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Fostering a Love for Nature
January 2, 2007
If you're not beguiling by age twelve, forget it.
Lucy VanPelt (Charles Schulz)
Lucy VanPelt (Charles Schulz)
"Imagine young children’s daily lives if the range of their experience began and ended at the door into their school or child care center, only to re-emerge when it is time to go home. Certainly many would agree that something important was missing from their education. Yet, when they go home, today’s young children are experiencing more and more of life indoors. As an early childhood educator who has impact on both kids and parents, you can be the first line of defense against a culture-wide loss of appreciation for the whole package of developmental benefits our children can only access if they have a healthy relationship with the great outdoors and its natural wonders.
"Spread the word to parents, administrators, and others who make decisions about how children spend their time every day. Outdoor play doesn’t require a playground or a park or an hour or a warm, sunshiny day. It only requires a commitment to kids’ healthy development. Nature is standing by �" ever patient, available whenever we want �" ready to nurture the young children in our care."
This article serves as the basis for a new Exchange Out of the Box Training Kit: "Play and the Outdoors."
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Comments (4)
Displaying All 4 Commentskids
fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
We are working on introducing classcial composers and their music to children 2-5 years old and would like to share ideas and resources.
If anyone knows how we could contact Radha Sahar of New Zealand who has activity notes called KIDS LOVE CLASSICS we would be grateful.
Can this request and my e-mail address be posted?
Thank you,
Evelyn Wajcer
[email protected]
Good Care Child Development Center
Sunnnyvale, California, United States
I too, attended and thoroughly support the Nature Education for Young Children. I have been so enthusiastic about this, that I have developed a group of fellow citizens in Sunnyvale, California and we approached the City Council about raising the Sustainable Building Standards for the City. We spoke at the City Council Meetings every week for the last two months. By doing this and raising the awareness of how building sustainably would bring more Nature to the City of Sunnyvale, the City Council has planned a meeting this coming Saturday, Jan. 6th. At this meeting there will be presentations on what the city is already doing and discuss what else needs to be done and policy changes that need to take place. I am so pleased with this move by the City Council.
In addition to this, I am writing a Curriculum that is Science and Nature based for children ages 3-12 years old. I hope to have it available for use by the end of the year. I will be putting it online for anyone to use. It will be appropriate for childcare centers as well as school classrooms K-6. It will meet all the National Education Standards and the NAEYC Academic Standards, as well as have Developmental Guides and Brain Development Levels for each age level. The Curriculum will use Emersion and Hands-On techniques of teaching. There will be a science activity to start off each lesson that will then lead into all the other subjects and areas the children choose to journey through. So keep posted and I will let you know when it is available for you to use and share with your colleagues and children.
I am also a Candidate for President/Elect in the California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC). I will be at the CAEYC Conference, to be introduced at the beginning of the Keynote on Friday, March 9th. I will also be speaking at the Leadership Day conference on Thursday, March 8th. I hope to meet many of you at the CAEYC Conference, March 8-10, 2007. I will also be the Tour Guide for the Family Childcare Tour and the RAFT Tour. I am looking forward to meeting many of you there!
Let's all bring to sunlight: that we all need to be closer-related to Nature. Go out and take in a few rays, yourself. Relax, learn, live, and enjoy life in the outdoors!
Thank you for your time and attention.
Peace and Joy,
Teri
United States
Having recently participated in the World Forum on Nature Education for Young Children, I continue to be renewed and refreshed with articles and materials as posted in today's Exchange Every Day. I live in and for nature and bring nature into my preschool classroom as well as have outdoor experiences as much as possible. Hopefully, through observation, reflection and play, we will all come to appreciate and care more for our earthly home.
Bloomington, IN, United States
Oh, this is so true and an issue I continually try to get teachers to see. This article will help in my quest.
Thank you.
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