Outdoor classroom
Outdoor classroom
Today I greeted the kids outside and we stayed there until lunch time at 11:30. Unlike most outdoor play areas for children our area has almost everything we have inside as far as centers goes. There is sand and water. There is dramatic play. There are blocks. There is an art area with painting. There is writing ( side walk chalk ) , There is a music center outside and the science is obviously all around us. There may not be as many ” toys” but there are many ” found objects ” that can be turned into anything we want them to be – all with the imagination ! Outside time is so important for kids. So much time is spent now in classrooms, in cars and in front of TV’s that I do like to take special opportunities to indulge in the fact that I am the queen of my castle and I can pretty much decide to take a play day outside without much trouble. We did get a lot done though and we still learned.
We had breakfast on the porch and picnic table.
I saw Malachy counting the wood tree blocks he stacked up. He got to 9 !
Alex made an amazing block castle which taught him much about balance and using his cognitive skills to figure out where the next block should go.
We read ” The Little Engine That Could” and made a train in the front yard and sang ” I think I can I think I can ” as we made it around our play area.
I took paper outside and we write down all the things WE CAN do… just like the little blue engine.
Oh and in the middle of our fun fall day outside we had a student from JBU come to observe our classroom !
Randy brought his guitar outside and we did music and movement on the porch. The kids even taught him a new ABC song that we are singing with the CD- STOP! CRACKS me up every time !
Randy also brought his dulcimer outside to show the kids a different kind of music instrument. Katelyn was funny as she told Randy she had made up a new song and wanted him to play. She started with Mosquito Burrito, which is one of our kids favorites that Randy and I do and after a few words she would yell STOP like the new ABC song. Funny Funny girl.
There are so many more things that we learned while playing outside.
I miss the days when kids would go outside and stay all day. No one had to worry about them because all the neighbors would watch out for all the kids. Around dark everyone would hurry back home and fall into bed exhausted. Yes, I used to listen to my parents say this and laugh but those really were.. … the good old days.
Here is a link to all the pictures I took today if you want to smile .
Happy Fall Yall.