Nature’s nurturing value on the child is unmatched! Nature is one of the richest gifts you can expose your little ones to. It has a lot to offer, it’s free and it allows the child to appreciate and enjoy the provisions of their environment. Known as natural explorers, children can easily connect their indoor experiences with the outdoors through a variety of sensory play and adventures. Sensory play basically deals with activities that stimulate our senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Nature’s nurturing value on the child is limitless. Join me in piecing all these information together, through my mom experiences and the correlation between children and nature from the Montessori approach.
My Experience
I love the outdoors, so naturally, I introduced our kids to this lifestyle through nature walks and exploration. Our daughter’s first experience on the grass was probably at the tender age of 5 months old (you can explore with your little one way earlier than this age). As she lay on the grass, she smiled and wiggled, and I concluded that she liked the experience. As she grew, we frequented the park, and she began to crawl on and feel the texture of the grass without any fuss (same as her little brother). The strawberry farm experience is one for the books because our baby girl had so much fun. Prior to this outing, she had eaten packaged strawberries from the grocery store. Now, we were going to be picking strawberries straight from nature itself on a farm. If you are in Cape town with your little ones, during the spring and summer months, I’d recommend a visit to Polkadraai farm for some strawberry picking activity.
Furthermore, our children had only ever seen fish on the television; in books, like, Pop-up Peekaboo: Under the Sea (available on Amazon) and their fish bath toys. So, we decided to visit Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium to see some real-life fish. In all honesty, this experience was terrifying for our then 2-year-old daughter. She cried a lot which made me realize her unreadiness for such an experience, contrary to my thoughts. However, her second trip to see some real-life fish in Galway Atlantaquaria, a year later with her baby brother, was much better. They waved at the fish and even fed them too with no tears.
About a year ago, we plunged right into heart of nature when we visited Amanzi Private Game Reserve in the Free State, South Africa to see some wildlife animals. Our kids loved the experience as our daughter named each animal we saw, such as zebras, giraffes and lions. We have also had nature walks over the bridge and along the riverbanks and observed different animals, such as geese and swan which she added to her vocabulary bank. On a good day, we would set up a picnic in the park and watch the kids run around on the grass and/or in the playground. Occasionally, on a wet day, we would look out for a worm or 2 and talk about its size or pace. Also, our daughter would put on her rainboots to jump in puddles (like Peppa Pig, which is one of her favourite shows). She loves the splash effect of the water on her boots. One time, it didn’t go too well as she got soaked from jumping in a big puddle. So, take note moms, it may not go as planned so have extra clothes on standby. Finally, our kids have spent some fun time playing with sand (on the beach and in the sandpit) and stones.
You may ask, how are some of these activities (like playing in the rain or with sand) beneficial to the child? Well, all these activities highlight sensory play which have helped our children (and others) to grow in understanding and interaction with their natural environment. So, moms, allow your children to enjoy some sensorial exploration in a safe environment and under adult supervision. We definitely plan on doing more nature walks and exploring our surroundings as the kids continue to grow.
Research Fact
Two of my favourite quotes by Dr Maria Montessori from Multisori, sum up today’s topic on the importance of nature in the child’s life. The first quote reads, “when children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength. There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature” – The Secret of Childhood. The second quote says, “there is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all the life to be found around them, in a real forest. Something emanates from those trees which speaks to the soul, something no book, no museum is capable of giving,” – From Childhood to Adolescence.
Due to our differences, some children do not like sensory play. In fact, they are repulsed by some textures in nature. After touching something which they don’t like, you might hear a “yuk!” or notice the disgust on their face. A quick hand withdrawal or wipe on their clothes may also follow. In this case, it might be worth seeing a therapist to ensure that this repulsive behaviour does not trickle into other life areas. According to the National Autistic Society, it can be difficult for autistic individuals to process everyday sensory information. This is because any of their senses may be under or over-sensitive or both at different times. In turn, this can affect how the individual feels or behaves. Explore their website for more.
As you can see, there is an abundance of benefits of nature in the child’s growth through sensory play. In brief, the benefits of sensory play include increased cognitive development to create new things, thereby building the child’s reasoning skills. It also promotes social and emotional development where the child learns how to control their emotions and interact with others by practicing how to share and take turns. Sensory play also improves the child’s motor skills, (fine and gross skills) whereby their hand-eye coordination improves, as well as their balance during play (walking, running, jumping, climbing etc.). Language development also takes place as the child learns new vocabulary and incorporates this in their speech. For more, visit the referenced websites.
Dear moms, has nature nurtured your child/children in any way? Is it something you believe in or would like to try? Whatever the case, I’m looking forward to your comments. Thanks 😊
References:
Action for children. 10 February 2022. What is sensory play and why is it important? Available at: https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/blog/what-is-sensory-play-and-why-is-it-important/#:~:text=Sensory%20play%20is%20any%20activity,the%20world%20that%20surrounds%20them. Accessed on: 26 February 2024.
Fowzee, S. 13 July 2022. The Importance of Sensory Play for Early Years. Available at: https://www.shamimasworkshop.com/the-importance-of-sensory-play-for-early-years. Accessed on 27 February 2024.
Multisori. 26 May, 2023. Our Favourite Maria Montessori Quotes. Available at: https://multisori.com/blogs/getting-started-with-montessori/montessori-quotes. Accessed on: 26 February 2024.
National Autistic Society. 02 September 2020. Sensory differences – a guide for all audiences. Available at: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/sensory-differences/sensory-differences/all-audiences. Accessed on: 26 February 2024.
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