Workshops, Games and Activities

Workshops

image of a honey bee The City offers environmental workshops with topics including rain water retention, lawn conversion, irrigation systems, grey water systems, water-wise landscaping, urban wildlife, zero waste living, backyard composting and more.

*** The City of Davis does not recommend, sponsor or otherwise promote any of the businesses that participate in these workshops.***

Upcoming Workshops

There are no workshops or classes scheduled at the present time.

City of Davis Online Environmental Games

Try our online games and put your conservation knowledge to the test!

Save Davis Water Games

Stop water waste by finding and fixing water leaks around town in the Plug the Leaks game. You can also learn more about making water conservation a way of life with Match the Facts.

Zero Waste Games

Test your waste sorting knowledge with the Zero Waste Sorting Game and try and sort recycling, compost and trash into the correct bins before the time runs out! Learn more about sorting your waste with Zero Waste Matching.

Stormwater Games

Try playing Find It & Fix It and Protect Or Pollute to learn about the impacts of our everyday choices and how they can contribute to polluting or protecting our local waterways!

Cartoon image of the toad on grassy plain with mountains in the background and a blue sky. Recycling and organics cans are on the ground. Text on the graphic reads: Professor Davis Green Goes Zero Waste. A play button is in the center of the image.

Environmental Activities

Here's a list of fun activities, websites, games and virtual tours that will keep the whole family entertained while learning about the natural environment, climate change, water conservation, pollution prevention and more!

General Environmental Activities

All About EPA: How Does EPA Protect the Environment Activity Book Learn the basics about how EPA protects our health and environment. https://www.epa.gov/students/how-does-epa-protect-environment-activity-book-children
Climate Kids: NASA's Eyes on the Earth Geared toward students, the multimedia-rich Climate Kids site uses games, humorous illustrations and animations to help break down the important issue of climate change. Ideal for kids grade 3-7. http://climatekids.nasa.gov/
Energy Kids What is energy? Challenge yourself to riddles, puzzles, and science experiments. http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=5
National Institute of Environmental Health Science Kids' Page Games, puzzles, art, and more all about science, the environment, and environmental careers. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/kids/
Nonpoint Source Pollution Awareness Word Search Puzzle Can you find the words? https://www.epa.gov/nps/nonpoint-source-pollution-awareness-word-search-puzzle
Ozone Crossword Puzzle If you're good with words, and think you know all about the ozone layer (or want to learn more), then you're sure to enjoy this crossword puzzle. https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/ozone-science-crossword-puzzle
Particulate Matter (PM) Air Sensor Kits Particle pollution known as particulate matter (PM) is one of the major air pollutants regulated by EPA to protect public health and the environment. Build your own air sensor kit to investigate particulate pollution. https://www.epa.gov/air-research/air-quality-and-energy-choice-stem-activities-educators
SciJinks- It's all about weather! Games all about weather and science! https://scijinks.gov/menu/games/

Water Conservation Activities

Save Davis Water Games Stop water waste by finding and fixing water leaks around town in the Plug the Leaks game. You can also learn more about making water conservation a way of life with Match the Facts. http://games.cityofdavis.org/savedaviswater/
How much water do you use each day? Here’s an interesting activity to try at home with your kids: have them guess how many gallons of water they use every day, then have them keep track of their water use. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-drop-2-worksheet.pdf
Water conservation math game for kids: have them calculate how much water they use when they shower. They can see how much water they can save when they cut their shower time by just one minute! https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-shower-better-learning-resource_0.pdf
A Water leak activity page for kids from EPA WaterSense: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-falw-activitypage.pdf
Project WET: Discover Water! If you are looking for a great resource for kids to learn about the water cycle, using water wisely, soap science and more, check out the Project WET Discover Water website: https://www.discoverwater.org/
Test your water knowledge Here’s a fun worksheet from the EPA WaterSense program that will help your kids understand where their water comes from, where it goes when it goes down the drain, and how the ways they use water affect the environment. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-drop-1-worksheet.pdf Here’s the teaching guide for parents that goes with it: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-drop-guide.pdf
Go with the Flow Let NASA teach you all about the flow of water. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ocean-currents/en

Nature and Wildlife

Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Take some time to investigate the natural environment around Davis with this scavenger hunt.
Local Bird Checklists Use these checklists to find local birds in your backyard, greenbelts and open spaces, or nearby waterways.
Coyote Projects Here's a fun wildlife project that tests your coordinate graphing skills. We also have coloring pages and a word search.
Bird watching Whether you are in your backyard or taking a stroll around Davis’ many parks and greenbelts, you are certain to see birds. Do you know what they’re called? Where do they nest? What do they eat? Learning to identify birds can be fun and rewarding. Here are some tips for getting started as a birdwatcher:
- Binoculars are super helpful for seeing and identifying birds. Especially ones that are high up in a tree.
  Find and use a good bird identification guide. Some suggestions include: National Geographic’s Guide to North American Birds, Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, Peterson’s Guide to Birds of North America. There are several good mobile apps available as well. Search “bird guides” in your mobile app store.
- Bring a pad of paper along to log the birds you see and other notes about what they were doing, etc. You may even be able to sketch out some features of a bird to help with identification at a later time.
American Museum of Natural History-https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology
Exploring nature in your backyard: From the CA State Parks Foundation, here's lots of activities for kids: https://kids.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25384
Home learning activities From the CA State Parks Foundation: http://www.ports.parks.ca.gov
Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute – https://www.si.edu/kids
Meet the animals of the Smithsonian National Zoo: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/list
Cornell Bird Lab – https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/get-started/
Smokey for Kids Explore the different sections of the website to learn all sorts of ways you can help prevent wildfires. You’ll find activities, games, and learn a lot about protecting the forest. Have fun! https://smokeybear.com/en/smokey-for-kids
The Migration Game Help Wanda the Wood Thrush travel from her winter home in Costa Rica to her summer home in Maryland. All you need to do is answer some questions about migratory birds. Each correct answer will bring her closer to her favorite forest where she'll be able to find a mate, build a nest, and lay her eggs! https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/play-migration-game
Yellowstone Park - For Kids! Explore Yellowstone National Park online games and activities. Then look for kids' activities at other National Parks. https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/kidsyouth/index.htm
Habitats Do you know where the red-eyed tree frog calls home? Play this game based on animal habitats to learn! Explore the desert, coral reef, jungle, and marsh to discover where many animals live by matching each animal to its correct habitat! https://ssec.si.edu/habitats

Recycling and Composting Activities

Online Zero Waste Games! Test your waste sorting knowledge with the Zero Waste Sorting Game and try and sort recycling, compost and trash into the correct bins before the time runs out! Learn more about sorting your waste with Zero Waste Matching. http://games.cityofdavis.org/zerowastegames/
Hazardous Waste Coloring Book CalRecycle has a coloring book for kids that you can download and print to teach children about household hazardous waste: https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/Details/130. It’s also available in Spanish: Casa Segura, Estoy Seguro!
Recycle City There's lots to do at Recycle City—an online game from the US EPA. In this game there are people and places to visit, as well as plenty of ways to explore how the city's residents recycle, reduce, and reuse waste. In addition to the game itself, the website also has other in-home activities available. https://www3.epa.gov/recyclecity/