All children are born with a great sense of natural curiosity.
They have an innate drive to explore, find out how things work and ask (the eternal question!) why? Anyone who has children of their own will know of the endless fascination that natural objects from our world and places bring to babies and young children. There is no need for shiny, plastic toys when you have balloons filled with ice or multicoloured leaves to explore and television will always be shunned by children in favour of mud pies and the great outdoors. Children are always excited to find out everything they can about their world and the best thing about this for parents is that fun experiences are easy to find in our local community and virtually free of any cost!
Here are some ideas for you to try with your children for them to understand our world:
Get growing!
Children love helping mummies and daddies in the garden, carrying their own watering can, tending to the plants. You can easily take this a step further by making them their own vegetable patch. Section off a small part of the garden and go to the garden centre with your child to choose seeds. Explain that the food that they will help to grow will be used to make their meals and this will improve their understanding of where their food comes from (this can also be helpful for fussy eaters!). Give your child their own tools and encourage them to do as much as they can by themselves. Children as young as one will enjoy getting messy in the soil and watching as their vegetables grow. If you do not have a garden, you could always grow windowsill plants and herbs in pots.
Exploring Ice.
Fill balloons with water and when they are frozen, peel back the latex to reveal beautiful, intricate patterns within the ice. Place them in water in a large basin for your children to explore, allowing them to melt slightly first. Another fun thing to do with ice is to freeze flowers or edible berries in ice cubes and small cups. You could also think about making homemade, healthy ice-lollies with your child, blending fresh fruit and water or yoghurt and freezing in moulds.
Nature Walks.
We are fortunate enough to live in an area of natural beauty. Go for walks with your children as often as possible and talk about the plants and animals that you encounter along the way. Take a magnifying glass and look for minibeasts or collect leaves and conkers in Autumn to explore when you get home.
When you are looking for a nursery for your child, make sure that the children have access to plenty of opportunities to be outdoors and have space to race around and explore the local environment. At Fixby House, we ensure that children spend time outdoors every day. We believe that there is no such thing as bad weather and just bad clothing!
People in the Community.
Help your child to learn about the ‘people who help us’ in the community by taking them with you and involving them in your errands as fully as possible. Send a parcel of your child’s artwork to a faraway relative from your local post office and ask if your child can help to weigh the parcel. Take them to local butchers, cheesemongers and grocers instead of the supermarket. Children can talk to the shop owners, choose their own fruit and you will also be supporting local businesses. Take advantage of open days at your local fire station, children love exploring the fire engines and talking to the fire.
When choosing a nursery for your child ask if they go out into the local area with the children and how often they arrange for visitors such as doctors and police to come in and talk to the children. Ideally, find a nursery that grows food and cooks with children of all ages regularly. In this way you can ensure that your children grow up with a strong sense of community and respect for the our world in which we live.
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