Yesterday was an amazing day in our outdoor classroom. We started the same way as yesterday with O'Canada around the flag and signing in on our "Nature Smart Board."
By repeating the same activities each day we are creating routines and traditions. I observed that the students were much more calm, organized and focused on the second day outside.
Yesterday we started setting up the shelter by ourselves because our buddies were not out yet. I was SO proud of the kindergarten students! They were taking turns using the mallet to drive tent pegs into the ground, gathering supplies for each other and really working as a team.
The students who chose not to help with set up found comfy spots on a tarp and visited together quietly.
When the Room 3 kids came out they helped us set up the big tent and some of the kids organized games for everyone to play together. It was amazing to see the big kids take on this leadership role.
In the afternoon the Kindergarten students got their turn to be leaders and teach the Room 3 kids all about geocaching. We even took them to our favourite park to help them find their very first caches.
Here's a video with the highlights from the day.
Yesterday I came across this blog post about the "Two Week Outdoor Challenge." Which is a longer version of what we are doing. Mrs. Mackay and I thought for our first year participating we would try one week and see how it goes. I would love some feedback on how you think it is going for your child and whether you see value in this experience.
Also, if there is anything I could do differently next year to make the experience easier for parents, please give me your suggestions.
-Mrs. Lowe
3 comments:
Great video, I love it!
I wish you could see the smile on my face when I watched your video! You all brought so much joy into my heart! I loved watching you all enjoying the outdoors, working together, and learning from one another. I LOVE geocaching with my kids. Maybe since you guys are experts, you will be able to go on some adventures with your families. There are lots of caches in our neighbourhood…especially by Truro Creek and the Assiniboine Park. I can't wait to see what you all do in the next few days!
I think this is a very valuable experience for the children. It is very rewarding to connect with nature and 'step outside' the classroom. Students also learn to appreciate nature and the outdoors via this type of classroom - Danica's Mom
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