For your special place, find somewhere quiet. This should be somewhere you can focus on just being, instead of doing. It’s a different way of exploring. Instead of walking around, climbing hills or turning over logs, this explorer spends some time in nature being still and observing things around them.
Try sitting against a tree and notice the all the surprises nature holds when you are still. We often find that birds and squirrels will go about their business of gathering food and eating when you are still and quiet.
Every place in nature is unique. Look at all the nooks and crannies in your space. Notice the different smells and sounds around you. Try sitting or standing still and listening with your eyes closed. You’ll probably be able to hear and concentrate better this way. You can also try mimicking an animal’s ear by cupping your hands behind your ears.
Remember, you don’t have to identify everything in your special place. Just observing can bring the connection to nature that you are looking for.
If your child is old enough, try to pick a place where you feel comfortable letting them spend some time alone. You can even stay nearby but just out of sight. This will allow them to feel a close connection with the environment around them by having quiet time to think.
Some tips for spending time in your special place:
· Visit it as often as you can.
· See how things change each time you visit.
· Look for things that you missed in previous visits. Is there something new growing or blooming? Has something been moved by the wind or a critter?
· Visit at different times of the day and at different times of the year.
· Draw a picture of your special place.
· Have a picnic there.
If you have more than one child, try to separate them in the space so that they are more likely to be still for a few moments. Or you could even have a different special place for each child. The same applies if you are doing this as a group or scout activity…try to space the kids out.
If you already have a special place tell me about it in the comments section!
You might also enjoy the post Let’s Connect With Nature.
To reference this post directly, use this link.
We have so many fun nature places that my kids love. Of course we have our big rural yard but in the summer the girls love to explore Grandma's 40 acres in northern Wisconsin. The flowers, the woods, the BEARS! So much fun!
ReplyDeleteI love nature!! So does my daughter and her dayhome friends. Looking forward to reading more from you! Come by and say hi on my page!
ReplyDeleteThis a lovely post, reminding everyone of how important it is to remember that outdoors/nature is a great destresser. xx
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking a lot about special places in nature for kids so this is a great post to read! I teach preschoolers and we take them out into our nearby bush - at the beginning of the year when kids are still new to preschool and 3 yo legs can only walk so far we have a special place by the creek that we go all the time - its wonderful to see how familiar the kids are making themselves with this little area - how they are making it their own. I think having a special place is a great way to share nature with small kids.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone. Thank you for reading and commenting!
ReplyDeleteJenny: I've been collecting ideas for a special post on preschoolers in nature, so I hope you'll like that one as well. I have more work to do on it before posting though. I really wish we would've had a preschool like yours around when my son was that age, but we live a bit in the boonies so it wasn't an option. I'm so glad they're starting to be much more common. It's just awesome!