Learning Lab Educator Guide – Session 3: Nature & Outdoor-Inspired Play

What’s inside

Three nature activities, each adapted for three age groups

• Explore – Nature Discovery BinsShallow bins or trays of leaves, sticks, pinecones, rocks and grass, with magnifying glasses, small containers and tweezers for older groups. The purpose given is observation skills, early science, sensory exploration and language development.
• Create – Nature Mark MakingProcess art using leaves, sticks and pinecones with paint or water on paper, indoors or outside. The setup guide says to model pressing, dragging and rolling, and to “focus on process, not product”.
• Build – Loose Parts Nature ConstructionA defined space on a mat or table with sticks, rocks, pinecones and small logs or blocks, and the invitation “What can you create?” The purpose given is problem-solving, planning and engineering thinking.
• Age Group AdaptationsEach activity is adapted for 12–18 months, 19 months–under 3 years and 3–4 years, with a focus list for each. The Explore section also lists materials and educator language, such as “What’s different?” and “Why do you think that?”
• Family Update wordingShort paragraphs to send home, for example: “Today children investigated natural materials, comparing textures and features.” Eight of the nine activity and age-group combinations have one.