How do we
get children interested in nature?
We are lucky that we live in Hawaii
one of the most beautiful places in the world. We have the ocean, volcanoes,
forestry, and even snow at times. Living
in Hawaii we are connected to the island and that connection is passed down to
the next generation.
In my program the children make a
connection with nature because my site is so close to the ocean. The children constantly
talk about their experiences at the beach and about the animals that they see.
In our playground we have plastic climbing structures but we have plants such
as ti leaf, papayas, and flowers. We have two gardens one located close to the playground
and another in the front of the school entrance.
I would use some of the practices
that Sarah used such as creating a field guide for the center as a way to get
the families and children interested in nature. I would set – up field trips to
the beach, or botanical gardens, or the volcano. I would take the children to learn
about farms and garden in the community to build a bond with nature and the
community.
Hi Jasmine,
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very hard not to make the connection to nature when living here in Hawaii. I guess that is one of the lucky things about living here. How do you get a child (maybe just moved here from a big mainland city) to connect with nature here? Do you think that it is a school's responsibility to provide our children with a garden or outdoor experiences?
Do you think there is a difference in the preschool children who are allowed at least a daily 1-hour block of time to play outdoors on a lawn, versus the preschool children who don't? All this discussion about nature makes me think about an infant/toddler/preschool program that I observed, here in beautiful Hawaii, that has an indoor playground. There facility is located basically in a parking lot. Why do you think that a preschool program in Hawaii would choose such a location for children, that doesn't give them regular access to play amongst the grass, trees, plants, and flowers? Why keep children cooped up indoors with an air conditioning system and flourescent lights when we can have warm, fresh air and sunlight shining in from windows? How does this environment challenge the director and teacher's from providing children learning opportunities in the natural world? How do you think that this type of environment inhibits children's development?
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