Preschoolers have endless energy all day long. For them, outdoor time is just as essential as any indoor activity or study. It lets them burn off steam while providing plenty of learning opportunities. Outdoor activities tied to preschool learning objectives can engage children in a way that traditional classroom settings might not. It isn’t just about having fun but significant physical, social-emotional, intellectual, and mental health benefits.
But what are the right activities for your toddlers that encourage early learning in Mascot, you ask? Let’s explore that in this blog post!
Benefits of Outdoor Activities:
Learning outdoors offers numerous benefits for preschoolers across physical, social-emotional, and cognitive domains.
Physical benefits include:
- Reduces screen time
- Promotes physical strength
- Enables healthy bone growth
Social-emotional benefits include:
- Improves sleep and moods.
- Helps form healthy relationships.
- Fosters a sense of responsibility towards the surrounding nature.
Cognitive benefits include:
- Allows children to apply classroom concepts to real-world experiences.
- Enhances their understanding and connection to the world.
- Encourages imagination and problem-solving skills.
Incorporating Outdoor Learning into Your Child’s Day:
It’s not easy to get children to do something. However, as parents, you can use some clever ways to get them outside for at least an hour every day. Here are some tips you can keep in mind.
1. Enjoy Nature Regularly
You don’t need to go somewhere special for your kids to enjoy nature. They can benefit from being outdoors by playing in the school playground, walking around the neighbourhood, or visiting a local park. Even having storytime outside can help them connect with the natural environment.
2. Follow Your Children’s Interests
Use what your children love to make outdoor activities exciting for them. Most indoor activities can be done outside. For example, if they enjoy arts and crafts, you can use things like twigs and leaves for their projects.
3. Promote Safe Exploration
Ensure that children have access to safe and appropriate outdoor play equipment. Teach them how to play safely, such as going feet first down a slide and respecting nature. Remind them to wash their hands before and after playing outside. Also, check the weather forecast so they can dress properly for outdoor activities.
Interesting Outdoor Activities to Try:
1. Nature Colour Hunt
This activity offers a wonderful sensory experience by helping children identify colours in nature.
Instructions: Give the children a list of colours to find while exploring nature. They can identify the colour of natural items and draw a picture of each item under the corresponding colour on their list. For an added sensory lesson, let the children collect a few items and discuss them during circle time, talking about their colour, texture, smell, and sound.
2. Nature Memory Game
This large-scale memory game gives children a fun and physical twist on the classic game.
Instructions: Print large matching nature images with the names of the items and glue them to paper plates. Place the plates face down on the ground outdoors. Children take turns flipping over two plates to find a match, saying the names of the items as they do so. If they don’t find a match, they turn the plates back over, and the next child takes a turn. If they find a match, they earn a point.
3. Birdwatching and Other Nature Observations
Outdoor activities offer great opportunities for spontaneous early learning in Mascot. With binoculars and a sunny day, children can explore nature, letting their curiosity lead the way.
Instructions: Take the child on a nature walk with magnifying glasses, binoculars, sketch pads, and pencils. Let them find birds by listening to birdcalls or using binoculars. They can also look for other creatures like insects and squirrels. Now, encourage them to draw what they find.
4. The Letter and Number Race
This game helps children recognise letters and numbers while staying active and enjoying a sensory experience with water, sand, or water beads.
Instructions: Set up buckets filled with water (or sand or water beads in cooler weather). Add plastic or foam letters and numbers, or use laminated card stock letters and numbers. Children race between the buckets, sorting letters from numbers as they go.
5. Nature Patterns
Nature provides a wonderful variety of materials that can be used to explore sorting, patterns, and designs, which support early math concepts and artistic expression.
Instructions: During a nature walk, have children collect leaves, rocks, and twigs. Sort these items by colour or size, and then create a pattern design along the path. Leave the design for others to enjoy as they walk by.
6. Spray the Flower Letters
This activity lets children practice letter recognition while “watering” flowers with spray bottles.
Instructions: Draw flowers on the pavement with sidewalk chalk and write a letter in each flower. Older children can help with this task. Once the flowers are ready, give each child a spray bottle filled with water. Call out a letter or the sound of a letter for a challenge, and have the children find and “water” the corresponding flower by spraying it.
Final Word:
If you want even better childcare in North Sydney, try contacting Toy Box Early Learning. The team at Toy Box will help your children grow to achieve their full potential with their teachings and techniques. Whatever your child learns in these formative years will pave the way for their future. So, if interested, visit its website for any further information regarding its programs. You will not regret it!
