We experienced our first rainy day of the school year this week and what exciting new adventures we had!
Many children came geared up in their raincoats and boots. We learned the process of changing from boots to shoes and back, and the children also practiced putting on their coats. Many zippers and buttons are tricky, and teachers will always help if necessary, but we have already noticed some great persistence with these types of tasks!
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| Ready and waiting! |
It can be incredibly satisfying for a child to figure out how to put on his or her coat independently and we work toward children being able to do this work on their own throughout the school year. Although it can be tough when you need to get out the door in a timely fashion, we encourage you to let your child to put on his or her coat independently whenever possible.
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| Rain gear! |
After everyone was geared up, we braved the wild outdoors of Church Square Park in the rain.
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| Catching raindrops! |
Children happily tromped through the puddles on the way to the park and then were joyful as they ran and jumped and giggled in the rain.
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| Playing on the equipment |
At a certain point, it began raining harder and so we came back in, as we do when we think children may be uncomfortable, cold or too wet, but there were plenty of broad smiles all morning and many voices happily singing rain songs.
By the time our second park time rolled around, the rain was coming down too hard to go outside. Although the children must stay inside when when the weather isn't nice enough to go outside, we have special activities like Legos and Bristle Blocks that come out only when we have indoor park time. So staying in now and then is also a treat!
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| Legos! |
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| Working together at Bristle Blocks |
We value outside play as a very important part of each day at the Nest and so we go outside in all types of weather, whenever it is possible. It is healthy for children to be able to move their bodies and use their minds in ways very different from the work that they do inside the classroom. Children need the time to play outside, to explore and use their imagination, to build physical strength, stamina and skills, and simply to get some fresh air. It is particularly important for children living in urban environments to have plenty of time outside.
We look forward to more days of outdoor (and indoor) park as our school year continues!
For anyone interested in reading a few more details about the benefits of playing outside please see the attached article: Why Children Need to Play Outside
