Glassell Park Early Education Center

This year the addition of the greenhouse and the compost bins have been the highlight of our outdoor classroom learning.

Through these new additions to our outdoor classroom children have been more intrigued to learn the process of composting, for example what materials can be used to in the composting process, the churning of the bins, and more importantly the final product and its use. Children as well as staff have taken the pride and responsibility to gather materials for composting such as fruit and vegetable waste.

Students have also become interested in how the climate of the greenhouse plays an important role in the growing of their plants. Through the greenhouse children and staff have taken a higher interest into harvesting and being introduced to new fruits and vegetables that are being grown by themselves and their community.

With the recent weather welcomed changes, students have been given an opportunity to learn about its benefits to our outdoor classroom. One example of this has been the children being led on a worm hunt. Children have begun to collect and care for the worms in an artificial habitat. Through this newfound interest, the students learned what materials are used for the habitat and what the worms can eat. Children have also had the opportunity to learn about care and handling of the worms. Children can be heard throught the outdoor classroom to “be gentle” as they hold the worms or transfer the worms to their new habitat. This also serves as an opportunity for children to experience empathy towards smaller creatures.