Outdoor
Outdoor Activity 1
Activity Title: Nature Explorer Adventure
Age Group: School Age (6–12 years)
Intent:
Children will be outside and pretend playing to be explorer different parts of nature. They will observation what they see and discovering while being outside, and will be communication what that see and what they think and wonder about.
Materials:
- Binoculars (real or pretend)
- Backpack
- Magnifying glasses
- Explorer hats
- Clipboards
- Paper or nature observation sheets
- Pencils, crayons, or markers
- Nature scavenger hunt checklist (optional)
- Toy cameras (optional)
- Outdoor exploration area (playground, garden, park, or schoolyard)
- List of things they could find
Roles to Play:
- Wildlife Spotter
- Trail Guide
- Photographer
- Plant Investigator
- Researcher
How to do it:
Bring the children outside and read them a book about explores the nature and talk about different types of roles that are played. Set up materials for them to play and discover new things outside and you can make a list for the things that the children could find outdoor. Some of the children could be wildlife spotter meaning looking for birds, insects and other animals, while others are making a path to follow, or taking pictures and writing it down as research after seeing it. Some of the children might be looking for plants and trying to discover what they are with a plant guide. The children can choose what roles they want to play.
Outdoor Activity 2
Activity Title: Construction Site
Age Group: Preschool (3–5 years)
Intent:
Children will be outside and working together, communicate, problem solving, and building and design structures by imaginative play outdoor.
Materials:
- Cardboard boxes
- Pool noodles
- Traffic cones
- Toy tools like hammer, screwdriver, measure tapes
- Toy construction trucks
- Hard hats and safety vest
- Wooden blocks, logs, sticks
- Caution Tape
- Clipboard, paper, and pencils for blueprints
- Nature loose parts
- Paper and pencils
Roles to Play:
- Builder
- Architect
- Engineer
- Safety Inspector
- Equipment Operator
How to do it:
Have the children go outside and set up a construction site with signs saying welcome to the construction site: what are you going to build today. Have the children choose different types of materials and roles to work to together to design a project like a bridge, house, a tower. Encourage them to use paper and a pen to draw their ideas like a blueprint. Following children lead by allowing them to change their plan and asking open-ended questions like what materials will make it stronger, what made you want to build this structure.
Outdoor Activity 3
Activity Title: Garden Centre
Age Group: Toddler (18 months–2.5 years)
Intent:
For children to explore nature while working on gross motor skills, language, and imagination play outside.
Materials:
- Watering cans
- Plastic flower pots
- Toy flower or real plants
- Loose parts like rocks, sticks, logs
- Gardening tool that are child sized
- buckets
- Toy fruits and vegetables
- Gloves
Roles to Play:
- Gardener
- Flower Waterer
- Plant helper
- Collector
- Planter
How to do it:
Set up a gardening area outdoor and have child sized gardening tool. Have children pretend to water the flowers, fruits and vegetables. Have the children choose a role to play and they can be planter, collector, gardener taking care of the plants. Encourage the children to explore and following their lead at their pace. While they are playing I would ask what are you watering today, what are you going to do with the plants after you collect them.
Outdoor Activity 4
Activity Title: Farmer's Market
Age Group: Preschool (3–5 years)
Intent:
To let children use their imagination play while using their communication and social skills. It also have early math by having number on the price tags and hours of when they are open. Children will explore buying, selling items at the farmer's market.
Materials:
- Play fruit and vegetables made or real one
- Baskets and bags
- Toy cash register
- Play money
- Price tags
- Small table or a stand
Roles to Play:
- Farmer
- Customer
- Cashier
- Sales person
How to do it:
Set up an outdoor farmer market using tables or stands having different stands like fruits and vegetable, honey, jewelry, what ever the children want to sell. Children will choose a role to play and can turn buying and selling and organizing the market. Have the children count the items and the money and have conversations with each other. Following the child lead allowing them to add new products, create signs. I would also ask questions like what are you selling at the market today, what would you recommend to me as a customer.