Encouraging children’s connection to nature is a treasure that will last life-long; here’s a nature activity for fun, learning and kindergarten readiness. Using some kind of a container, such as a shoe box or egg carton, or even a pocket, kids can spend some time outside and collect bits of nature.
Nature can happen in any weather, so if your day has some nature time, kids can dress for it and head outside. Nature doesn’t just occur in the park or garden, there’s nature in the playground, yard, neighborhood, and sidewalk. Up, down, and all around. Walking with kids usually means stopping often as they pick up things they see. Nature treasures can be sticks, a leaf, flower, rocks, and items we don’t think are treasure but kids do. Shiny paper like gum wrappers can be treasures to a child. When kids do find things on the ground, we can talk to them about how they got there. It’s quite amazing how young children have figured out that leaves and pinecones drop from the trees and people drop other things. This is part of nature that they have learned on their own.
Thomas Berry, in his book The Dream Of the Earth says that “Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.” There is a measurable impact at school: using outdoor classrooms has an impact on achievement in social studies, science, math and language arts. Kids not only do better on testing, but they play more cooperatively. In another book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv links the lack of a connection to the natural world to the rise of some serious childhood issues such as obesity, attention disorders, and even early depression. Healthy childhood development requires interaction with the natural world and is essential for physical and emotional well-being.
Just like pirates collect treasure, can your child collect some nature fun and learning?