Exploring the Outdoor Classroom: March 2013

It Not "Just Recess" Anymore!

Teachers often heave a sigh of relief when they take their students out to recess. Finally! The children can burn off the pent up energy they had been accruing for the past few hours indoors. But what if we change our outlook on outdoor play time? What if we create an outdoor environment that offered all of the learning opportunities that one would typically find indoors? What if children could run out to a well-planned play yard to find experiences in math, science, nature, dramatic play, water, building and construction, sensory activities, physical development, art and music? What if they play yard developed critical thinking, discovery, problem solving, and cooperative skills? The result would be that we wouldn't have "just recess" anymore. We would have The Outdoor Classroom!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Bike "Parking" Solution!

I was visiting a preschool the other day and I absolutely LOVED their creative idea for 'parking' their 2-wheel bikes. Currently, we battle the parking solution every day. Our creative Outdoor Curriculum Specialist marked off 'parking spaces' in red duct tape for the 3-wheelers. But the 2-wheelers tend to get dropped, flopped, and abandoned without much thought from our pint-sized riders.

I must say, we will be creating this parking solution at our next site work day. The racks are simply a large round of PVC, painted red, and held down with curved PVC joints that were cemented to the concrete. Large slits were cut into the PVC to accomodate several front tires from the bikes.

Marvelous!!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Our Very Own Easter Bunny

Okay, so there isn't much 'depth' to this post, but isn't it cute??? Our Outdoor Curriculum Specialist snapped this photo of "Mopsy" 'reading' (well, nibbling) a book about the Easter Bunny!