“The original playscapes—before day care centers and playgrounds—were the fields, woods, paths, and streams near children’s homes. Through experience with nature’s wonders in the form of sand, water, mud, trees, rocks, bushes, worms, children received all the necessary motor stimulation.” (Olds 2001)
When children are exposed to nature, see beauty as adults; but more importantly, they begin to interact with their offers. Children automatically become practical in nature. They start to wonder. Natural materials such as pine cones, grass, stones, leaves, rain, cobwebs, bats, frogs, fossils, dirt, shells, stones, sand and water offers endless opportunities for play and imagination.
Today,
children playing in the yard (if they have a patio) in the nursery school courtyard in parks and recreational spaces and community, designed for free use. Often, these environments are artificial environments that offer commercially equipment from synthetic materials with little or no natural vegetation. These outdoor environments children are not as connected to nature, as in the past. One way to increase the connection is to create a natural landscape.
So it is a landscape
nature? The landscape of nature is a natural outdoor space attraction where kids connect with nature at play. It is often a collaboration with landscape architects, ecologists, designers, dreamers, crafts-persons, child care providers and parents meet to plan and create a natural landscape, which makes a lot of specific game again Natural playgrounds using natural materials.
Nature landscapes bring nature in the region. The trees are planted for shade and children walking on the grass or soft mulch. Nature landscapes may include children hills up and down or side blades embedded in a hill. Other obstacles that can be included in a landscape of nature including an obstacle course, a sandy area, swing back or walking in a tunnel made from a tree trunk, and an area where water is available. It's just a start.
Analyze the physical environment
To create a natural landscape, the best professionals should first analyze the physical environment that is used for outdoor games.
- It is available outside on a daily basis?
- There are functional living spaces? (sand, water, stone, dramatic play, music, art, literacy)
- There are spaces where children can be alone, and areas where small groups can work together?
- Are organized outside materials, labeled and stored so that they are easy to install and clean?
- The atmosphere outside is inspected before the kids come out, so you do not have to wait? (made before the arrival of the child or another member of staff)
- Children can use freely accessories? (Ie, pots and pans dramatic play to make soup with water, grass and earth)
The layout design
The next step is to create the landscape design of nature. Components included are:
- Establish the perimeter. Field landscape with a fence that suits the environment, or use a cover or other natural obstacles.
- Create meeting spaces. Use banks, amphitheaters, strains.
- Create places of refuge. Use chopsticks, blankets, ropes, tarps, clothespins to create a special space outside.
- Add sand or earth boxes. What is the size and depth of the bunker should be? Make them 18 to 24 inches deep, and the size depends on the number of children. All children need at least 10 square meters. Wet sand every night to keep the bugs space. Think opportunities with wet sand dry sand report.
- Use vertical spaces. Create wall art, music fences, planters and walls of water over fences.
- Organize and plan for the store outdoor equipment. Storage shed should not be more than 3-4 feet deep. The wheels can be stored at the bottom, with a store shelf above materials and spare parts programming.
Natural materials, parts and activities
Finally, decide which materials, natural teeth and
activities to be included in the wild landscape. These are the basic elements to add to a natural landscape, with some suggestions for use are presented.
Spare parts: logs, stumps, trees blocks, wood waste, Christmas tree recycling.
- The stem can be converted into tables, chairs, pieces of a fortress, errors houses, steps and platforms.
- Make a tipi long sticks.
- Create an obstacle course using blocks of trees, cookies and folders.
-Christmas Trees can be used to make a hard winter, like a giant bird feeder and bird sanctuaries.
Boulders: large stones children can climb, standing and sitting.
- The spacing should be 6 to 18 inches in six steps or meters from the rocks of individual orders. Divide the rocks around the area.
- Fame and local sources may nurseries.
Sensory Options
- Take sensory old outdoor tables.
- Create temporary sensory areas with container full of spare parts plastic in nature: pine cones, acorns, grass, small stones, seeds, etc.
- Thanks to the sensory areas may include pots, pans, cooking utensils, cutlery, plates, flowers.
Nature makes children in thought, action and formulate their own ideas. When children are involved in experiments with nature, which are absorbed and fully aware of what is at hand. Include more nature in its program; There are many benefits for all types of exposure to nature. Even if you can not create a character of the landscape, giving children in its program of regular exposure to nature, going for walks, playing in the yard, walks in the woods, or visit the parks and natural areas.
