Especially For Kids

Building Homes of Our Own

For Elementary School Students

Children can learn the homebuilding process while having fun with the coloring and activity book entitled 'Building Homes Of Our Own'. Created by Women's Council of the National Association of Home Builders, this book about how a tree becomes a house is intended for use by children in Kindergarten through Grade 3. The coloring book is part of 'Homes of Our Own', an educational program designed to explain the home building process to elementary through high school students.

'Building Homes of Our Own' outlines the homebuilding process and the importance of serving the housing needs of a community in an environmentally sensitive way. The book features 11 pages children can color and a blank page for drawing.

Click here to download the 'Building Homes of Our Own' Coloring and Activity Book.

For Middle and High School Students

Building Homes of Our Own, an innovative home building program for middle and high school students, is available at no charge to educators for use in the classroom. To date, more than 47,000 copies have been distributed.

Developed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Building Homes of Our Own uses the familiar concept of home building to teach math, science, civics, technology and personal financial responsibility, and uses SIM City-like technology to create an interactive learning experience in the classroom. Building Homes of Our Own presents a macro view of the entire home building process from site selection to final sale. Students collect information, solve problems and make choices as they build a 3-D home against a budget, then review credit applications and sell to the buyer of their choice.

The program features three levels of play within each of the four building sites found in urban, suburban, rivers and lakes, and coastline settings. Throughout the game, players encounter a variety of real-life obstacles and issues that test their skill, patience and resourcefulness. Students can elect to perform lab testing, conduct research, or call upon special consultants to help them arrive at sound decisions that satisfy environmental concerns or nervous neighbors. Attending a virtual town meeting or working within community planning and zoning laws are just a few of the many challenges students will encounter.

The program includes a comprehensive lesson plan guide and is compatible with the Microsoft Windows operating system. If you are an educator or a member of the Home Builders Association of Greenville, and would like to order your free copy of Building Homes of Our Own, visit www.HomesofOurOwn.org.

Other Links:

The Children's Garden

The Greenville Zoo

Mice on Main

Roper Mountain Science Center