A book that encourages children to go and play outside and discover what nature has to offer. Leave the house and roam into the nature: It is a fascinating place, waiting to be conquered by little ones with curious minds. Whether in the garden, park, or a nearby forest, a closer look at nature will draw out budding architects, their first constructions built from stones, branches, and leaves; a thorough investigation of trees will reveal all kinds of insects; and listening to the animals around will teach their sounds. Let’s Play Outdoors! is for a new generation of environmentally conscious children, showing them how to interact with their surroundings in a meaningful way. The activities suggested inspire independent learning about animals, plants, and the weather, as well as how to look after the world.
Our school has an Outdoor Learning Committee that I am a part of. We all feel very strongly that the environment where the children play outside is just as important as the environment inside our school. We have worked hard to make our playground an area where the kids can run, exercise explore and yes...learn! Outside play plays an important role in children's development! They are working gross motor muscles and getting must needed exercise. They learn how to solve problems such as when social disagreements arise. They learn empathy as they help friends who get hurt. They learn to take risks and see where their limits are and feel empowered as they take those risks and succeed. They create games and role play. They learn science concepts as they discover things in nature and learn to look closer and ask questions about what they see as they discover new things. They learn kindness as they try to save an insect in danger or nurture a plant. They are literally learning about life and life skills as they play outside, so we knew the environment needed to support that. We had an area that we were having some problems with in the middle of our asphalt area. We wanted to turn it into something all of the kids could explore and benefit from and decided to create a Barefoot Sensory Path. We came up with a design and my husband figured out how to make it so that it would be sturdy and last. Our amazing PTO gave us funds to purchase the materials and we had fun shopping at Lowes for items that would provide the sensory experiences we were hoping for. Our team came in on a Saturday and went to work. Our maintenance team had dug the area down four inches so that it would be even with the asphalt. We put down a layer of paver sand, and then the 4x4's. We glued some materials to 2x2 pieces of plywood. The sections were all 2x2. We filled the sections with paver base and tamped it solid. My son even came and helped! Here is the finished frame. Of course, we had to test it out! Here is the finished path!! We were so excited for the kids to try it! It was a huge success!! The kids absolutely loved walking on it with bare feet, crawling on it and feeling with their hands and even laying in it enjoying the warmth radiating from it from being in the sun. Another new area we created was an area to create roads, ramps, etc. using scrap wood, cars, signs and other loose parts. This lovely lady below had the vision for this area! We also added an area to really work those gross motor muscles. Mr. Doyle created a boundary to keep it all contained to one area. We filled it with stumps, logs, and large branches. The kids have created obstacle courses and love lifting these up to show how strong they are! They jump, balance and create here. They collaborate and problem solve. They use both critical and creative thinking skills. This is a great area to develop 21st Century Learning Skills as they play! For our nature lovers, we have an area with plants for them to explore and observe. Some are edible such as peppermint and fennel. We have cone flowers, milkweed, irises, sunflowers and more. This area is a great place to explore and observe insects also! Here are some other things on our playground where they can let lose and have fun! Our playground is still a work in progress! We have many more ideas that we want to implement some day! One step at a time!
You can make a fun Kids Explorer journal with this free printable, plus more fun kids explorer ideas.
Get Montessori outdoor exploration ideas for your tiny explorers as they go into nature. Includes play ideas and fun activities for kids.
Wondering how to start a nature journal with your children? This ultimate guide to nature journals for children is full of ideas you can use to make your own nature journal, start a nature study, and explore the natural world. The ultimate guide to nature journals for children Use these links to dive into […]
Last week we learned about the spring pond with our Exploring Nature with Children curriculum. The boys learned about the ecosystem of the pond and the lifecycle of a frog through play-based learni…
Exploring world cultures with your child allows them to build an appreciation for the world itself, the people in it, and the differences between themselves
This post was originally published in April 2014! We still study seeds almost every year because the warmth of spring begs us to do so. ❤ I've updated this post and the Seed Writing Activities with fresh fonts, page layouts, and a big update to the How a Seed Sprouts Booklet. The weather is finally warm and we're getting our plans together for our garden. I love this time of year! It's the perfect time to study seeds, and that's just what my kiddos and I are going to do over the next few weeks. I'm teaming up with my
Spring is almost here --- time to wake up from my hibernation and get these little cubs of mine outside! The warm sunshine never fails to make me want to spruce up our outdoor play spaces. We like to keep outdoor play, well, natural I suppose. So when I am planning outdoor play spaces for
Here’s a great collection of ten ideas that you can use to teach children about symmetry. 10 creative symmetry activities Here are ten great, creative symmetry activities for young children. They feature hands-on creative ideas that are fun to explore, and packed with learning. They’re all good ways to invite children to explore this concept […]
As soon as the weather warms up, it’s time to say no to TV and phone, get the kids outside! If you’re lucky to own a sprawling property big enough for a kid’s
Nature School is your outdoor learning companion. Nature School provides activities designed to deepen your child's experience. It gives you simple ways to incorporate literacy, numeracy, fine motor development, sensory play, and crafting into your time outdoors. Nature School walks you through 7 themes using everyday outdoor materials: rocks, sticks, leaves, flowers, dirt and sand, water, and shells. As you go through each theme, we help learning unfold naturally by exposing your child to activities that focus on: literacy, numeracy, fine motor development, sensory experiences, and crafting. You will receive: ✓ Coursebook with 35 Hands-On Nature Activities✓ Printables to Extend and Beautify Learning✓ Suggested Nature-Themed Books Enrich your child's learning through outdoor exploration!
My kids love being outside...LOVE it. We could be playing in the backyard, walking to the park, playing baseball, going on hike, or just enjoying nature and my kids are as happy as can be. One of our favorite outdoor activities to do as a family is going camping. On our last camping trip we
Tips for creating your own outdoor classroom full of ideas for making the most out of your outdoor learning space for preschoolers.
This splat art is a fun way to help kids explore science through art. Take the splat painting outside for even more creative possibilities.
Exploring Nature with Children by Lynn Seddon is an amazing nature curriculum and one that can be used with a wide range of ages. Even high school!
Our Top Inclusive and Sensory Products and sure to get every kid feeling exhilarated by new experiments and environments. Check them out!
Want to study nature with kids? Try this wonderful nature study curriculum! Exploring nature with children is a year-long curriculum for early grades
These 6 outdoor spelling activities are fun and unique. Your students or children will absolutely love getting outdoors to spell!
Colour matching is a simple fun activity for children of all ages. Here are several easy to set up colour matching activities and games you can play both outside and indoors. One of our favourite g…
Grab a clipboard and get out and explore the neighborhood while hunting for basic real-world shapes! This activity is perfect for distant learning! Students/children can work individually, pairs or groups to find different items within their neighborhood. Some sheets list items to find and others ha...
Looking for an activity to get your kids outside and active? Print this FREE Back Yard Scavenger Hunt printable to get your kids exploring outdoors!
The Outdoor Area template is for a child's portfolio and consists of a typical interest area that you may have set-up in your service setting. Outdoor...
These outdoor writing ideas for primary students are a great way to get kids enjoying outside, but with an academic focus as well!
Share Wildflower Ramblings!I saw Ashley at Life with Moore Babies pound flower prints with her children last week and I knew my son would love this activity! We collected flowers and put them between two pieces of paper. (He became distracted by daddy’s tractor in the yard — that’s his sweet little head on the...
This beautiful and fun STEAM activity will make math come alive to your kids!
For children, exploring the great outdoors is an essential part of growing up. Not only does it provide a chance to get some fresh air and exercise, but it also […]
Easy and Fun Music Tracing Pages
These free animal tracks printable cards are a great way to get your kids outside. They are perfect for the little explorer in your life!
These 8 basic survival skills for children form the basis for their survival knowledge. Each of these 8 techniques is vital to survive during a disaster.
End tech battles: give your child a choice they will want more than their digital devices By engaging your child in hobbies that capture their interest, you can successfully reduce their dependency
Exploring ponds with kids is a fascinating summer activity! We're sharing interactive, educational & fun ways to explore a pond with kids.
Make your own QUADRANT USED FOR EARLY NAVIGATION! Learn how early explorers used this tool and how it is used! Such a fun activity
Exploring sunography: Making sun prints with kids
Do you notice math in the natural world? Do your kids? Learn about and explore the beauty of math in nature and then get outside to see it for yourself.
