Smell, splash and listen!
Put on your wellies and dance outside!
How high is an oak tree? How do you measure the height of an ant nest? How does a wet pile of autumn leaves smell?
Some answer are not found inside the classroom, instead you have to walk out in nature to find the answers.
All nurseries, preschools and primary schools should have access to a wild area. Children should be exposed to nature even if they live in an urban area. Urban planners are slowly starting to include wild areas into their designs, yet much more can be done.
Trees and wild areas are even more important in urban areas since they improve people’s health. Trees are natures’ way to combat air pollution. Sadly despite several technological advances, air pollution is a major problem in many areas around the world. Many children fill up their lungs with air filled with damaging pollutants.
A nature walk provides children with the opportunity to run, crawl and burn their energy. Also it is gives them the opportunity to open their minds up to all sort of marvellous and fantastic experiences. A nature lesson invites children to use all their senses – smell the leaves, touch the grass, listen to the sound of rain dropping from trees.
Lesson outside complements most subject areas and children can explore some of their observations in the classroom.
Art lessons can be designed as part of nature walks and wonderful exciting stories can be written after having spent time listening to the old oak tree in the wild woodland.
Biomimicry or biometrics offers exciting ways to engage and inspire children to think about ways to change the world as a result of their nature observations. New robots, new ways to design energy bar och milk cartoon.
Be inspired and make sure your children get a good dose of Vitamin G.
Featured photo: Pixabay
Biomimicry for Young Children 