Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/pest-or-partner-teaching-young-children-resilience-and-empathy-with-dandelions/5026666/
*Photos can be found in the pdf version of this article.
The definition of nature is as flexible as a fresh dandelion stem. For many, the first things that come to mind are sprawling hills, dense forests, snowcapped mountains, and rushing rivers. While those are certainly fine examples, many people rarely get to experience that version of nature on a regular basis, if ever. As early childhood educators, we must be flexible in our thinking and perceptions of nature. Whether you have access to a field of wildflowers or notice dandelions in cracks of a sidewalk, nature is everywhere ... if we are open to seeing it. Dandelions are the epitome of resilience—they can grow and thrive even in the most undesirable of places. And as we will describe in this article, dandelions can be a focal point of social and emotional learning.
Where Others See a Pest, We See a Learning Partner
High-quality early childhood programs engage young children as scientists to investigate the properties of things in nature, consider what living things need to survive, take responsibility for living things, and participate in adult-facilitated activities to preserve the environment. Books can be a great source of initial inspiration and ...