Why blog?

Earlyhood childhood education is so important to us as individuals and as a community. This blog is to share our growing knowledge. We want this to serve as a community web post, we want it to be a point of reference, and a point of personal expression. Please leave coments. We hope any guardian of a beautiful child/children, even students can use this site to get inspired and be inspired. Lot's of love. this blog is begging as an ECE 211 Creative curriculum class we are discovering chapter 16: outdoor play; however in our travels, the blog has caught fire so to speak in our center (our community). So, this blog will be expanding to all aspects of caring for children. This blog will be connected to the papillon preschool website! Thank you for this seed, Maurico Palma

OUTDOORPLAYSTHECURE

The youtube add. 

Children with Special Needs and Outdoors

Different actions need to be taken for each individual child, and their special needs. Help children understand their playground. Show them, and explain to them the different areas - where traffic will be, and where it is safe to sit. Help visually impaired children by touching everything, and explaining at the same time. Help hearing impaired children learn the sounds of running feet, or a bicycle moving. If children have a physical impairment, it is best to discuss with their personal care supervisor, or their family to learn their history. Place handle bars, and ramps where needed, and tables of toys, or a water/sand table for children in wheel chairs. There is plenty of help and contact with the 4C's. http://www.sanmateo4cs.org/ 

The Four ways Children Explore the Outdoors

1. Functional Play. Children take in their world with all their senses. Sights, sounds, textures, being able to manipulate and understand objects. Children begin to ask themselves open ended questions, and continuously discover new findings.  
2. Constructive Play. Construction play comes into play when children have already discovered the use of all the toys. Now, they have the opportunity to expand from that; creating more complicated worlds, with blocks, sand/water and sand tools. 
3. Dramatic Play. Children have a wider space to create a more dynamic imaginary world. Out here they can wash, and fill up cars. They can be an ambulance, and save people. They can make "pie" and pour "soup" or "tea".
4. Games with Rules. With the correct given amount of space you can; create large obstacle course, relay races, play hide and seek, or variations of tag games. 

Parent's Role

Just be there! Instead of watching t.v. together, go for a walk! Go to the local park. Going camping is a great family outing. Having a garden in your house. You can plant tomatoes, and add them in your salad! There are sand and water tables available for the home. Even bringing out a box of chalk to draw on the pavement. The best way to create excitement in learning, is to learn with your child. Go out and explore - together. Going outside is a great way to teach your children how to interact with our local environments, and the people in our community. 

Teacher's Role

Just like in the classroom, the teacher plays an important role. Observe the children as they play, making sure to step in when any dangerous situations may occur. Be alert while children are outside! The outdoors allows teacher's to see children interact in a new environment. This gives you the chance to see more strengths and challenges in the individual child. Outdoor's give you the opportunity to spend time with the children, and interact with games, and discovery. Outdoors leads to many confidence building moments. One of the goals of early childhood education is helping to create children full of confidence. 

Considering Weather Conditions

When does weather make it dangerous to go outside?

Heavy rain, freezing temperatures, intense heat, lightening storms, weather-watch alerts, or air-quality alerts. In extreme heat or cold, playground equipment must be checked, if it is metal, has it become to hot or freezing cold? Be sure children skin (and even tongue) is safe from these dangerous situations. If the weather is not dangerous, just a little uncomfortable, children should get the chance to go outdoors - at least for a little while.  If it is really hot, children should have sunscreen, plenty of water, and shade to chill down in. 

How long should children stay outside?

Preferably, children should get the chance to work out their large motor skills, twice a day - once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. Preferably, each being about an hour long. When the weather is really nice, you should extend their outside play. If you have the chance to enjoy art, or meals outside, take the opportunity. The amount spent outside should reflect the amount of hours the early childhood center is open. 

D.A.P is always important - Even Outdoors

Young children have a hard time judging distance, and being aware of how their clothing is hanging. The most injuries occur outdoors. This makes is a teacher/parent/guardians job to always check for dangerous situations. Do daily checks that there are no hazardous materials, broken glass, animal feces, and another dangers in the playground. Slides and swings cause the most amount of injury for the early childhood years. Be sure to use the safest, most child friendly swing, and if there are swings for toddlers, that they have seat belts. Plastic is better than metal, because metal heats, and is much heavier. If you have metal, keep it in the shade, as it tends to heat. For slides, make sure the platform can fit a child comfortably on top. To reduce speed, the slide should be parallel to the ground, at the bottom of the slide. There should be handrails at the top of the slide. The bottom of the slide should not coincide with a traffic-y area of the playground. All the playground equipment should be the correct size for the children's age and development. 

Taking the Indoor Out!

No toy is perfect forever. When your blocks, books, cars, music and movement, and even dramatic play props get worn down - you can easily bring them out! Creating a whole new life for the toy, and plenty of new experiences for the children. 

Making Sure It's Safe

This is an outdoor area for the children 3-5 years of age. In the center, where the large structure is located, soft spongy padding is underfoot. Around the structure,there is a track for just for cars and tricycles. At the other end is a sand box, with wooden fence that is 3 feet high. There is a small kitchen area in the sandbox. Outside the sandbox, and the structure, there are areas to sit in houses, or go on a bench. There are hoops for balls, with enough space to run. There is a shed containing activities like: balance beam, jumprope, base ball, books, blocks,drawing. Over the largest part of the playground is a large canopy. In every play area, there are tubs to store, and put away toys.   

This is the two year old playground. The sandbox frame is about one foot high, and children enter through an opening (on the large playground, they walk up stair to get in). There are trees in the sandbox to provide shade, and discovery. There are houses,to relax, and play in; and one "castle" (to climb up) and play in. There are several little benches and chairs to sit down and concentrate on your activity. There are separated areas, for the safest play, bikes, balls, and resting are all separate. There is a place for everything to get put back. There is a water table in the sand area. 

Creating the Physical Outdoor Environment

The set-up should be well-structured. 

Before anything the environment needs to be SAFE. Children need about 80 to 100 square feet per child. Make sure there is no hazardous equipment, and it is free from traffic and debris. Make certain, all children can be see at any given time; teachers should position themselves accordingly. Always have a shaded area, protecting from sun, or rain. There should be access to water at all time. There needs to be a hard surface area, designated just for bikes, and cars; create a road with signs, and lines - helping to keep them safe, and helping to expand their imagination. 

Other than physical safety, children should feel safe to explore their emotions, and physical bodies. To be sure of that, allow for many areas of expression. Allow children to run, climb and jump. Also, allow them to relax and mellow out. Allow children to be able; to be in large groups, have alone time, and small group (1-3) interactions. There should be a soft surface area, such as sand, or grass. There should also be a paved area, for chalk drawing, and biking. Children should be able to sit in the sun and shade. It is most beneficial when there is access to the outdoors, from the classroom it self.  You can bring out typically indoor activities, such as books, blocks, or drawing. Like inside the classroom, the toys should have a place to be taken from, and put back. Allowing the children to choose, and clean up, gives them self-impowerment. The two above graphs, are examples or an outdoor area. 

Sand Imaginarium

Even younger children benefit from sand play. 

Teacher Raul: "What are you making, 'Jane'?"

Jane*: "I'm making happy birthday"

Teacher Raul: "Your making happy birthday?"

Jane: "Ya"

Teacher Raul: "Are you making a pie or a cake?"

Jane: "Pie"

Teacher Raul: "Ohh"

Jane: "I'm making happy birthday for Aria*. Happy birthday to her"

*children's names have been changed for security. 

Here, "Jane" is creating a dish out of her imagination. She is interacting with her teachers, learning social and language skills as they go. She is also using small motor skills to maneuver the shovel, and swirl it in the cup. 

Sand and Water Play

Sand and water play are imperative to the early childhood process. Outdoors is a great place for this interactive learning process. Water and sand are very messy, and gets everywhere, if you are outdoors, there is no need to worry about it! A sand box is the best situation, however if you do not have space for one, you can use sand tables. You can use water tables for water. Sand and water play are crucial in every aspect of learning: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, language development are all being developed in sand and water play. Make sure you have lots of tools for the children to use! Such as: buckets, shovels, sifting tools, funnels, tins, sticks, natural materials (rocks, stones, leaves), buckets, pails, cups, saucers, plates, old indoor toys, like cars and trucks.

 In this picture, there are two children using the water table. They noticed, in the center of the water table, there was a hole. They grabbed a small cup, and placed it underneath the hole. Then, they took a funnel, and placed it in the hole. Taking a bucket they poured water into the hole. They observed how long it took to fill cup, and how quickly they could do it. 

Living Creatures and Caring for them

Who doesn't love pets?!

Caring for an animal teaches children how to care for another life, they can feed, groom and observe the animals. Children will need help in learning how to deal with animals. They will need to learn how to be gentle while handling them. They can also learn about life, birth, growth, change, and even death. Please be careful about what animal you choose, some animals carry disease, like reptiles, and birds. Also, every county has different laws on animals, so be sure to check with your local offices. Make sure you care for the animals with as much love, and attention you would with your children, they too need proper sleep, excursive and nutrition to live a happy lifestyle. 

Teaching a Lifelong Lesson

Gardening

Gardening can be enjoyed in any season, and can be a process that takes months. Caring for a garden is relaxing, enjoyable, and when planting food, beneficial. You do not even need a large plot of land, plants can be planted in recycled goods! You can use old broken buckets, you can use milk cartons, if you can image it, you can use it as a planter. Children can take the knowledge of caring for a garden into their adulthood. Gardens help us learn about small birds and insects as well, as many flowers and fruits attract these creatures. To make this a safe project, be sure you have the correct sized gloves, shovels, buckets, and accessible soils. Also, be aware as to which children are allergic to insect stings, and have a plan of action ready to go in any given emergency. With the amount of rising nut allergies, it is probably best to avoid growing nuts of any kind, especially peanuts. 

Language Development

The outdoors lead us to a wonderful world of language. They learn so many adjectives! What are we looking at, is it far, or close? Is the flower smelly, or good smelling, are they large, or small? Are the leaves spiky or furry, or smooth. On walks, you can even discuss the difference between vehicles - delivery truck, garbage truck, fire engine... There are so many words to explore!

Cognitive Development

The outdoors is a naturally set up classroom. There is so much for children to explore, with all their senses. All seasons have a different sent, the smell of sunscreen and hot pavement during summer. The smell of fresh grass after a summer shower. They can see how flowers come in all colors and sizes, butterflies have all sorts of patterns. Children can touch different textures like; sand, water, mud, soil. You can measure water weight in a bucket, or how long it takes the water to leak out of different sized holes. The chance to learn outside is as expansive as our imagination. 

Physical Development

Physical Development

Outdoors is a fantastic place for children to develop their gross motor skills.
This little boy is not only using gross motor skills to try and get this cart over a little bump; he is also using his cognitive development to try and figure it out!
 Outdoors children get the opportunity to run, skip, leap, jump, climb, slide, and swing. Fine motor skills are also developed outdoors, in the sandbox, and garden. 

Social and Emotional Development

The outdoors is an opportunity for children to explore space, together. Creating worlds in sand and water play allows children to grow their social development - they must work together to create one goal. Outdoors is also where children learn how to navigate around other children, learning how to dart around bicycles, cars, and other children. 

Children blossom with pride and self-assurance as they learn to concur; getting on a bike themselves, going up a ladder, and down a slide, successfully creating a sand castle. 

Outdoor Play promotes development

"The sense of peace and pleasure children experience experience when they take in fresh air, feel the warmth of the sun on their backs...is immeasurable". 

The outdoors is an imperative learning environment. Due to todays fast past, media dominated world, children can identify over 1,000 company images, and less then 10 natural plants and animals, inclusive of their own backyard. 

By simply walking around your neighborhood, and engaging the children in an open conversation, you can open their eyes and minds to a whole new, natural world.