PLAY EXPLORE OBSERVE CREATE
Spring is in full swing - the outdoors is so ALIVE- bursting with activity- especially from our little feathered friends. This time of year always gets me so excited, so many opportunities for playful exploration - it takes me back to my own childhood. Playing, exploring and creating in nature with nature was a daily experience for me growing up. My early childhood education was at home until I was 5 and I had 3 amazing teachers, my Mother, Father and Mother Earth. Early Childhood Education: READ PDF HERE
NEST BUILDING
Bird Song fills the morning air as the birds hunt and gather materials for their nests.
Nest building is such a beautiful - playful and nurturing activity for children of all ages. Let the children choose whatever natural materials they would like to use for their nest, materials like grasses, small twigs, foliage etc.. Mud is wonderful for making nests,, however - if you can't get outdoors to access mud or earth, clay is fabulous too. If you don't have clay - you can use playdough, modelling clay or let the children make their own salt dough. How could we make a nest from these materials. How does the bird make its nest? It’s all about the journey - the creative exploration, hunting and gathering materials, playing with the materials, experimenting what works, what doesn’t work.
Elise made her little mountain blue birds out of modelling clay
Imagine
If you are stuck indoors or you don't have a garden and are unable to observe the birds in their natural environment, play some bird song music in the background. Bird song is cheerful and calming. Invite the child(ren) to gather some cushions, blankets, bedding, whatever they want and make a cosy nest together. Snuggle in and share stories about birds and how they make their nests. This is a very strange time for both children and adults right now and nest building brings comfort and a feeling of security.
What bird might they like to be? Let the children fly wild and free around the house...
Elise is a Chickadee and leads the way to the nests
Back in 2019 in our outdoor classroom we had oodles of fun playing around with the fallen pine-needles creating larger nests - sometimes eagles would arrive to rest in the large nests, sometime dinosaurs, even big friendly giants have enjoyed the children's nest creations.
We also weave nests using willow, weaving other natural materials into the creation, whatever natural items the child has gathered and chooses to use. There are no rules, no judgement - process over product.
Indoors - what could you use around the home? Strips of fabric, yarn/wool? What else? let your child have a hunt around the house to see what items they think would be good material to use to build their nest.
Play, explore create...Have fun nest building wherever you are!
Nature Play is a pathway to health and happiness. Play, keep playing and then play some more!
Here is a snap shot of my early childhood education - CLICK HERE