4 Lessons from TurfMutt Kids Can Still Learn This Summer (While Having Fun)

As summer hits its stride, the TurfMutt Foundation, a leader in environmental education and stewardship for more than 15 years, reminds families that local parks, backyards and other community green spaces offer an ideal outdoor classroom for hands-on learning—something that doesn’t have to stop while school is out. TurfMutt’s free K-8 curriculum provides fun and engaging ways for kids to keep their minds active while they spend time outdoors.

“TurfMutt’s free educational resources spark children’s natural curiosity about the world around them,” says Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “With TurfMutt’s help, a simple trip to the neighborhood park can become an exciting journey of discovery, teaching kids how our living landscapes work and how important they are to our communities.”

Four TurfMutt Foundation lesson plans to keep kids learning this summer:

• Discover the Wonders of Earth

Lessons such as "What's in One Square Foot of Earth? A Lot!" teach children to observe the hidden ecosystems thriving in a small patch of grass or garden bed. Backyards and local parks provide easily accessible environments for these fascinating, ground-level discoveries.

• Investigate How Nature Works

TurfMutt sparks scientific curiosity with hands-on experiments through lessons like "Do Trees Breathe? Let's Do an Experiment to Find Out!" By encouraging children to spot plant life, insects, and natural cycles, TurfMutt turns a casual stroll into a living science laboratory.

• Understand Nature’s Superpowers

Lessons such as "Nature's Flood Stoppers: Trees" illustrate the environmental superpowers of the landscapes in our parks and backyards and showcase nature as a powerful ally for community well-being. These green spaces help manage stormwater, clean the air, and provide critical habitats.

• Become an Environmental Detective

Through activities such as "Stormwater Sleuthing," children can learn about water flow, pollution prevention, and how to keep their favorite parks and yards clean and healthy.

Beyond specific lessons, TurfMutt encourages active interaction with and care for our green spaces and encourages learning through direct engagement with the natural world.

TurfMutt’s youth curriculum is free and available for download here. Check out the TurfMutt Foundation’s International Backyarding Fact Book to learn more about the power of parks, backyards and other green space around us. Sign up for Mutt Mail, a monthly e-newsletter with “backyarding” tips and all the news from the TurfMutt Foundation here.

About the TurfMutt Foundation

TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. Championed by Foundation spokesdog, Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery and Weekly Reader, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” Today, TurfMutt is an official USGBC® Education Partner and part of their global LEARNING LAB. TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. TurfMutt’s personal home habitat was featured in the 2017-2020 Wildlife Habitat Council calendars. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. More information at www.TurfMutt.com.