Natural Water Activities for the Early Years

Auteur
Judit Horvath is the Manager of Olympus KeyMed Day Nursery, UK. She has written widely for magazines such as Nursery World, Teach Nursery and Early Years Educator.

Résumé

This book will inspire practitioners to think creatively about providing rich play situations for young children in natural water environments. Drawing on the Water School approach, it explains how experiences with natural water can enhance and support children's learning. Activities are presented season-by-season, with activities for different age groups and all wetland environments, such as coastlines, rivers and lakes. Providing guidance on planning, practical examples, case studies and links to the curriculum, this book will be invaluable for practitioners to educate young children in natural water environments throughout the year.

Contenu

Introduction

Part 1: Spring

March: tadpole hunt, March Water Symphony listening game, Waterbird nest-making,

Rainbow-colour picture making splatter art (colours of Wetland flowers), Spot the

"newness" of nature (trailing), spring-clean (learning to stop pollution)

April: Creating a fish/waterworld city, The Scents of spring river(or sea etc.),

Pebble/shell/plant shapes, Flower/underwater plant matching/hunt, Spring clay imprint

making-Textures of Water, real nest hunting

May: Baby Animal Vets (thinking of sustainability), Flower based outdoor cooking foraging

on the wetland, Wetland face-Portraits using waterworld materials, Fairy Hunt (based on

classic tales including water), Through a looking glass (creating effects via looking through

natural frames) looking under water, River trail following trails along the riverbank/ beach

and collecting object along the way

Part 2: Summer

June: Who comes to drink (creating a wildlife observation spot), Map-making (looking for

secrets, animal homes, special scents, sounds), "Watercolours" making natural pigments

from things around the water, The Pebble Family (picking up, observing, comparing pebbles

from the water), water evaporating science, cordial making

July: Riverside Jam making, Underwater Mud Treasure Hunt, Boat building and floating(from

found driftwood and natural materials), sundial making, mud body painting, Underwater

gnome-homes

August: What's on the move (travelling birds), Natural mandalas, Feathers scavenger hunt

for feathers left behind/matching game, Copy That! Transparent sheet copying of wetland

surfaces, water tasting picnic (mineral, tap, distilled, soda), sink and float experiment

Part 3: Autumn

September: Mushroom trail/mushroom map on water's land, berry jewellery making, Stirring

pie mud play, water streamers, personalised magic wand, splash science test (different

sized pinecones and sticks thrown into water, which made the biggest splash)

October: Leaf creations (crown, jewellery, pictures etc.), Identity War with shell badges,

designing leaf clothes for mermaids, weaving water plants (reed), the shades of blue how

many colours the water has, making a Halloween potion

November: Natural wind chime making with underwater objects, Natural buildings (creating

bridges, towers etc. from found natural materials), symmetry hunt in nature (with a mirror),

river/pond/sea dipping, building a waterfall/waterplay channel, shadow tracing

Part 4: Winter

December: feeding the water wild life, weather forecasts, Animal leftovers (who ate this nut,

who munched on this branch etc.), woodcrafts (spoon making), Storytelling stories with

painted pebbles, natural decorating of nature for Christmas

January: Ice art, shadow shape hunt, "Under-ice world" role play (imagining life in the water

under ice), clay-fish making, temperature science hot water and ice, tool using skills

February: ice crystal observation magnifying, under-ice light-reflections in the water,

driftwood sorting, Blindfolded water texture experience, Sound pots (pots with different

natural objects) and natural music making (tubes, funnels, musical instrument making -

drum, xylophone, whistle, kazoo), underwater movements