Outside in the City

Early Literacy Nature Explorations for Children 0-5

When I was growing up, I remember my mother saying “If children are cranky, you should put them in water.” This sensory version of a timeout now makes perfect sense to me after years of teaching and parenting two children under 4.  Nothing resets a tired, frustrated, or bored child like some good old fashioned sensory play.  But did you know that sensory play in nature (think mudpies), improves attention, helps us organize and release thoughts and emotions, inspires language development, and even makes us smarter (and happier!)  It’s true! The mycobacterium vaccae, commonly found in soil, actually decreases anxiety and improves learning ability!

Accessing water and mud isn’t always easy in Brooklyn.  At the library and in the city, we are often confined by walls, gates, concrete, strollers, and the desire or need to keep things, kids, and books clean and dry.  We also often think that very young children may be hurt by the elements:  weather that is too hot or cold, and all the many choking hazards that inhabit a seemingly harmless patch of grass. There is, however, a growing body of evidence showing that children who have regular outdoor time display fewer symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and improvements in learning ability, creativity, and mental, psychological and emotional wellbeing.   The good news is that playing with and exploring natural materials can be simple, accessible, and experienced on a stoop, a patch of grass at your local playground, or even at the library!  This season of Ready, Set, Kindergarten! is all about inspiring nature play.  Here are some ideas to get you started at home or on the go:

Water Play:  Get a bucket, or a shallow pot and fill it with water.  To do this activity indoors or mess free, you can pull a stool up to the sink, or do this activity in the bathtub.  Fill the bucket with some natural materials--such as shells, rocks, leaves, sticks, or pinecones.   Let your child explore.  Ask questions, and talk about what is happening.  For example, talk about what happens to the rocks when you put them in the water.  Do they sink or do they float?  How does the shell feel in the water? Is it smooth, rough, or both?  What happens to the stick after a while?  Does the texture change, does it come apart? Does it float, then sink?  Add things like funnels, droppers, cups, and scoops to encourage more play and exploration.  

Natural Materials:  On your next walk, trip to the beach, or to your neighborhood park--collect some natural materials along the way.  Start a collection, and use them at home in different ways:

     -Math:  Sort the materials by type, size, or color.  Put sticks in order from shortest to longest.  Use rocks as counters and practice counting to 10 using 1 to 1 correspondence.  

     -Engineering:  Add sticks and rocks to your blocks (which you can make out of cereal boxes)  to add different weight, texture, and anchoring materials to block play.  

     -Sensory:  Use clear contact paper, or packing tape to create a sticky wall or table, and have your toddler stick their collected leaves, twigs, and bark pieces to the wall.  Talk about the different textures as they run their fingers over them.

Sensory Experiences: Plant a few potted herbs and make sure you stop to smell the basil on your way out the door or while cooking.  Make a windsock from some old fabric strips and a toilet paper tube, and talk about how the wind feels (and looks).  Get some clean potting soil, and fill a pot or bucket with it.  Bury some washable toys and go for a treasure hunt with your hands!  

Make Art Outside:  Break out the sidewalk chalk!  Add water to make a more painterly creation.  You can also use a large piece of cardboard  (break down a shipping box you don’t need) and bring some fingerpaint outside for a mural-making activity without the indoor mess.   Use spray bottles with washable paint to get those fine motor muscles working.  “Paint” with water--use water and large brushes to paint the stoop, fence, or sidewalk.   Kids also love a good washing project.  Bring some soapy water and sponges out front and wash the steps, front gate, or have a car wash for your toy cars and trucks.  Or, visit a Kids Create in the Garden program at the new Park Slope Storytime Garden!

Make Art Using Nature: Paint with sticks, feathers, and leaves.  Paint rocks different colors.  Draw in a tray of sand.  Wrap multicolor string around sticks to make magic wands.  

Gardening:  Make a window box herb garden or grow some stoop tomatoes.  Sign up for volunteer day at your local park or community garden.   Check out one of Brooklyn Public Library’s Garden Clubs and come get your hands dirty!

Here are some great books to inspire some outdoor play and exploration:

If You Plant A Seed by Kadir Nelson

While planting seeds in their garden, two animals learn the value of kindness.

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Tap The Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Invites the reader to tap, rub, touch, and wiggle illustrations to make an apple tree bloom, produce fruit, and lose its leaves.

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Bee: A Peek-through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup

Through a hole in the book's cover, a bee is buzzing inside a flower. Peek into this bright and lively book and discover the big ways this little insect contributes to the beauty of the environment, from pollinating colorful flowers to buzzing about the bright and beautiful meadow.

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Not A Stick by Antoinette Portis

An imaginative young pig shows some of the many things that a stick can be.

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Watersong by Tim McCanna

A fox's journey to take shelter from a rainstorm, told entirely in onomatopoeia.

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Mud Book: How To Make Cakes And Pies by John Cage

Part artist's book, part cookbook, and part children's book, Mud Book is a spirited, if not satirical, take on almost every child's first attempt at cooking and making. Through the humble mud pie—add dirt and water!—Cage and Long encourage children to explore their imagination and to get their hands dirty, and they offer this warning: "Mud pies are to make and look at, not to eat.

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Check out our Explore Your Vegetables and Gardening learning tracks on Beanstack to get more activity and book recommendations!  Follow us on Twitter @BKLYN_family #BKLYNnatureplay for more ideas throughout the summer!