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"These are things for kids to do in the
summer that involve information about nature and science," explained
Jane Scherer, Extension urban programs specialist who oversees the
website located at:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/.
If parents are planning a family outing
in the woods or a forest preserve or a state park, Scherer suggests
directing the children to
"A Walk in
the Woods," an offering under the
"Just for
Kids" section of the Urban Program Resources Network site.
"The information they find will pique
their interest in nature and familiarize them with what they might
see and hear in the woods," she said.
Also found in the "Just for Kids"
section is
"Let's Talk About Insects."
"This site will help kids identify
insects and learn more about them," she said. "Insects make up more
than one-half of all the living things in the world, and there are
more than a million known species of insects with more waiting to be
discovered."
After children have learned about the
varieties of insects and how to identify them, they might want to
move on to another site that talks about a location where the crawly
things are often found: trees.
"The Secret
Life of Trees" is also under the "Just for Kids" section.
"It teaches kids about the importance
of trees and how they contribute to the environment and the
well-being of humans and animals," said Scherer. "There is
information about the parts of the tree and the function of each,
plus lessons in basic forestry."
[to top of second column
in this article]
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A fourth site combines environmental
awareness, education and recycling with a fun activity, again under
the "Just for Kids" section.
"At the
'Adventures
of Herman' site, children can learn how to start their own worm
bin project, which provides lessons in recycling," Scherer
explained, noting that during the school year the site is often used
by teachers in the classroom.
"The worm bin activity is fun, and in
having fun children learn valuable lessons about recycling and the
environment," she said.
However, if your home-for-the-summer
child wants to earn as well as learn, Extension has a Web resource
for that purpose as well.
"A
Guide to the Business of Babysitting" helps youngsters
interested in entering this field of summertime, as well as
school-year, employment.
"The site helps children learn the
basics of the baby-sitting business as well as general information
about the behavior of children at different ages and stages of their
development," said Scherer.
"Through the
site, a user can create his or her own flier to promote their
baby-sitting business. This has been one of our most popular sites
and was featured in 'American Girl' magazine."
[University
of Illinois news release]
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