It is often said that children require a substantial amount of outdoor time in order to facilitate mental and physical growth. Research says children’s growth is accelerated when they spend more time in open natural environment rather than enclosed shelters. It is extremely important for kindergartens to have certain natural features within their campuses or to dedicate certain days to the environment.
Here are 5 interesting ways which can be incorporated in the activities of kindergartens
1) Gardening- One of the most inexpensive and simple ways to start educating children about the natural environment is by simple lawn gardening. Incorporating a habit of watering the plants and sowing seeds is fairly easy and helps build a consistent approach. Children can be educated about the flowers and plants grown in the compound.
2) Feeding birds – The more greenery in the kindergarten facility the more it attracts different birds and butterflies. It is important the children are given an opportunity to inculcate in themselves a caring and affectionate approach towards the natural species present within our environment
3) Beach trips – Beach trips may be a challenging event due to safety and maintaining the cleanliness of the children, however they help build a creative side to children’s thinking as children are actively seen making different shapes and designs with the sand at the beaches. The exposure to the waves is important and creates an awareness among students about the natural environment from early on.
4) Cloud gazing – A popular winter choice for most kindergartens, a chance to unwind and gaze the clouds is a way to see the interpretations kids make about our nature and is a good way to educate children about the environment and also to further increase their curiosity towards our natural environment. This could be a feature along with a open movie screening day or could be added with a certain other games on a picnic trip
5) Treasure boxes – Our environment offers many different flora and fauna, it is not possible with just books and pictures to create a knowledge of all these species, it is important to note that as adults, we learn from practical mistakes rather than theoretical assumptions. The similar concept is to be adopted with kids whereby treasure boxes containing certain fruits, vegetables and flowers can be kept in class and is directly in contact with the child instead of a picture. The same exercise can be repeated on a monthly basis to see how the products in the basket are remembered by the children and can be replaced by newer products in the boxes.
The above-mentioned activities and benefits are essential in today’s world. With global environment concerns on a rise, it is necessary to inculcate a love for the environment from the ages of 0-4 so as to make it a naturally occurring connection between the children and the environment. As a parent, it is essential that a child is much better skilled at those areas which are neglected by others and is passionate towards making a difference from a very young age.
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