Archive for October 6th, 2009
Natural Play Areas
October 6th, 2009 | Author: Shannon
Okay, nature mama, geologist, outside enthusiast- I’ll admit, sometimes I don’t take my kids outside to enjoy the cold, wet, fall weather of Rhode Island. Frankly, I don’t like it. I still want the children to have natural experiences. So, I bring some of the outdoors inside!
Here’s a picture of a shelf in our play area. I like these toys because they are wooden, the colors are subdued and blend in with nature, and they can be used in a variety of ways depending on the children’s ideas and creativity.
Rocks, pine cones, acorns, flowers, pumpkins and squash are also available as “toys”. Some newcomers to daycare have a difficult time adjusting to toys that don’t “do” anything; others are mesmerized by the colors, shapes, textures, and spontaneous adventures available to the creative mind. It is a pleasure to observe the discovery.
Many of our toys we have collected together on nature walks. The three-year-olds I care for can easily identify maple, pine, and oak trees, find pine cones, acorns, red, yellow, and orange leaves. We are learning preschool skills using nature as the tool. And when they actually helped gather the toys in their playroom the excitement and joy of playing grows!
