During each season, wondrous play opportunities and
experiences are provided by nature! |
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Playing in the rain, exploring water running through your fingers, jumping in a huge pile of leaves and pushing a gigantic snowball are just a few ways that the children at Theresa Jekel Family Child Care learn and grow in the outdoors.
In Spring: The children engaged in preparing soil and planting wheat grass seeds. They then tended to and watched the grass grow, which eventually led to trimming and using the cuttings in a delicious stone soup. They explored the life cycle of the butterfly and experienced the joy of releasing them. The children watched with curiosity as a little robin gathered dried grass from their play space to use for its nest.
In Summer: In honor of International Mud Day, the children submersed themselves in mud, made yummy mud pies, engaged in a mud spa and even a wiggly worm race. Corkscrew Rush grass, Yucca and Ice plants were added to the sensory garden this year with additions of sea shells, starfish and sand dollars to the Messy Materials Area.
In Fall: Autumn walks to gather wonderful messy materials; acorns, colorful leaves of all sizes, pine cones, dandelions, etc. (Indian corn, pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, and hay bales are also added.) An awesome time to visit Colorado State University Environmental Learning Center to expand the children's sensory experiences while climbing huge, fallen tree limbs.
In Winter: There was plenty of time for icicle discoveries, making huge snow balls, creating pine swags and pine swag paintings. The children also had fun with ice-scape nature excavations, making cinnamon scented pine cones, and observing a squirrel snacking on a peanut butter feeder. |
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