Calvary Chapel Preschool-ABBA’s Garden
Our outside classroom continues to incorporate Christian beliefs in relationship to how all of nature is God’s creation, and how we are to help maintain what He has created. The miracles that we see each day, such as the stages of a butterfly, the growth of a plant from a tiny seed, the importance of rain, sunshine, water and fertile soil for the growth of healthy plants, are all signs of God’s works.
ABBA’S GARDEN is also an area where a child can use his/her imagination in play, such as our live Nativity Scene this year and the Thanksgiving play where the kids actually dressed the part, showed the relationship between Pilgrims and Indians, and planted corn and harvested it. They also learned the various uses of corn through taste and texture.
The children are provided with many activities where social-emotional skills are being develop. Team activities, and sharing and risk taking activities are all part of our outdoor classroom in conjunction with our indoor classroom activities and curriculum.
This outdoor classroom gives the children the opportunity to use their imagination in play, using loose parts, dirt, cardboard boxes and other “natural” toys such as boulders, rocks, and PVC Pipe. They can construct houses and make toys out of material you would never think of to buy in a store for that use.
The activities they share in the garden help team building and competition. Hunting for rolly pollys and handling caterpillars and just digging in the dirt in our mud field are just a couple of examples where the children work together. One of their favorite days is Mud Day, when they can play in the mud and get as muddy as they like. The outdoor kitchen is an area where leaves become bacon and eggs and twigs and pine needles from our tree make great dinners. We allow the children to create the stage and through that they learn new skills that cannot be taught in an indoor environment..
As a result of this outdoor environment and activiities, our outdoor classroom has become an integral part of our curriculum. According to parents it is the favorite place for our preschoolers to begin growing in character and appreciation of nature. Come visit and go back to your childhood in ABBA’s GARDEN. You won’t want to leave!