Being Outside

“Nature has this beautiful arrangement in which everybody, while striving for his own life and happiness, does something for the improvement and conservation of the environment.” Dr. Montessori

I adore being outside, as I suspect so do so many of us who live on the Sunshine Coast!

Being outside in nature is a sensory-rich environment, providing opportunities for tactile exploration, auditory discovery, and visual wonder. Simple activities such as feeling the texture of leaves, listening to the whisper of the wind, examining little creatures or observing the vibrant colours of flowers significantly enhance a child's sensory refinement, a key component of their early development. Outside is also a social activity, as it naturally encourages interaction with others and shared experiences.

Children who grow up connected to nature, plants, and animals will absorb the intrinsic responsibility of taking care of our planet. Reading books about it is one thing, but feeling and experiencing it is another.

I have a great pair of good-quality binoculars for the children to use to observe the butterflies that flutter around the garden, as well as rainbow lorikeets, blue-faced honeyeaters, cockatoos, galahs, blue-tongued lizards, and more.

I also have a wonderful bug catcher that you can help your child use. It lets them get a clear, up-close, magnified view of various critters in a typical Sunshine Coast garden, such as ladybeetles, skinks, tiger moths and worms.

Observing Nature

Loose Parts/Garden Playground

I just love the junkyard playgrounds of Europe for so many reasons! Having access to the incredible Reviva store in Doonan, I have been there so many times, collecting absolute gems. I love it.

Movement is an essential aspect of outdoor exploration. Children under three are in a sensitive period for movement, naturally inclined to run, climb, push, lift and push heavy objects and balance to build gross motor skills and develop coordination and strength. These activities cultivate independence as children learn to navigate their surroundings, take risks, and make decisions based on their experiences.

The outdoor environment presents shared challenges that encourage problem-solving and exploration, allowing children to learn through trial and error in a gentle space.

Gardening

Gardening is a wonderful hands-on activity for toddlers, engaging their senses and a love for nature. Digging in the soil, planting seeds, and watering plants help develop fine motor skills and coordination. It also introduces early science concepts like growth cycles and caring for living things.

They, too, can eat what they see growing in the edible garden, where I am growing tomatoes, sugar snap peas, strawberries, passionfruits, oranges, lemons, and clementines.

Various herbs, such as rosemary and chocolate mint, are also around, which the children could use to make herbal tea.

I provide gardening tools, seeds, mini pots, a compost bin and a worm farm for the children.

Outdoors Key Points