Naturally Wild

Learning Through Nature

Children are our most valuable investments. Whether you have children of your own, are a teacher, or maybe you just encounter kids through your day-to-day life. Either way, they are the next generation that will be inheriting our place in the future. What they learn is very important, as well as how they learn. The environment that a child learns in aids the sculpting of their thought process, behaviors, and even likes and dislikes. There are two theories, in particular, that explore a child’s learning process in which the child is compared to a container. One looks at the child as if they are an empty container and must be filled with information. The second theory sees the child as if they are a container already full.  Therefore, we need to coax and guide the information out of the child.

 

The concept of Nature Play leans towards the second theory and is hardly revolutionary. Allow for the natural process of exploration and see learning occur through play! This can be done in complete immersive natural settings, like the woods behind your house, a state park, or nearby field. Nature Play can also be created using sensory stations in the backyard, at a zoo or museum, or even in the kitchen.

 

Sometimes sitting back and watching your child play can be the most productive growth for your child. Allowing them to experience nature though unexpected events can lead to the most memorable lessons. These play-guided lessons create a valuable connection to the world outdoors, and help with the overall development of the child. Here are a few articles that go more in depth about the connection of nature and child development:

Benefits of Connecting Children with Nature: Why Naturalize Outdoor Learning Environments from North Carolina State University https://naturalearning.org/sites/default/files/Benefits%20of%20Connecting%20Children%20with%20Nature_InfoSheet.pdf

 

Recognizing the Role of Positive Emotions in Fostering Environmentally Responsible Behaviors by David M. Carter http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/eco.2010.0071

 

Take it home with your very own mud café!

 

Do you want to provide your own nature play experiences to foster the love of nature while investing in your child’s educational development? Creating a mud café is a fun activity to experiment with and is hands on with nature!  This activity is full of engaging textures, imaginative play, and independent thinking. It may be a little messy, but it is simple and will definitely make memories.

Providing tools such as old pans and kitchen tools really engages the kids to use their imaginations. In using real-life items, the dramatic play also takes on an additional connection to the real world. These ladles and spoons are really used in the kitchen, what other kitchen related tasks can the little chef practice? Do they imitate what you, yourself have done in the kitchen? Can they experiment with measuring and pouring? Perhaps now is a good time to discover how mud sinks to the bottom of water and makes a river bed. Maybe, since the main ingredient today is mud, you can discuss with your child what other things “cook” or grow in mud. Search around for some more ingredients for the café such as fallen berries, leafs, and twigs. Just be sure to leave the tasting to the imagination!

 

 

 

 

 

One of the liberating aspects to nature play is that there are very few rules. So the next time you have a free afternoon with the kiddos trying grabbing some water, dirt and old kitchen tools and go crazy!