As a young parent, one of the crucial lessons I learnt was about giving my children the time and space to explore their natural environment. Twenty years later, my children (who are now adults!) push me to exploration and adventure! Now more than ever, it’s so important that rain or sunshine, our young children are given the opportunity to explore their natural surroundings to fuel their confidence and curiosity for the world they live in.
It’s very easy to shy away from seeing mud or a bit of dirt on your child’s clothes or palms after being outside, to have them want to let go of your hand to pick up twigs, pebbles and stones that spark their interest when going for a walk. However, in order for your child to most benefit from their natural surroundings, we have to allow our children the opportunity to learn on their own terms.
Allowing Your Child to Learn from Getting Muddy
As Victoria Hackett highlights in this article, the freedom to experience playing in the garden un-tethered supports in a number of ways:
Emotional Development: Creative expression, the release of serotonin and encourages inclusive learning opportunities.
Social Development: Practice listening and turn-taking and inspires care for the environment.
Physical Development: Strong immune systems, nutritional benefit for heart and skin (think mud masks and baths for adults) and improves gross motor skills.
Cognitive Development: Creative problem solving and provides a sensory experience.
This is why we have decided to centre our learning packs around your child’s outdoor experience. Our aim is to encourage creativity, confidence and boost their development in an environment where they feel safe to do so.
I hope you enjoy the packs the team and I put together for you, and we look forward to seeing your lovely pictures and videos on the learning journal and our Facebook Page of what you manage to achieve with the learning packs.
What does your child enjoy most about the outdoors? Any advice or tips you’d like to ask for or share with our other parents?
We would also like to know what else you would like to see us address through this blog. Any ideas or suggestions, please share in the comments below!