THE UNSAFE CHILD: Less Outdoor Play is Causing More Harm than Good
We have been having a wonderful time with your child(ren) this year. They are an awesome bunch and we cherish every moment that we spend with them. We are amazed with their innovative creativity and enjoy watching them develop and grow. Thank you for allowing us to be apart of this experience!
Our day is built around ensuring that we provide a warm, safe, inclusive, child-centred classroom. Although we are a class of 26 students (16 Sk's & 10 Jk's), the students are generally split into 2 smaller groups (Jk-Sk buddies or Jk & Sk). This allows students to feel less anxious, brings the level of playful noise down, and also allows teachers and students to really get to know one another.
We are so lucky to have the forest and conservation area nearby and this also us to flourish in outdoor experiential learning. Research has continued to prove the importance of free play, especially outdoors, and we spend a good portion of our day walking, climbing, building, exploring, finding, creating, imagining, digging, splashing! Some days we are in the forest up to or over two hours. It is always a resounding "Ahhh! Do we have to go back!" when it's time to return to school, always with sticks, leaves, caterpillars, etc... in hand.
We all race back to school, stopping at certain points along the way to count by ones or twos, recite a poem, sing a song, or on the lookout for "Fred l'énorme grenouille" who lives in the fenced pond and who likes to come out and catch little children with his long tongue. There are also "crocodiles" that might come out and "Snap!" "Attention, les amis !!!!" The children run, giggle, and scream as Madame pretends to be these creatures. Sometimes she even catches one or two!
A big part of their outdoor exploration has been finding clues that "the ancients" have left in the forest. The convoluted lines left by bugs burrowing in trees are stories and the history of these ancient beings. It is so fun to listen to their creative storytelling as they move from one area to the next, finding more and more clues.
Another great enjoyment is climbing the downfallen trees. Some of them go across the stream that the children enjoy "fishing" in and building dams to watch the effects on the water. It is always so interesting to see how those without rubber boots will cross the small stream using these trees. What a great way to work on their gross motor skills and strengthen their bodies. The weather has been so wonderful and we have been so lucky to be able to enjoy playing in the shallow, muddy stream. Thank you for dressing for the weather and sending extra clothing, rubber boots, rain pants, and raincoats. Layers is always a great idea this time of the year.
On an academic note, outdoor play allows children the opportunity to use scientific inquiry as they explore how things work, test out their thinking, make changes, and try again. It allows them to: notice changes in the seasons (using their senses); learn to be socially responsible for their natural environment; take back experiences that they can draw, write, and talk about; use their math skills to sort, add, subtract, manipulate three-dimensional objects; improve both fine and gross motor skills; and most importantly, it teaches them how to develop socially and emotionally as we work together as a little community helping one another through play and exploration. It is such a wonderful experience for them.
Exploring outdoors has also given us the opportunity to discover animal habitats, signs that various animals do live in the forest (e.g., racoon & deer imprints, nibble trees; scat, holes in the ground and in the trees, various sounds, bulges in plants where bugs live, etc...), how shadows are created and why its length changes as the Earth rotates around the Sun, and oh so much more!
I know it has been difficult for all parents while the strike actions were/are in effect. It has been equally frustrating for us. We are not a paper-based program and much of the rich learning is done through experiential outdoor education. What better way to understand the world then to actually be a part of it.
We thank you so much for your patience during this unsettling provincial dispute. It has been very taxing on us as we were forbidden to send out newsletters, update blogs, notify parents of classroom activities, or communicate with parents via email or telephone after school hours. We can only imagine how difficult is has been for you not knowing what your child has been up to for the past month and a half. We have been up to so many cool things and are trying our best to show you through photo documentation. Please take the time to look through our blog. We have posted numerous blogs over the past few days.
Unfortunately, support staff is currently on strike action and this includes Theresa McMillan, the ECE in our classroom. At this time we are hoping that we can continue to update the blog as we normally would. This may change. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Please note that if you have any concerns, you are always welcome to contact us via email ([email protected]) or if we are free right at the end of the day. We can always set up a time for a phone call or meeting if the need arises. We feel that communication is key when it comes to working with you and your child. So, again, please understand, with respect to communication, that it has been a very abnormal and difficult start to the year. Finally, please remember that our main method of classroom communication is through this website/blog and email.
Have a wonderful evening!