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The Adventurous Child Staff

Learn About Worms in the Garden

In Vicki L. Stoecklin’s article, Gardening with Children; My summers at Beanstalk Children’s Garden, she writes,

“If children do not have time to explore and fully understand nature, they are at risk of developing what is known as biophobia or an aversion to nature.”

We see this in children that do not grow up playing outdoors with a chance to get dirty. Their first reaction is to fear the natural element, like a bug. Once their fear has passed, they kill it. If we can expose our children to the outdoors when they are young, they will be comfortable with the elements and be able to help preserve them.

One way to get a child comfortable is to teach them about worms, smushy and harmless yet extremely interesting! For a hands on session, you can let the children touch a worm to feel the silkiness of its skin along with the rise of its ridges. To help children desire to preserve these creatures, teach them about all of the benefits that worms bring to nature as Earth’s helpers:

· They consume pests,
· They enrich the soil by digesting and re-depositing everything they eat as they travel along,
· and They are natural plows. As worms twist and turn they push aside loose soil there by creating tunnels. Rainwater will trickle down and fill the tunnels allowing roots to drink the water.

Look for our next entry for an activity that will allow children to observe worms at work!

Learn Healthy Eating in the Garden

It is difficult to pick up a publication and not see an article about childhood obesity and obesity-related complications, including type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Through gardening we can introduce preschool children to healthy food options and what better place than on the outdoor playground. Growing fruits and vegetables provides an opportunity for learning about proper nutrition, the Food Pyramid, vitamins, and minerals, which leads to an awareness of and respect for a healthy lifestyle.

The children will enjoy digging in the dirt, planting seeds, watering, weeding and documenting and observing the growing process. With so much labor invested in the process they will certainly be curious to harvest, clean and sample the "fruits of their labors". Children will learn that fresh is good -- fun and tasty. Preschool children can learn the merits of eating food plucked from mother earth instead of a box, wrapper or deep fryer.

To start your garden, find a patch of soil in a sunny location protected from run away balls, riding toys and running feet - raised gardens work best. Make your own or check out The Adventurous Child Pizza Garden and The Adventurous Child Root Garden.

Let's Get Physical

Early childhood is the time for a child to begin the development of an active lifestyle. In order to ensure a lifetime of good health, the development of skills and attitudes that lead to a healthy lifestyle need to be nurtured and encouraged when children are young. Children don't need personal trainers and gymnasiums...just open the doors--the preschool playground is their fitness center. Young children need daily movement opportunities designed for their developmental levels in order to enhance body awareness, spatial awareness, coordination and locomotor skills.

The Adventurous Child designs outdoor play equipment that helps develop childrens' minds and bodies. For example, The Adventurous Child Balance Beam is uniquely designed with an incline plane, a level surface and a step up and down all within one product. The easiest beam is the level one, which is 6" off the ground, and allows the children to balance and walk on a level narrow surface. The next most difficult beam is the inclined plane. The child has to be able to walk up or down the hill at the same time as they are balancing on the narrow beam. The third beam is only 2' long and there is a 6" step between that beam and the level beam. Being able to step from one narrow object to another narrow object requires a greater skill level than just walking a standard balance beam. Observe the children as they master the different levels of difficulty and watch their self-confidence grow. Also, check out The Adventurous Child Stepping Pods and many other outdoor playground activities for building young minds and bodies.

Learning Physical Education at the Drums

Playing the Large Drum Set outdoors ...


HELPS BUILD
STRONG BODIES
TWELVE WAYS

1. Dancing, twisting, marching and jumping to the music.

2. Strengthening hand muscles to grasp the drum mallet.

3. Using the large shoulder and arm muscles to
strike the drum.

4. Integrating body movement with senses--
touch, hearing, kinesthesia, and the vestibular
sense.

5. Increasing eye-hand coordination.

6. Developing body awareness and spatial awareness.

7. Learning that physical activity is fun and feels good.

8. Demonstrating sound discrimination.

9. Developing skills through repetitive practice.

10. Improving body control.

11. Increasing the physical activity level by adding singing to the beating drum and dancing feet.

12. Creating the partnership of physical activity and emotional well-being.

Physical education focuses on all activities and experiences that support and encourage gross and fine motor development as well as sensory integration.

To learn how the Large Drum Set is aligned with other Early Learning Standards visit http://www.adventurouschild.com/drums.php

In addition to the Large Drum Set, The Adventurous Child designs and manufactures other musical instruments for the outdoors. To learn more take a look at the Chime Panel http://www.adventurouschild.com/chime-panel.php and the Xylophone http://www.adventurouschild.com/xylophone.php.

and to see more outdoor play and learning products visit http://www.adventurouschild.com/products.php

Learning Geography at the Sand Table

Everyone loves sand! that is unless you are shaking it out of socks and shoes or sweeping it off the floor. Sand has to be the oldest, cheapest and most plentiful manipulative that exists. Combine the sand with water and the opportunities for outdoor play and learning multiply. By mixing sand, water and imagination all kinds of things can be created, but for now let's just focus on geography. The Early Learning Standards point out that children are learning geography when they are exposed to land and water forms. Preschool children can use sand and water to make a mountain, valley, canyon, plateau, island, lake, ocean, desert or river. Can they read the word, not yet; can they write the word, not yet; can they say the word, maybe. But they definitely can experience it--by manipulating sand and water they gain an understanding of the various land and water forms. It may look like child's play, but it is also the beginning study of the physical structures of the earth, otherwise known as geography.

One of the advantages of children standing to play with sand, rather than sitting in the standard sandbox, is there will be minimal sand to shake out of socks and shoes or sweep off the floor. Learn more about The Adventurous Child's Sand Table with Locking Lid www.adventurouschild.com/sand-table-with-locking-lids.php

Learning Science at the Water Table

Everyone knows that playing in water is fun! Splashing in sinks, bath tubs and buckets can provide endless entertainment indoors. But water play also provides an opportunity for scientific exploration and discovery. You can take the water play, mess and learning outdoors. An outdoor preschool water table is perfect for scientific observation of the physical characteristics of matter. It is an opportunity to learn first-hand about liquids and solids (without all of the indoor water mess).


The young scientist can experiment with different objects to determine which objects float and which objects sink in the water table. The children can make a game of predicting if they think an object will sink or float and then document their findings. The children can create drawings, charts or graphs to share with their fellow scientists.


When you mix water play and the outdoors, children gain a natural sense of the forces of nature by watching the effects of blowing wind on the water or increase in water temperature as the sun warms the water.


During mild weather, put ice cubes in the water table and allow the children to observe the change in physical properties from a solid to liquid. Try this on a sunny day, and then on a cloudy day, record how long it takes to melt. Is there a difference? Why? During the winter, fill the table with snow, what happens? Why?


Another experiment is to make predictions of what will happen when different substances (salt, sugar, flour, etc.) are mixed into the water. Like all good scientific exploration--predict, observe, discuss, and document.


Understanding the physical environment and communication of observations and discoveries are important elements of the science content areas of the states' Early Learning Standards. Take the Early Learning Standards outdoors with The Adventurous Child's Water Table and many other outdoor play products. http://www.adventurouschild.com/products.php