Summer fun !
Let ’ s play
The importance of outdoor play
The outdoors is a great place for preschool children to practice and master their gross motor skills . Children can move about freely - running , jumping and climbing . It ’ s the best place to practice handeye coordination like throwing , catching or hitting a ball , plus other manipulative skills like pushing a swing or pulling a wagon .
Outdoor play contributes to learning
The outdoors offers more than just physical benefits . Social , emotional and cognitive development are impacted too . Outside , children are more likely to invent games . They express themselves and learn about the world in their own way as they explore .
Learning to appreciate the outdoors
Preschoolers learn so much through their senses . There are a world of things for children to see ( animals , birds and green , leafy plants ); to hear ( the wind in the trees or a bird singing ); to smell ( flowers in a garden or fresh cut grass ); to touch ( a fuzzy caterpillar or tree bark ); and even to taste ( the rain on their tongue )!
Here are a few fun summertime activities from parent educators at Anoka-Hennepin Schools . We hope that you bring your family outside and enjoy some summer fun !
• A nature walk . What do you see , hear , smell or what can you touch ?
• Set up an obstacle course to jump , wiggle , crawl and run through .
• Bring a sheet outside – shake it , make waves with it or bounce foam balls on it .
• Go on a bug hunt . Examine the differences in size or shape .
• Plant a container garden . Talk about the colors or the textures of the plants .
• Try water painting – paint on a building or even the driveway .
• Blow bubbles . How many can you pop ?
• Enjoy a picnic or snack in the yard or at a nearby park .
• Have a backyard camp out . Count all the stars !
Remember too , if you want to escape the heat , indoor playtime with ECFE is always a fun summertime option . View the playtime schedule on page 12 .
www . ahschools . us / ecfe 7