The Nature Explore Classroom at
Kids Country Medina
During the process of creating our outdoor classroom, we asked the families what they would like to see their children learning outside.
Most expressed that they would like to see activities that would allow the children an educational experience but still allow for social play. We took what they said and made an environment that allowed for quality educational experiences and through our outdoor lesson plans, set up for the children to have guided experiences and designed areas that allowed the children the freedom to choose an area of their choice.
In order to make all of this happen, though we needed to take a look at our current outdoor environment and make some adjustments. We were able to make an entrance to our outdoor classroom that is a warm and inviting mix of a metal archway with vines twisting up through it.
The brick walkway with bushes leads to our fairy garden and two trees make a quiet lush reading area. Our giant sandbox has many tools for digging and building. A large mud kitchen allows the children to mix and concoct many different recipes. Our art area is a wonderful mixture of art and natural supplies for the children to create outdoor masterpieces. The gardens are wonderfully colorful and the children have full access to plant, weed, and water them. Our messy play area allows for creative play and building while incorporating nature.
In the end, what we ended up with was an inviting outdoor area where children could learn and play while enjoying the beauty of nature around them! This project and upkeep would not be possible without our dedicated staff, enthusiastic children and supportive parents; all of whom we owe many thanks to for their support of this wonderful endeavor!
Christy Gabler, Assistant Director
