Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/wonder-newsletter/5020602/
Extend International Mud Day into Everyday LearningThe universal principle for Connecting Children with Nature we want to explore in this issue is:
We believe it is important for educators to allow enough time each day for children to explore freely in nature-based spaces.
A special day of celebration can help you either begin or extend the great experiences that take place regularly on the ‘ordinary’ days you have with children. For example, you can take your extra-ordinary experience of International Mud Day and continue your celebration into everyday experiences with dirt and soil. The Environmental Action Kit can help. (Go to www.worldforumfoundation.org/nature to find the Environmental Action Kit. Click on the Toolkit for Educators and Have An Adventure with “Let’s Dig In” on page 39-41.) Frequent opportunities to investigate soil are one way to do this. Digging, sifting, exploring and analyzing dirt can be just as extraordinary.
Here are a variety of perspectives from educators around the world who are ensuring that children are learning with nature every day.
The class teacher of Grade 3 thought it would be nice to take the children on a field trip, bringing them a bit closer to nature. I was asked to accompany the group and take photographs. ...