My Friends
Christian Child Care & Preschool

 

One of the best things about our Nature Explore Classroom is that it is always changing. New plants sprout, cicadas emerge, rain falls, clouds float by, leaves gather, and snow sparkles. Due to heavy rain and wind this season, a large branch from one of our trees became a climbing and imaginary play feature of our classroom.

Our NEC is an important part of our preschool day (September – May) but even more special during the summer! We spend almost the entire day outside. Sometimes all day, when we take naptime out too. The children have the opportunity to spend hours learning and growing through unstructured play. The children’s summer play is not organized or intruded upon by adults. Through THEIR play, the children build resilience. They feed their creativity. They develop incredible play scenarios with friends hour to hour, day to day, and week to week. The children have time to refresh by playing alone when they choose. They may find an area of Dirt Digging available while other children are more active in the Clubhouse or racing trikes over the grassy expanse. They might prefer a peaceful place on the patio for experimenting with chalk and water. They could pull out a sheet and pillows to lay at the base of a large tree in the breeze taking in the sounds, sights, and scents of outdoors.

Children are empowered by discovering they have accomplished a skill that was more than they could achieve earlier. They feel proud to walk from stepping stump to stepping stump which not that long ago, was an impossibility for them. They surprise themselves when they finally meet their goal of balancing on a moving log like the “big kids”. The intrinsic drive that moves children from rolling to crawling to walking and running continues when they are uninterrupted, judged, or knowingly monitored by adults. Children don’t need our “good job” praises to accomplish great things and develop grit to keep pressing forward through tough things.

What a gift (of childhood!!!) to give children in this technology-centric world!! We love our outdoor classroom where kids can be kids!