|
Toddlers love outdoor activities. Below
are some ideas on how parents could turn outdoor experiences into an
outdoor learning for toddlers.
Learning about Shapes of Leaves
When you go out for a walk with your
child in the park or anywhere in the great outdoors, collect leaves of
various sizes and shapes. When you get home, turn this trip into an
outdoor learning or education by making a scrapbook titled “The shapes
of leaves”.
Ask your child to find leaves of different sizes and compare them;
teach him “big, bigger and biggest” or “small, smaller and smallest”.
He can even learn to draw the shape of the tree where the leaf comes
from.
Learning about Parts of a Plant
Take your child on a nature walk and
discover the many wonders that are out there. Bring along a paper bag
and a small spade. You can dig up a small plant with roots and soil.
Store this small plant in your bag.
When you get home, shake the soil off the small plant before placing it
on a sheet of paper. Take a magnifying glass and show your child each
part of the plant. Teach him about plant, stem, leaves and roots. Draw
a diagram for your child and have him point to the parts of the plant.
Once you have finished identifying the parts of the plant, take the
plant out to your garden and replant it. You can also give him a pot to
plant it in. He would love this outdoor learning and definitely ask for
more !
Scent of Learning
Our sense of smell can send messages
directly to the brain. Studies have found that certain aromas can help
children increase the ability to learn, create and think. Other scents
can enhance attention and learning, such as peppermint, rosemary,
cinnamon and basil. Scents such as lavender, orange and chamomile help
to calm and promote relaxation. Here are 2 ideas for parents.
1. Make you own scent bottles
Materials
Cotton balls
Extract or essential oils
Spice bottles
Method
* Dip cotton balls in extracts or essential oils and place them in
spice bottles (washed and dried). Poke holes on the lids.
* Create two of each scent and have your child pair them up by using
their sense of smell.
* Introduce him words like “peppermint is refreshing”, “rosemary has
floral smell”, “cinnamon smells musky” and so on.
2. Grow an herb garden
Introduce the herb plants to your child and have him place the name
labels on them. He will have a wonderful time smelling them and maybe
even you can even use some for cooking his meal!
Materials
Small painted pots
Herbs such as lemongrass, mint, rosemary, basil
Small labels
|
