In many parts of the world, it’s cold out there right now! While that can’t last forever, it’s hard to find a good place for preschoolers to go that’s not, well, preschool. But even when there’s a nip in the air, and it’s all so intimidating, the great outdoors are still worth considering — for their health, for their mind, and of course, for their enjoyment!
Before going out and exploring nature with the kids at your nursery, keep safety in mind! Fill up a backpack with water, snacks, blankets and an age-appropriate book, depending on your specific needs. Check in with parents to see if their children can and should take allergy medicine, and if so, what brand. For a day’s outing, a few tablets are a small expense, and one the kids will thank you for!
Waiting for May Flowers: Exploring Nature at Preschool
Once all that planning is out of the way, it’s time to decide what they should be doing! You’ll have no shortage of tending to do and things to think about, so focus on what the kids will find fun outside. There’s a lot of things you can do outside, and just as many inside, so of course, there’s some overlap. You might lug a folding chair along with you, for a solid surface for children to write or draw on. They might draw things they already like, but who knows? Maybe the trees and the road will inspire them to something deeper.
It’s advisable to bring thick crayons and paper, as that’s the best choice for preschoolers drawing. Pencils break easily and might hurt a little if they’re misused. Keep the paper to yourself most of the time, and keep an eye on the kids — especially when they’re doing bark drawings, which they ought to. Learn how to do it yourself (which should only take a little while!), teach them, and watch as creativity, learning about nature, and getting to do cool things intersect for the kids.
Although it’s best to choose a safe place to have your preschool outing head to, nowhere is completely child-proof. As such, you might go the extra mile and bring first aid supplies! The previous precautions about parents apply: make sure you can use this or that disinfectant on any at-risk children in your nursery! And of course, make sure you’re there in the first place to disinfect any cuts the kids might experience. But hopefully, and usually, they’ll tell you!
While this article sounds like a cautionary tale all to itself about the dangers of exploring nature at preschool, it’s really just an article of friendly advice as to how to make their exploration go as smoothly as possible. Once everything’s ready, the fun should make itself — especially for your kids, with their active imaginations! Once the fun has been had, everyone can go home happy, and if you do things right, that’ll include you!
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