Jewel’s Learning Center

We are forever learning about and how to make the most of our Nature Explore Classrooms.

 

Having outdoor classroom areas require constant maintenance, but it is well worth it. When the children go outside into the areas, they are usually very calm and in tune with their explorations. There is no real need for teacher intervention because the environment is there, the teacher has already added just a few more things, and it is AMAZING to watch how the children create their own play, just from nature.

Yes, we have a dancing stage and climbing crawling structure in place, but those two structures have been so much more than just a dancing stage or something to climb on. I’ve seen the stage become a kitchen or a pet hospital and the climbing structure being used for a house or a library or even a school and a train/bus station. The sandpit has been the beach and a dinosaur pit and the messy materials area just become whatever depending on what has been put in that area to be messy!

Most times, the intended idea of the teacher is not what the children see, but the objective or the outcome is always met – the children are learning, creating new knowledge and having fun while they are doing it! Once outside in our Nature Explore Classrooms, the children just don’t want to come in or go home early (unless it’s too hot and humid). With that being the case, the parents either come late on fair weather days or come early or at their normal times and stay and play with their children. Moving forward we are hoping to get a couple of parents inside the sandpit!