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You are here: Home / Activities / Children Learning with Nature

Children Learning with Nature

August 23, 2019 By Suzette Salmon Leave a Comment

Nature walks are one of our favorite outdoor activities.  So much loose parts to find along the way.  We take them back to the classroom where more discoveries and learning take place.

We gathered pinecones, feathers, mushrooms, flowers, sticks, tree barks, insects and more.  Learning with nature is one of the best ways to help children form an appreciation of this beautiful world.

Summertime = lots of insects.    We encourage the children to hold, touch and examine the insects.  When children are introduced to insects, frogs and little critters at an early age, they may have less fear of them. Mushroom observation.  Our midwest climate yields mushrooms in most yards and we find them in many shapes and sizes. Field of dandelions – these are practically everywhere we go.  And some of our neighbors grow only dandelions…Children love to pick or blow them. Wildflowers make a great bouquet.  I love to pick these for our classroom decor. Those menacing maple pods are a gift to children.  They use them as helicopters and other imaginative play.  Here this child is using them at the mud kitchen for food and a car wash.

Natural loose parts are all around us…let’s incorporate them into our classrooms and help children with investigative learning – Miss Sue

Filed Under: Activities, Nature Play, Outdoors Tagged With: investigative learning. montessori at home, loose parts, mud kitchen, mushrooms, nature explore, nature school, nature walk, pine cones, reggio kids

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Oct 7

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Here’s an example of our cleanup process. The bell goes off for lunchtime and the children automatically start singing and cleaning up (I don’t usually sing but they do). Some are singing only for the song while others are busy cleaning up like ‘the  little red hen.’ A beautiful example of when you work alone and the children are your teammates. 
Yes, they’re my little learners and teammates - all hands on deck. We have a wonderful symbiotic relationship harmoniously working together for the good of the environment.
It makes this work enjoyable and it also helps all to learn and appreciate each other - especially when you have a yard this size. 
#earlychildhoodeducator 
#naturebasedlearning 
#outdoorclassroom 
#homechildcare 
#edulallie

Here’s an example of our cleanup process. The bell goes off for lunchtime and the children automatically start singing and cleaning up (I don’t usually sing but they do). Some are singing only for the song while others are busy cleaning up like ‘the little red hen.’ A beautiful example of when you work alone and the children are your teammates.
Yes, they’re my little learners and teammates - all hands on deck. We have a wonderful symbiotic relationship harmoniously working together for the good of the environment.
It makes this work enjoyable and it also helps all to learn and appreciate each other - especially when you have a yard this size.
#earlychildhoodeducator
#naturebasedlearning
#outdoorclassroom
#homechildcare
#edulallie
...

8 0

lilbebeacademy

View Instagram post by lilbebeacademy

Oct 3

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Beautiful slow approach to my early years classroom. I work alone and it’s very important that we all enjoy the space. Children are allowed to move materials, gather, play, learn and then clean up after. 
- A small mixed-age ratio provides many opportunities for discoveries, play and lots of hours outdoors. 
-This was a rainy day, we also harvest rain for their unending play. 
#playbasedlearning 
#mixedagelearning 
#outdoorclassroom 
#naturebasedlearning 
#edulallie

Beautiful slow approach to my early years classroom. I work alone and it’s very important that we all enjoy the space. Children are allowed to move materials, gather, play, learn and then clean up after.
- A small mixed-age ratio provides many opportunities for discoveries, play and lots of hours outdoors.
-This was a rainy day, we also harvest rain for their unending play.
#playbasedlearning
#mixedagelearning
#outdoorclassroom
#naturebasedlearning
#edulallie
...

14 2

lilbebeacademy

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Sep 30

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Nature gives children something real to think about. Listen to the children - bumblebees and butterflies like nectar too.
🍃
#naturebased
#natureschool 
#learningforlife 
#inhomechildcare 
#edulallie

Nature gives children something real to think about. Listen to the children - bumblebees and butterflies like nectar too.
🍃
#naturebased
#natureschool
#learningforlife
#inhomechildcare
#edulallie
...

31 3

lilbebeacademy

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Sep 12

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Try this if you’ve been trying to get your children outdoors!

Try this if you’ve been trying to get your children outdoors! ...

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