Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/early-foundations-music-and-movement-in-the-outdoor-classroom/5017853/
In one corner of the Music and Movement Area of a well-equipped outdoor classroom, Imani improvises a tune on a natural wood marimba. “Listen,” she calls to a friend. “Come hear my song!”In another corner, Cody and Bobby jump and twist on a low wooden stage, enjoying the sounds that their shoes make when they connect with the hard wood. “It sounds like thunder,” Cody says. “Let’s call this our ‘Thunder Dance.’”
Under a nearby tree, Shana and Jose wave colorful scarves, mimicking the movements of the tree’s leaves as they sway in the wind.
Experiences like these are what make outdoor classrooms a natural way for children to develop foundational movement and music skills that will aid them in all areas of development. Because an outdoor classroom can usually offer more space for large-motor movements than an indoor classroom, children are able to freely experiment with multiple locomotor and non-locomotor activities. And, because sounds are absorbed in the outdoors in a way that’s impossible inside, children can create their own music without disturbing other children.
A place for self-expression
Perhaps one of the most positive benefits of an outdoor music and movement area for children is that it ...