During the summer the last thing my kids want to do is practice math. School is out, the days are long and the weather is warm. They want to be outdoors enjoying the season. With
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!
Outdoor Learning Activities for kids to do in the garden! Learning literacy and numeracy outdoors in the garden!
Get hands on outdoor maths activities for KS1 to help your children learn. See how they can enjoy maths through outdoor learning!
Be inspired to set up invitations to play and learn using simple materials from nature with this collection of photos and ideas from early years educators!
Students are more easily able to retain information when they are engaged and having fun. Games are a fun way to do both. Here are some great games to help your ELLs practice vocabulary and other language skills. Check out a few games for ELLs to add to your collection. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate
Tips for creating your own outdoor classroom full of ideas for making the most out of your outdoor learning space for preschoolers.
Save time using these ready-made forest school lesson plans, including outdoor learning lessons in math, science, literacy, wellbeing & more
Fantastically fun literacy games so kids can enjoy learning about the alphabet, phonics, letter recognition, rhyming activities, sight words and more.
Easy forest school activities, done-for-you forest school lesson plans and ready-made nature curriculum: save time and teach better!
Learn about the Reggio Emilia approach, what it means for your classroom and how to get started with our list of easy, fun activity ideas...
FREE printable Symmetry drawing activity for preschool and kindergarten kids. A fun art and math activity in one! Kids will complete the symmetrical pictures by drawing the other half.
Fun STEM activity for outdoor play and makes a great science lesson! (Includes a printable rocket template).
12 fantastic outdoor STEM activities for hands-on fun and learning in the summer! Screen free summer activities. #stem #summer #summerschool #stemeducation #getoutside
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!
I have worked in a variety of nature programs, and a common element among all the quality programs I have participated in is a really good mud kitchen. A good mud kitchen becomes the hub for child led outdoor exploration, it transforms with the seasons, and supports many different types of play. Messy play, dramatic play, collaborative play and best of all a mud kitchen supports independent play! I wanted to share some of the best tips I have found for arranging a mud kitchen Tip One: Keep It Si
Need ideas for fun play-based learning activities every preschooler will enjoy engaging in? Check out these ideas from a preschool teacher!
This exciting gross-motor transportation game for preschoolers is a great way to work off some energy, learn about forms of transportation and just simply have a blast! Shiloh wanted to play for hours & I'm sure your kids will love it too! We're doing a transportation theme this week, so be sure to check out all the other great activities at the bottom of this post!
Everything you need to plan preschool rock theme activities for your kids. Preschoolers love collecting rocks and learning about them!
Outdoor learning is a great way to connect with nature and have fun. Forest School activities can incorporate art, craft, science, sensory play, and s
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 […]
DIY playhouse tutorial. DIY outdoor playhouse. How to build an outdoor playhouse Learn how to build a farmhouse style playhouse for your kids!
A huge collection of ideas for creative outdoor play areas shared by early years educators. Try them in the backyard or daycare spaces!
Take learning outside with this outdoor learning activities booklet. Explore nature with this collection of hands-on activities.
Looking to boost or maintain learning this summer? Check out these fun and easy outdoor learning activities for kids of all ages!
These indoor and outdoor group games for preschoolers are simple, fun and educational. Build social skills while having fun.
FREE printable Paper Hats that kids can color and wear when learning about community helpers, occupations, or when doing dramatic and pretend play. Great for preschool and kindergarten!
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. In my last blog post, I wrote about outdoor play and encouraged early learning teachers to look beyond their fenced in playground in the hopes that children may be giv…
We are beginning to move full swing into the holiday season and I have been planning the two weeks we will all be at home. With some down time I thought it would be a great chance to plan a few activities with my little ones, and since I do love all things Waldorf, I
Simple outdoor activities for preschoolers 3-5 years old, fun play ideas and outdoor preschool activities for kids in childcare to keep them busy
Have students find and implement solutions to real-world problems.
These free printable playdough mats make setting up a playdough station easy and most incorporate learning concepts as well.
The Empowered Educator - 5 Important elements to include in your natural outdoor play space
outdoor math activities for prek and kindergarten.
These outdoor education activities will allow your kids and/or students to continue learning outside while they burn off energy!
23 Free printable bingo games. Check out these fun printables perfect for entertaining kids on rainy days or for parties.
We love sensory bags at our house. Ever since I made our first sensory bag, Jumbled Snowman, over a year ago, they are always a guaranteed hit. It is a great way to provide hands on play for toddlers and preschoolers. So of course our Study of the Stars would not be…
Cute zoo animal color by number worksheets! These color by number animals printables are fun for learning numbers and strengthening fine motors skills.
