Outdoor Discoveries News from the Outdoor Classroom College Park Preschool
The Outdoor Classroom has been a busy place, especially in the Nature Space! Over the holidays, a mud kitchen was added and the climbing/exploration area got a bit of a makeover. The students have been amazing their teachers, Mrs. Kathie and me with their creations and engineering in the nature space! What might look like simple playing is anything but! It is true that they are playing: choosing what to do and enjoying it. They are also observing, interacting, absorbing, exploring, and most importantly: learning!
Both gross and fine motor skills are represented in the children’s work in the nature space. The climbing area and exploration trails (which we affectionately call “Narnia”) provide the children with ropes, hills, stumps and trees with which they can use their bodies to navigate in a big way.
Down at the mud kitchen, there is much picking plants, mixing, measuring and use of kitchen utensils like whisks and mixers. This requires some forethought and problem solving on their part. I watched in amazement while a group of boys retrieved water from the hose last week. There is a “dog lick” on the hose to allow the water to pour slowly rather than spray all over. This group of children waited patiently as each friend got their water. They took turns without us reminding them to do so! This focused work has been a joy to watch as it unfolds.
Please make sure to stop by the hallway to the Wild Things classroom where our school lending library resides. There is a documentation board with many pictures of the goings on in the mud kitchen that you won’t want to miss.
As always, thank you for sharing your children with us at College Park. They are the highlight of my day!
~Mrs. Greaves