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  • Welcome
    • our facility
    • Policies
  • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Educators
  • Our Program
    • Our History
    • outdoor program >
      • International Mud Day
      • Environmental Learning & Sustainability
    • Learning Environments >
      • Hummingbird Room
      • Chickadee Room
      • budgie room
      • Robin Room
      • Owl Room
      • Eagle Room
      • Falcons (Before and After Program)
    • Partnerships
  • Blog
  • GALLERY
    • Curiosity, Wonder & Joy
    • children's creations
    • Falcon Club Highlights
  • Resources
    • Links & Interesting Articles
  • Contact Us
  • Frequently Asked Questions
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Meaningful outside time can be simpler than you think!

5/6/2020

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We know during these trying times social distancing and staying home can be a challenge with children to keep them occupied and busy. As the weather warms up, we will finally be able to transition a lot of activities to the outdoors. Although playing soccer and going for walks can be fun, there is a way to engage children using a few simple materials and natural items that even our own yard has to offer. Outdoor elements can provide hours of play and exploration with very minimal effort. 

ROCKS:
Create a treasure basket of special rocks
Find a wheelbarrow, basket or truck to stones into and allow your child to transport them around.
Find small stones to make a shape/picture on the lawn
Look for flat stones to make a tower
Draw or paint on stones to make story characters/ or hide them around your neighborhood for others to find and bring joy to their day.
Draw a single black line (straight, jagged, curvy etc.) on stones and then try to make them connect into lines and shapes
Throw a stone in the water and watch the splash and then the ripples spread- who can make the biggest splash?
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BARK/TREES:
Look at the grain of the wood through a magnifying glass/ count the rings around the inside to see how old the tree is
Pick up sticks around the yard and try to spell your child’s name
Try to put your arms around a tree and see how wide it is/ compare trees that are smaller, larger or the same size.
Climb a tree
Find some old bark to decorate or bring indoors to create a craft with
Feel the texture of the bark- Open conversation about how it feels and talk about different characteristics you can see on different types of trees.
Talk about what is under the bark
Talk about what lives in a tree habitat- Provide food (bird seed) afterwards for the birds and squirrels that inhabit them and create a nurturing relationship between your child and the animals.

REFLECTION:
Go for a walk and find some puddles to look at your reflections- What else can you see in the reflection?
Look at the tree canopy using a mirror- Weekly follow the budding of the leaves and talk about the changes you see unfolding.
Throw a pebble in a puddle and watch it distort the reflection -Laugh about how funny your faces look in the moving water
Fill a clear bowl with water and make our own little pond/ turn it into a bird bath after
Blow a giant bubble and look to see what we can see reflected in it/ chase them across the yard to see how far the wind carries it before it pops
Look around your house to find things you can see your own reflections in- pots/pans, mirrors, windows etc. all provide different perspectives. -Have your child look in a mirror and draw what they see/notice about their own reflections.


These are just a few simple ways to enjoy and make the most out of the extra time with your children. Please let us know ways that your family gets out and explores the great outdoors, we would love to hear about all of your adventures together.

Suggestions are from https://www.naturalplaygrounds.ca/education-and-workshops/dr-claire-warden-mindstretchers
Modified by Coral Ennis
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Seven Oaks Child Day Care Centre is located on original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Mètis Nation.
We respect the Treaties that were made on the territories, we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration. 
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