grasshoppers that lived on my parents’ property south of San Antonio. Handfuls of them would take flight or jump out of my path with each step as I stalked them in my backyard. I would catch them with my bare hands, and sometimes use a butterfly net to catch as many as I could and compare them all. Even when I couldn’t see them, I knew they were there by the “singing” sounds they made. Learning and playing in nature k ..read more