Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/family-child-care/5023930/
I have childhood memories of taking vegetables from the garden to make exquisite mud pie masterpieces. I sat between the lilac bushes on a dirt “floor” while making roads for my metal cars and tiny people. I also enjoyed riding my bike down the street and visiting neighbors. Memories do last a lifetime and I cherish my earliest memories.
Today, I have found my forever job in family child care! I am the director/owner of Special Blessings Child Care, a family child care service and my focus and passion is connecting children to nature. Getting our students excited and engaged with the outdoors is very important to us. We created an “Outdoor Adventures” Classroom and became certified in 2012, through Nature Explore and the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.
In my opinion, children learn best through PLAY! Our Outdoor Classroom offers a variety of hands-on learning experiences and opportunities. Children make choices, pursue their interests, and play.
Being outdoors in an engaging space helps children — and all of us — gain problem-solving skills, empathy for our environment, empathy for animals, gross motor and fine motor skills. Children gain independence and build social skills as they cooperate and ...