A stick is not a stick in the outdoor classroom. Loose parts like sticks inspire imagination and creative play, moss and bark are selfie art projects, and stones become canvases for garden literacy projects.
Loose parts are found or natural objects that have no specific instructions for play and are highly valued for their imaginative and creative affordances for
Playdough is surprisingly entertaining for kids of all ages. Adding lavender playdough as a sensorial play opportunity in the school garden becomes a delightful way
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
Story stones for imaginative play Rocks and stones can be considered a “loose part”. That means they do not have a pre-determined story attached to
Earth-friendly Ice Art Learning and playing outdoors has multiple benefits for both children and adults. Teachers and caregivers looking for ways to get kids playing
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
A Seed Mandala Art Project Mandalas have a long history of therapeutic use and are often appreciated for having spiritual meaning. There is an enormous
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
Fall is the perfect time to reflect on the growing season and have children work with the bounty of the garden and school-yard! Nature crafts
This full day workshop provides a clear plan forward for Westcoast school gardens. Practical tips and tricks are shared with inspirational stories of school garden transformations.
To support our colleagues returning to on-site instruction in June, we’ve put together this list of ideas for playful learning outdoors in June. You can
If you’ve ever wondered how play helps your child’s brain development, then watch the video below. In all the noise of social media, once in
If you’ve never heard of Dr. Stuart Brown then you are in for a treat when you read his book, Play. In this book, Brown explains
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If you are going to teach outdoors, you’ll need to make your peace with some rainy days. Rather than seeing rainy days as yucky weather to tolerate, why not look
Although the year has officially just begun, it’s a critical time of year for parents to begin making plans for kids and their Fall programming. When looking at your nature
Organize Seasonal Clothing With the changing of the seasons comes the bitter-sweet task of putting away all those sandals and sun hats and digging out all the boots and winter coats. The rotation of
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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