Playful learning outdoors is not only possible in your outdoor classroom, it is necessary! Inspire students to work collaboratively on outdoor garden projects like music walls, dinosaur gardens, mud kitchens and playful literacy through the use of shadow puppets and loose parts.
Command games are a playful way for teachers to position themselves as an authority figure with large groups of children who may be reluctant to
From time to time, I am sent teaching resources to review. I was offered a Magidome kit during the 2021 school year and was excited
Opportunities for playing in the rain are sorely missing in many childhoods. It often seems like decisions to stay inside at recess are randomly decided
Music Is Not My Strongest Subject But… Of all the curricular content I teach as an elementary school educator, music is likely my weakest subject
Thank you to Rene Gualtieri for contributions to this post! Not A Stick Play Having worked at a nature camp, I am very aware of
Dandelions are a sure sign of spring and an early source of pollen in our Spring gardens. Often considered weeds by gardeners, dandelions offer a
If you’ve ever fallen into the black hole of Pinterest, you’ve certainly seen some cute and fun ideas for gardening with kids. Which is great
Bug hotels are an essential addition to any garden, and particularly a children’s garden. There are really only two reasons to build them. One is
The emergent curriculum is a valuable tool for student directed inquiry in any outdoor classroom. I often have specific plans for my students that are
Walking, working and playing in nature invites children’s imaginations to create stories that reflect their lived experiences, their wonders and their understandings of the world
About three years ago a Wii made its way into our home. For my oldest son, it was a novelty and a result of years
If you ask me, just about anything can be taught in an outdoor classroom. Math and Science are two of the easiest subjects to try
If play is truly the work of the child, then dress up play must be the ultimate job description! Imaginative, fantasy play is achievable when
In this workshop, teachers and school staff, who have existing school gardens, will explore the multitude of ways we can expand and deepen meaningful academic learning in the garden classroom.
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International Mud Day is June 29th this year, and if you are going to have a garden with kids, it makes sense to have a mud kitchen. Not only is
My role as a teacher is always evolving. Over the past 25 years, I’ve taught just about every grade in public elementary schools across two provinces. For the past seven
I love to garden. I love the peacefulness, I love watching things grow under my care and I love that I can see both immediate and long term results. I
As we move towards report card season, you might find it helpful to watch this video clip on mindset and how academically beneficial or discouraging praise can be. In this clip,
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