This summer I read a book called Balanced and Barefoot by Angela Hanscom and I absolutely loved it! This book made so much sense and also reminded me how much we are missing the boat in the educational system. The book talks about the importance of outdoor free play for all children, especially our children with special needs. The importance of integrating all the senses through nature and why so many kids today are delayed. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, the constraints of the classroom don’t allow for this type of learning environment (although I would love to change that!) One thing I am trying is to see if my administrators would allow my students more time outdoors during our preschool day. I also am trying to incorporate lots more movement learning activities during the day, along with more natural sensory experiences. For my students, I am trying to structure similar activities the same way across the year so that once they understand the activity or task, they can be successful when we do it again. I am going to try scavenger hunts with my students in a controlled outdoor environment. I know this can be challenging depending on your outdoor setup. I am going to introduce the scavenger hunts indoor first and then bring it outdoors. I have adapted the activities for different learners. Starting out looking for a few items and working up to lots of items. Hoping this is a fun way to get outside and also learn about their environment. While remembering that the best way for kids to explore their environment is free exploration, but we can add some structure here and there! 🙂
