We are so blessed to have an amazing space for our children to explore and investigate nature at Parish Day School. The grounds at Eastern Shore Chapel provide a variety of areas for the classrooms to use. Exploring the seasons is one of our favorite things to experience throughout the year.
Our students have been thoroughly enjoying our Fall weather. The acorns are numerous and the leaves are finally beginning to change. Sadly, we lost a tree to Hurricane Ian but it provided a wonderful opportunity for exploring. We took out our magnifying glasses, rulers, and measuring tapes and investigated the bark, roots, branches, and leaves up close. The tree company kindly cut up parts of the tree for us to use as stumps on the playground. We may turn them into seats eventually but right now our friends are having too much fun rolling them and carting them around in the wagons.
November 3rd was Outdoor Classroom Day with so many of our classes staying outside for extra time. We had snacks outside, read books, explored science stations, painted, and moved our bodies. We posted some pictures and a video on the PDS Social Media pages. Check them out at here . Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement encouraging educators and caregivers to make time outdoors part of every child’s day. We challenged the teaching teams to think "outside of the box" and do activities outside that they would normally do inside. It was such a huge success!
Our children love to help with the needs of our outdoor space. Many days you might find them helping us rake the leaves or collect acorns. Classrooms take nature walks and allow the children to make art with the treasures that they find on their hikes. Children help with planting projects on the grounds and in our flower boxes.
Throughout the year, we typically go outside unless it’s a big storm. Rain boots, raincoats, and layers are always good to have every day for playground time and for your scheduled Outdoor Education time. As we transition to winter, don't forget to send hats and gloves. Parents remember to put your child’s name on everything so that if clothing is misplaced we can get it back to you. It's so exciting for the children to experience and explore all the different types of weather. And that fresh air is good for their growing bodies! We know that these outdoor experiences, learning through play, and hands-on activities, are right what our preschoolers need each day.
Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work for children. ~Fred Rogers