Outdoor Learning Fun

 It that time of the year to let the children out and just play!

Are they just playing?

When children are at meaningful play that is facilitated by adults, children are given the opportunity to experience many different types of learning opportunities.

These children are deeply engaged at play while building relationships, creating, building fine motor skills and learning the power of cooperation. 
  

 Dramatic play is in full swing as children role play a BBQ with friends.

These girls discovered that water evaporates.  They realized that when they painted with the water in the sun their water drawings didn't last long and they could not finishes some.  So they moved to a shaded area where they discovered that the evaporation process was a lot slower and they were able to finish a water painting before it disappeared from evaporation.  

 More outdoor learning fun below.  

Outdoor Classroom Part One

Outdoor Classroom Part Two

Mud Kitchen

Wild Wet Summer Fun

Summer has official begun for our Full Day Full Year Preschool Program.  During the summer months we spend most of our time outdoors where the children can enjoy lots of wild and wet activities for their learning fun.

Sandbox Water Fun

Water Wall

Car Wash

Gardening with Kids

Name one child that does not enjoy digging in the dirt and making mud pies.  So why not start a school garden.

Gardening will engage students in a dynamic learning environment.  In the garden children can observe, discover, experiment, and nurture living things.  Gardens are a living laboratory where children will learn from real life experiences and where children can become active participants in the learning process.

So start your garden today.

Parents are even willing to leaned a helping hand to bring a living classroom to their children

All of the children wanted to help prepare the ground

They could not wait to put the plants in the ground

Dirty hands, no big deal 

Now we just need to wait for it to grow

The garden would not be complete without naming it.

Drum roll.....

The garden is now called the Yummy Garden 

Now it time to plant the butterfly garden

Outdoor Classroom

Part 2

Outdoor Dramatic Play Area

We have turned the outdoor stage area into our dramatic area play space.

Potted Plants Around Play Space

 Outdoor Block Area

All we need to do now is add some natural elements to the area. (natural log blocks, stones and drift wood)

Outdoor Easel Painting 

Outdoor Pretend Picnic Area

Outdoor Book Area

Letting children be inventive

Teachers Classroom Management Packet

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Notebook

 

This 103 page teacher classroom management packet will help get your school year off to the right start.

What you will find in this classroom management packet

 Section One   Parent Orientation

·         Parent Classroom Handbook

       -Welcome Letter         

       -Daily Schedule

      -Talking with Children

·         Volunteer Questionnaire

·         Getting to Know You cards

·         Family Trash to Treasure letter and donation list

·         Change of Clothes Reminder

·         Book Bag Check Out

Section Two    Parent Teacher Conferences

·         Parent Letter

·         Reminder Card

·         Appointment Chart

·         Sign-In form

·         Child’s Progress Form

·         Portfolio Sheets

·         Observation Forms

Section Three    Staying Organized and Planning

·         Child File Data Sheet

·         Monthly News Letter Template

·         Communication Folder Template

·         Teacher Note Paper

·         Planning Calendar

·         Birthday Board Template in Color and Black/White

·         Name Tags

·         Awards

·         Name Plates

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Notebook

     

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Turning Your Outdoor Area into a Outdoor Classroom

Part One

I have been working on improving our outdoor play area into a outdoor classroom.  Giving children all the same learning opportunities as they have indoors outdoors.

Before Pictures

 

After Pictures

Writing Area

We found an old table that made a great outdoor writing area.  Since this area has been added children's draws have been a lot more detailed and full of information.

 

Outdoor Garden Area

Children have been learning about caring for a garden, composting and organic gardening with garden friendly insects. (lady bugs and praying mantis).  But most of all they have been enjoying eating fresh vegetables planted and cared for with their own hands.

Outdoor Kitchen (Mud)

Most used place, children have made pizzas to birthday cakes.

Mountain Climbing Rope Pull

Children are allowed to climb up this slide by pulling themselves up with the rope.  Building upper body strength and hand over hand coordination.

For more outdoor classroom ideas refer to the book Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms.

Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms

Spray Art

Children sprayed colored water paint onto an old white sheet.

All Children had a turn painting

Finished Painting

What we did with it when it was dry.  We turned it into our pirate ships sail.

 Play structure turned Pirate Ship!

Come aboard Matey!  

Mud Kitchen Open for Business

The mud kitchen is official open for business.

Here it sits waiting for the daily rush of customers.  In the area we have an old outdoor sink that has been converted into a water table.  Two work tables and under each work table is milk crates filled with items that we collected from thrift stores and garage sales.

You will find the majority of the children around the mud kitchen when we are using the outdoor classroom.  

These dishes have been the best find and you will not believe where we found them and what one of our teachers said.

We were cleaning out a shed that had old kitchen supplies in it and found boxes of these dishes.  Once I brought them out for our mud kitchen one of the ladies that teaches with me said “Hey those are the dishes I used to eat off of as child here when we had our own kitchen staff.”  She went to school here in the mid 70’s.  You never know what you will find when you clean things out around here.

 Love the Mud Kitchen!