[Note- Here are the notes I took that day, edited for clarity]
Notes – Day 2 Session 4
Run with it: Creating outdoor play opportunities for preschoolers
Environmental Education for Children
1 1/2-hour session — limit 4 presenters
Preschoolers
11/3/2016 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Room 408A
Los Angeles Convention Center
Jenny Leeper Miller, Master Teacher & Director, University of Nebraska – Lincoln; Eric Unrau, Head Teacher, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Presenters will share their experiences of participating in a nature study group exploring Scotland’s nature preschools. Presenters will display photographs and provide examples of outdoor play and risk/benefit assessment. Presenters will facilitate discussion and provide opportunities for participants to develop ideas about play opportunities given their unique outdoor settings. Presenters will provide examples of ways to embed outdoor interest areas into the preschool curriculum.
Project based reggio curriculum
anything you can do indoors you can do outdoors
Take advantage of what is in your community
[if it is too safe, then they do something crazier]
Be careful vs watch out
‘be careful’ tells them I don’t have faith in them
‘Watch Out’ gives useful information
kids need to have a bit of adrenaline
What skills do they develop?
How do they then know what their limits are?
People often automatically say, “It’s not safe to not show them how to use a knife.”
You can’t start with (using a knife) but maybe a butter knife and banana and build up
It is all about trust
Giving them a lot of choices
~~ photo of 3 ways to enter the outdoor classroom~~
gate, treles etc..
Hazards vs benefits
Hazards – may not see or notice
Benefits – of having the material available
Risks
Action needed from teacher
What could happen?
Revised Risk level – high med low — know your kids
Do the the benefits outweigh the risks?
What is the likelihood (statistics?)
Example: When you teach them how to start a fire in a safe environment with supervision it takes out all the mystique
Have a plan – ask what the plan was
Teacher decides if it is safe
“I wonder if..”
Teacher is supporting.
Do a good job of telling them my philosophy
Work to trust the kids
We want kids to be ____
No kids would be willing to walk without falling over.
We don’t say to kids “your legs won’t be right until …. “ – You get excited for them!
Q: What about kids who aren’t ready but think they are?
Yes, I’ll help you with my words.
What about those consequences
Not helping (unless they are terrified)
Get kids involved in assessing the risk
Does that make them safer?
What CAN you do with the stick
I’m nervous when you swing that stick around
Swing stick in a safe way
bogus option
make kid swing around by himself
The research doesn’t bear out if its outside
“That’s when being a kid meant keeping your head up and eyes open”
how much is truly at risk
That excitement, that thrill
Ask kids “What would happen if you fell here?”
If an extravagant answer*
Well, that could but what is likely?
(climbing up the slide)
Stop:
Think of something you’d like to stop doing
Start:
Keep Doing:
Stop assuming kids will take risks I want them to take
Stop letting parents scare us
then the program gets locked down
Suggestions to make tires ‘safer’
drill holes in tires (so no standing water or mosquitos)
paint inside white (to avoid black widow spiders from going inside)
keep this chart and let them know I’ve thought it through
Its also about relationship with family and parents
suggested reading: Claire Warden book “Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools“