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
During our final August PLAY Journal group meeting, we reviewed the article “Through the Kids . . . We Connected With Our Community”: Children as
Kids in school means way too much school paper is coming home. Even in this digital age, there is an ungodly amount of paperwork that
April first is known as April Fools Day where we live. Generally speaking, harmless pranks and hoaxes are perpetrated and the cleverer the hoax, the
A shift has happened in our house. The kids are growing and their interests are changing. For many years, we got by with a simple
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Our first play research group meeting on intersecting and overlapping topics relevant to child well-being was full of informal discussion and brainstorming about the scope of the play research group, possible
This post is the second in a series of posts with resources for teachers teaching across the curriculum in their school gardens. This post lists some of the resources shared
Teaching outside has a long list of challenges, and trying to complete paper crafts in the wind, rain or snow tops my list of tasks that are nearly impossible! With Valentine’s
This workshop is for experienced practitioners who are ready to think deeply as we complicate ways of engaging children intellectually in learning that is relevant, culturally responsive, and interconnected to the lands we learn with, from, and on.
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