Guest Author
I’m Lee, an early years educator with 13 fantastic years experience. My mission and passion is to connect children with the natural world each day. This could be in an early years setting, at school or at home. Nature play is available to us every day. The ethos of my work as the simple natural teacher doesn’t require expensive resources. All you need is access to nature – a garden, a daily walk, a local park, forest, meadow, or beach. And you need a positive role model to support or enhance child-led nature play.
Why nature play
I believe that daily nature play enables children to thrive emotionally, spiritually and physically in preparation for their life ahead. But it also embeds a knowledge and love of the world around us. I remember reading a statistic in my early training that suggested children who connect with nature regularly during the early years are more likely to take care of it in later years. I see that interest grow everyday in front of my eyes in the children I teach.
As I write this article, I look out my window into the garden too see the snowdrops dancing in the breeze. I feel the warm rays of sunshine on my skin and hear birds singing in the trees. All these signs show that spring is beginning to… spring! It’s the perfect time of year to get outside and enjoy the change of the seasons. I know that getting outside can also be a little daunting so here are my top three activities for spring to begin your nature play journey.
1. Signs of spring
Under 2s
This is my favourite way to introduce the season with the children that I teach. When I work with under 2 years, I take them out to a safe space in nature and we lie down on our backs. Then I model language about what I can see, hear and feel. For example the ‘spring breeze on my face’ or ‘I can hear the birds signing’.
I carry them to flower beds and show them daffodils and snowdrops. When children are more physically able, I let them explore on grass (barefoot if possible) again modelling language of what the infant is drawn too ‘yellow daffodil’ if the infant had moved towards a spring flower.
At the age of two I introduce an identification card for the children to use and model the language. I encourage them to match the card with the sign of spring while out exploring in nature. This could be something as simple as a print out you make at home, you don’t have to buy identification cards.
Ages 3 and over
When I create activities for three-year-olds and over I have a ‘signs of spring’ spotter sheet, and I encourage them to mark of each sign they see. This can be extended in so many ways. From counting how many snows drops you discover on your walk, or identifying the bird that’s you can hear singing or introducing initial sounds like ‘b- blossom’. These activities are as much about broadening their access to language and experience.
2. Puddle Play
As we know with spring comes April showers. The rain is a wonderful resource for early years
children so get their wellies and waterproofs on and enjoy every moment.
Babies
Babies that are still be in a pram can enjoy a sensory experience in the rain. The sound of the rain as its pitter patters onto the waterproof cover can be a mesmerising experience. You can then bring the baby out of the pram and let them experience the feel of the rain on their skin while introducing a range of
descriptive words ‘rain, wet, cold’ during this rainy play. The touch of the rain on the skin will also enliven the senses and in turn enable the brain to make new connections.
If children are unsure about venturing out on rainy days an umbrella is a perfect resource that I find never fails to get them excited to go outside. Just like the waterproof cover of a pram the umbrella will enable the same sensory experience.
Toddlers
With older children who are physically able let’s get our wellies and waterproofs on and head outside. The process of supporting / teaching them to do this independently is great for nursery/school readiness.
Once everyone is ready, allowing children to jump in puddles develops gross motor skills and begins to introduce the concept of space and volume. I like to enhance puddle play with simple listening and attention games like ‘ready steady jump’ and ‘Jump and stop’. While jumping in the puddles add a drop of washing up liquid or bubble mixture and watch the bubble go crazy as children have fun jumping and splashing.
Pre-School aged
Adding natural food colouring or earth/herbal paint (you can make your own here) to puddles is a great way for children to explore colour mixing. A particular favourite with the older children is to use junk modelling to make a rain catcher. I encourage them to write numbers on the side to measure how much water will fall that day.
As with all nature play, I like to introduce a nursery rhyme with all ages. A personal favourite for rainy days is: ‘I hear thunder’. Nursery Rhymes are vital for the development of early language and relating them to an experience is a great way to bring the nursery rhyme to life and embed them for future play.
3. Brilliant Blossom
My favourite part of spring is the blossom. I think the elegance of the cherry blossom with its delicate flowers naturally makes our minds slow down. I like to venture out on a bright and breezy afternoon, a blanket in my backpack with children off all ages to discover these magnificent trees.
Once there we set out the blanket and I encouraging the children to sit or lie down and mindfully watch natures confetti float down from the trees. To extend this activity, collecting blossom petals is a brilliant for developing fine motor skills and you can use them for craft. Blossom makes wonderful pictures to treasure the spring memory that you made together. To finish off your time under the blossom tree why not pack a picnic to enjoy under the trees before venturing home.
Continue your own nature play
So here are three of my favourite things to do as the season changes to spring. I hope that they have inspired you to get outside and enjoy daily nature play with your children. If you would like more daily nature play inspiration I will be launching my own blog soon! Keep an eye out for future collaborations with Family Feed.
Lee
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