Today when I made an entry into the toddler room, what stood out to me was the Mini Garden Discovery table. It was prepared using magnifying glasses, tins of soil, potted herbs, and laminated insect cards, which is a great way of engaging children in nature which aids in EYLF Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world (Department of Education, 2022) and NQS QA 3: Physical Environment (ACECQA, 2020).

I did this by addressing every child by their name (to show respect) and having a very brief conversation and trust building (Early Childhood Australia, 2016). I would also use a story as an incentive when a child excitedly told me that he had spotted a butterfly on the way to the centre so I had him go and retrieve the matching insect card which would incorporate his real-life experience into the curriculum.

The primary thing we did was a Bug Hunt outside. In groups of four, the children were instructed to find ant, beetles and ladybugs using magnifying glasses. I exemplified a non-aggressive style of handling and reminded them not to put living things to shame, which supported environmental awareness (Edwards, 2023).

At mid-morning we had recycles paper and crayons events on leaf rubbings. This activity encouraged creativity, fine motor and sustainability and my open ended questions e.g. How many lines can you see-supported EYLF Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.

The next learning opportunity was snack time because we compared the fruit colours to the ones we had seen on leaves and insects. I made children remember of hygiene and healthy nutrition (NSW Health, 2022), which refers to QA 2 in NQS: Children Health and Safety.

Story yoga in the afternoon with the story and movement through a forest animal story. This promoted rest, body awareness, and inclusivity, which was also in conjunction with EYLF Outcome 3: Wellbeing and NQS QA 6: Collaborative partnerships.

 

Professional Reflection:

Today taught me that nature-based play is an excellent way of harmonizing STEM, literacy, and social learning. Connected experiences in the morning and the afternoon kept participants engaged and boosted memory. Next time I shall include more reflective questions to be more contemplative, and solution based.