The interactions between children and nature ensure that, “Children who are surrounded by nature experience benefits to their physical, social, and cognitive development.”
It is vitally important that, “Children experience bountiful opportunities for interacting with nature.”
Bringing nature inside onto every surface and in every form is what we ‘do’ at Richland. Our classrooms are strewn with: seashells, twigs, pinecones, bark from the tree log chairs that the children have collected, dried herbs, rooting plants and drying rose petals, etc.
These are Nature’s gifts.
Through the act of gifting, children assume three roles:
- Gatherer
- Observer
- Creator
The children express their feelings as they organize, sort, and arrange their ‘gifts’ through multiple mediums such as, sculpture, painting, beading, felting, drawing or creative pieces.
The children take ownership of their ‘work’ and we honour their thoughtful decisions, by making their learning and thinking visible. (Article: ‘Gift of Nature.’ By: Sandra Duncan)
