Nature Play.  It’s what we are all about here at Karana but in all honesty, I have struggled to get really engaged in this.  I suppose it has always been that way for me, even from a child I was always more of an ‘indoors’ kind of girl.  I love seeing the children outside and enjoy seeing the freedom in their play as they explore and engage with the beautiful world around us.  Yes, I do find the world very beautiful but I suppose i am more of a observer than a ‘hands on’ nature person, you could say.

I have been challenging myself to get engaged more in nature play and take a leaf out of the kids’ books.  Getting involved, getting dirty and seeing the world as a child does.  The wonder and awe of it all.  Not just looking but seeing.  We are very, very lucky to have the amazing world around us and if we really get to understand it then, wow!  How amazing things could be.

A team member, who isn’t with us at the moment would do amazing things with the children and the environment (It is a passion of hers).  Simply looking at leaves, plants, bugs, feather and other bits and bobs and bring it to life, not only for the kids around her but for me.  I would think to myself “Wow!  What a simply idea, I wish I had of thought of something like that!” and then share the experience with her and the children who came to be involved.

Ok, so its my turn to step up to the plate and give it a go.  Try to change my perspective and actually see rather than just look.  Over the past couple of years, I have gained a love for simple white feathers.  Feathers have been a big feature in our room over past months and the children love to recognise the different ones around our area.  I often, am told that the birds flying around are ‘Blue faced Honey Eaters’, “Rainbow Lorikeets’, Kookaburras’ etc. just from the feathers they find.  While we don’t often find simple white feathers, we do find some lovely brown and black ones.  Sometimes with little bits of green or orange on them too.   I love the excitement that comes from these simple observations and how their interest and love for it has grown.  Even months after the initial learning that was happening from this area, the kids still are so excited by their discoveries in our back yard.

Incorporating nature items into everyday play and experiences is another way for children to discover what is around them.  Going on a treasure hunt to find leaves, feathers, rocks or gum nuts can help to encourage imagination and self expression.  We really have been enjoying collecting these sort of items and expressing ourselves in different ways.  Using the items for transient art play, gluing, threading, making hangings and sharing them with our friends.  I think encouraging the children to share their love for nature with their friends is a great way to share their passions and interest for it.  We collected a bucket of feathers over the past few days and while we have not decided on what we are going to do with them just yet, the thought process is in place and I am sure it will be simply beautiful.   Through discussions and sharing time with the kids while creating these pieces for our friends, I think that, in its simplicity, we are sharing the beauty of the world around us and spreading the joy with others.  It’s a journey that I am happy to share with the children and am enjoying being corrected in my way of viewing nature and the world around us.  Seeing and not just looking…it has made me think and I hope I don’t ever forget it.

– Natalee Blair

We all know the signs: the screaming, crying, red faces and tears. The almighty temper tantrum. Preschool years are fraught with them and it knocks parents off guard because they’re unsure of how to respond. That’s why we wrote this for you.

Know this: Preschoolers are emotional

Children are learning how to handle their emotions from an early age and play is the best way of expressing them. But just like every other human, they’re vulnerable to frustration and don’t know how to deal with it, other than scream it out.

Tantrums happen regularly between 1-3 years and will subside after the child turns four when they know how to express themselves better.

What causes tantrums?

As we said above, emotions play a critical factor. Children will let their displeasure be known if they feel:

• Stressed from hunger, tiredness, or too much stimulation
• Unable to cope with a situation such as bullying or a toy boing taken away
• Emotions like anger

What can I do?

First thing, don’t get angry or frustrated in turn. This just amps up the tantrum. Stay calm or distance yourself from your child until the tantrum has run its course.

Another thing to do is meet them with empathy. Understand what’s making them upset, whether it’s another child picking on them or something as simple as the music being too loud. In the latter case, take them away from that environment.

Find out what you can about why the tantrum happened in the first place so you can avoid triggers. Speak with your son or daughter about what made them upset.

Another way to cope with tantrums is to ignore the bad behaviour but reward the good. Children crave attention and will take note of what you respond to. It’s difficult but walking away from them will show that throwing a tantrum isn’t the way to get your time or praise.

Children are naturally happy at home and at preschool; so when they suddenly change, you know something’s wrong. Though the idea of children acting as bullies is absurd to some, it’s actually nothing new and must be tackled early. We have some articles detailing what parents can do, whether their child is either victim or instigator.

Parent guide to helping children manage conflict, aggression and bullying

Australian Psychological Society

As a parent you want to do everything you can to protect your child from harm. But what if they’re the ones victimizing other kids at preschool? The Australian Psychological Society looks at both sides of the coin and has advice for children showing aggressive behaviour, how to handle bullying and the best way to proceed with conflict resolution.

Bullying at preschool: helping your child

Raising Children Network

Raising Children is one of the most trusted authorities in parenting, so it’s natural they’d have information about this topic. They have advice on how to involve the staff at the preschool as well as what to do when the bullying doesn’t stop. They point out the results from taking these steps won’t happen overnight, but they’re a good start to stopping a problem before it continues.

How to handle preschool bullies

Parenting.com

A three-year-old? A three-year-old bully? Yes, they do exist, and this article by Parenting sets the record straight: you’re not too young to be a bully. Even at preschool. From listing the signs to preventative measures, Deborah Carpenter goes in-depth to help readers understand what’s happening so they can stop the bullying before any real harm occurs.

Bullying happens everywhere, no matter how old the person is or what type of environment they’re in. Educators do their best to make sure children always use their manners and include others in activities. Daycare/preschool is where children learn crucial behaviours and understand that even though someone’s appearances and opinions are different, that’s no reason to act like a bully.

Need more reading material? Look at these…

1. Getting through the first month with Eskay child care Karana
2. Capturing Wonder
3. School Ready

STREAM is an integrated approach to learning which requires an intentional connection between standards, assessments and lesson design/ implementation.  True Stream experiences involve two or more standards from Science, Technology, Reading and Researching, Engineering, Maths and Arts to be taught AND assessed in and through each other.

Inquiry, collaboration, and an emphasis on process-based learning are at the heart of the STREAM approach.  Utilising and leveraging the integrity of the arts themselves is essential to an authentic STREAM initiative.

Art education allows students to learn things in a more open-ended way and make them applicable to real life.  Arts and creativity are crucial to science, technology and computer science. They are the tools that allow technology to be usable in real life!  Arts are used in website and user interface design, advertising, product design and usability, branding and start up creation among countless others, all things are crucial to STREAM learning.

So STREAM education is crucial to educate and prepare the next generation.

The word “stream” has been chosen because it represents (in real life) a very similar meaning to what we want to convey when we use it.
 Start thinking about the analogy to a water stream. You receive a continuous flow of data, just like water continuously flows in a river.  You don’t necessarily know where the data is coming from, and most often you don’t need to; be it from a file, a socket, or any other source, it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) really matter.  This is very similar to receiving a stream of water, whereby you don’t need to know where it is coming from; be it from a lake, a fountain, or any other source, it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) really matter.

Written By Mala Kumar

Eskay Kids Capalaba