Connecting with the nature outside is the best thing you can ever dream of for your little ones. But do you know what is a natural play?
Preschool science, curriculum, printables, crafts, homeschool, and education!
We all know how important Outdoor play is for kids but here are 5 Big Benefits of Outdoor Play and the amazing effects it can have on kids.
The Risk Benefit Assessment Toolkit, developed by the Child Nature Alliance of Canada, supports practitioners who encourage children’s outdoor play. It takes a balanced approach to risk and safety. The toolkit was created it because of growing concerns that children are overprotected when playing outdoors or stopped from going outside altogether. As a result, they...
There are plenty of excuses to enjoy the outdoors, but getting kids engaged with nature should be a top priority for parents and teachers of children.
Modern life is hectic. I know this, because I’m a mom. I have two homeschooled children, aged 6 and 8, […]
Children learn their most important lessons on the playground, not in the classroom, researchers say.
Laura @inspiremyplay Founder of @inspiremyplay, Early Years teacher for 11 years and mummy to three gorgeous girls. I'm passionate about about the benefits of play in early childhood. Drawing with light and shadow is such a simple, fun activity for kids of all ages and works well at home, outdoors or in the classroom! We created a little set up using some leaves from the back garden which you can read about in this blog. Kids will love creating and recreating shadows on paper with this activity! But there are many ways you can do shadow drawing. All you need is the sun, some paper (or another surface you’re happy to have drawn on!), an object to draw, and something to draw with. So, next time there's a sunny day, grab some chalk or pencils and paper and let the kiddies experiment with shadow art. What is Shadow Art? It's all about using the dark shapes (shadows) created by light shining on objects. Imagine holding up a toy or an object in sunlight, and then drawing around its shadow on the ground. That's basically what shadow drawing is! When kids play with shadows, they can learn how light travels and see how objects block the light to make different shadow shapes. Here's a little insight into how it all works: Light goes in one direction until it meets something; If something stands in the way of light, the light hitting the object is obstructed, while the remaining light continues; The obstructed section forms a shadow on a different surface. Shadow Drawing for Kids Shadow drawing for kids doesn't have to be complicated! You don’t need lots of different materials to get creative. All you need is a source of light and some objects to create shadows to trace around. This offers a great chance for you to make learning captivating for your little one, whilst also sparking their curiosity. You could experiment with different shapes and sizes of objects as well as different locations on the page. You could ask them some simple questions: What happens if you move your object around? Does the shadow of your object appear bigger, the same size, or smaller than the actual object? Does the shadow of your object stay the same at different times of the day? How does the shadow of your object change as the sun moves? What is the Best Time of Day to Make Shadow Art? Shadow art is a fantastic way for little ones to understand how the sun moves during the day. They might see that the shadow of their object moves as the angle of the sun does. If they draw shadows at different times, they'll notice that shadows change, growing long in the morning and evening, and shorter at noon. It can be done at any point in the day when shadows are present. By seeing these changes, they get a hands-on lesson about light and how the Earth moves. Shadow Drawing with Leaves I set this activity up by pegging leaves on some string hung between two chairs. Underneath I rolled out a big piece of paper and we traced around the shadows created by the leaves. As well as being a great conversation starter to talk about shadows, this was also a great fine motor challenge and good for concentration and observational skills. Mine enjoyed colouring them afterwards and adding details to their leaves. Here is how you do it step by step: Step 1: Tie leaves to a long piece of string; Step 2: Tie the string at both ends to something strong enough to keep them suspended in the air (we used 2 chairs); Step 3: Place a piece of paper underneath so that the angle of the sun casts the shadows of the leaves on top of the paper; Step 4: Once the shadow on the paper appears, using a pencil, get them to trace their shadow shapes. Afterwards you can colour in the shapes, or get creative in other ways.
The Enduring Health Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children - how elements such as playhouses and trampolines can play a pivotal role in a child's development.
Ditch the device. In an age where many children spend more time in front of a screen than a window, the argument for getting outside is supported by new research out of Canada.
FREE PDF | Ultimate loose parts play material list for hours of child-led, open-ended discovery and learning.
At a day care center in Florida, most programs allow at least an hour of active play where kids can enjoy outdoor spaces or be with nature.
Do you allow your children to take risks in their play, or do you wrap them up in cotton wool? Laura England considers the benefits of allowing children to play as they would like, developing important life-skills alongside a greater understanding of risk.
What is Nature-Based Therapy? Nature-based therapy encourages children to play and explore the outdoors. This approach utilizes nature to promote healing and improve the mental health of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Nature is found to support children's fine and gross motor skills,
When we think back to our childhood, we recall fond memories of playing outside, often with siblings or friends and often engaging in pretend or imaginative play. These memories stick with us for a reason as outdoor play really is crucial to child development. Maybe we learned something while
Mud play for toddlers is fun and getting messy is part of that fun. Learn why it's essential part of toddler play.
Explore the advantages of outdoor play in the best kindergarten schools in Ajman. Foster physical health, creativity, social skills, and cognitive development in young learners.
Get the kids out and about in all weathers, the benefits of outdoor play for children are well documented, what are you waiting for?
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about childcare, from selecting a daycare provider to at-home educational activities.
These parenting books influenced the author's approach to raising kids. They focus on outdoor play, minimizing technology, and building resilience.
Discover the joy of outdoor play for kids in any weather with Rain or Shine. Inspire your little ones to embrace nature and have fun!
You can find my previous post on Cornerstone here . I'm going to keep this short and sweet so click on the image if you would like more info...
There are numerous benefits when children play outdoors on a regular basis. It makes them healthier, happier, and more resilient.
What are loose parts? What are the benefits of playing with loose parts? And reasons why kids should play with loose parts in the backyard.
When we think back to our childhood, we recall fond memories of playing outside, often with siblings or friends and often engaging in pretend or imaginative play. These memories stick with us for a reason as outdoor play really is crucial to child development. Maybe we learned something while
Research shows that active, creative play benefits just about every aspect of child development. Play, it turns out, is essential to growing up healthy.
How Balanced and Barefoot is helping parents and kids incorporate more free play into their daily routine for better learning.
Stephen & Rachel Kaplan's Attention Restoration Theory proposes that exposure to nature can improve our focus & ability to concentrate.
In Unschooling to University, Judy Arnall, a parenting expert and ‘unschooler’ to five kids, makes the case for ditching the classroom.
Discover the advantages and nature play benefits, and how it can positively impact your child's growth and well-being.
New research shows that risky outdoor play is not only good for children’s health but also encourages creativity, social skills and resilience.
