Reference no: EM133489977

Case Study: As early childhood educators, we do much of our work with children indoors in the classroom and outdoors on the playground. Our children learn words and letters, numbers and values, as well as social skills and understanding emotions. We do our best to help them to learn about appropriate social interactions as well as inappropriate behaviors and interactions. We need spaces to help us to develop and create lessons and activities where young children can develop, grow, and learn. Most of these spaces are found on the grounds of the center. However, there is much in nature that early childhood educators could use to help young children understand these concepts too, as well as learn new things. While in the great outdoors, young children can use their senses to learn about and interpret all that they see and do. When a teacher takes the children on a nature walk, they may allow the children to collect certain items. These materials can then be further studied, and teachers have found many ways to utilize the materials collected once back in class. Children can make lists of things that can be viewed but not touched. They can make a list concerning what they see on their nature trail. This information can later be used back in class.

Directions
As an early childhood educator, you decide that you want your children to have more interesting outdoor experiences. You decide that you want to take your children on a nature walk. While it would be great if you could do this within your own program, you may have take your children on a walk through the neighborhood. In order to receive permission from your director, you must share what your children will learn or gain through this experience in a proposal plan.
You will create this proposal plan. Your nature walk can be as creative as you want it to be and include whatever you deem necessary for learning.
Your proposal needs to include the following three topics:

• Describe the benefits of nature play for a child's overall development.
• What will young children gain via going on a nature walk? What will they see, hear, smell, touch, and possibly taste? What kinds of things will they learn? Will you allow your children to collect things along the way? What might they collect and how could you use these items in class? Explain your thoughts.
• Assess opportunities and challenges nature play presents for children of all ages.
• While being out in nature is wonderful and we can see and experience so many interesting things, there are also dangers that we must constantly be aware of, as they relate to our children. What are some things that you will need to watch out for in order to keep your children safe? Will your children need protective clothing or insect repellent? Are any of your children allergic to things that grow and live outside? Will the sun become an issue for some children? How might you protect them from this? Will cold weather have an impact upon your nature walk? How so? How will you keep track of your children? Explain your thoughts.
• Apply play concepts to adapting nature experiences to indoor learning environments.
• Include lesson and/or activities.
• If you decide to collect things on your nature walk, what might you collect and why? What kinds of things could your children learn via the materials collected? Could some of the materials be charted and counted? Could the children learn more information about what they have collected? Might your children begin a new project with materials collected? Explain your thoughts.