Outdoor Play

With the warmer weather we have been spending more time outside. We view the playground as an extension of the classroom environment and use the space for our lessons. One part of the playground we really enjoy is the garden. We have been observing the plants which are growing, using the flowers as inspiration for our art and thinking about which plants to grow in the different sections of the garden. We are also very excited as we will have an intern from the university helping with our garden this summer. She will be tending to the plants, improving the space and doing explorations with the children. This is a new experience for us and we are very excited to be working with more students from the university. Aside from the garden, the rest of our outdoor space is very welcoming for the children. We added sun catchers to the space earlier in the year.  These beautiful pieces catch the light and cast it around the playground. We are also looking to add more materials for our outdoor play. The children enjoy the opportunity for gross motor play. We are becoming more interested in games with our peers and have been playing a lot of catch and hide and seek. We look forward to meeting up with the other classes on the playground as well. The children have started to develop strong bonds with the children in the other toddler classroom. We are collaborating more and have been working on some art projects (see post about pendulum painting). This time to explore and use our imaginations is so important. With the coming months we will be spending more and more of our time outside. Check out some of our pictures below!