On the Coast – Families Issue 102 I October/November 2019 | Page 10

ALKIRA ELC
Adventures to the
I
magine cool, fresh air filling your
lungs; dewy wet grass squidging
beneath your gumboots; a vast amount
of land before you, ready to be explored
and investigated…Beyond the gates of
Alkira ELC lies wild bushland ready for
keen adventurers to explore. Within this
beyond space there lies a pond, open
grassy hills and bushland, plus much
more! Here we have created our own bush
tracks, discovered caves and climbed
trees. We have spent time making flower
crowns, tee pees, fairy dens and taken
time to just be. We have scrambled up
muddy hills and slid back down, learnt to
hold tree roots and rocks to successfully
climb to the top. Empowered with
confidence and driven by determination, in
nature’s authentic playground the
children’s learning is real and meaningful,
more importantly it’s fun!
Exploring fire; The heat beaming from
the pit, the sound of crackling and the
dancing of the flames; the awe and
wonder of fire always captivates our
children. The fire pit becomes an area
where the children learn to respect the
concept of heat, the science behind it and
what it means to us. Through teacher led
discussions we delve into the possible
dangers of fire to our immediate selves as
well as to the environment and how we
can take safety precautions. As
educators, our aim is to guide the
children’s learning through hands-on
experiences. It becomes the responsibility
of the group to gather the natural
resources they need to build a fire. We
see knowledge sharing and collaboration
and the children support one another in
the process. With the trust we place in
the children, they can take the
opportunity to use a flint to spark the fire.
It is a highlight for the educators to see
the focus, concentration and persistence
displayed by the children as they spend,
what can be up to 30 minutes trying for
the spark. The pure excitement and
satisfaction they display when this
happens is what it’s all about. The firepit
naturally becomes a gathering place
where we sit together sharing our
thoughts and food. Led by the children,
various meals are created over the fire to
share together; a special time for bonding.
Exploring earth; Being in an open
natural space sees the children’s
10
ON T H E C OA S T – FAM ILIES
beyond
exploration
of earth in an
untouched raw
place. Picture
endless green
tree filled hills,
coastal views,
algae covered
ponds and the
sound and sight of
wildlife waiting to
be explored; this is
the reality for our
avid adventurers.
One principal
emphasis our educators place on our
adventures is providing the children
with the time to be; to be immersed in
nature without the modern day ‘toys’
and distractions of their busy lives. The
children spend hours exploring every
area of the space at their own pace,
taking on new experiences and creating
memories with their friends. This beyond
space backs onto a hillside where the
children and educators challenge their
capacity for risk in climbing through
bushland to create tracks and explore
virgin bushland. As we make our way
through the grass, trees and vines, we
arrive at our ‘bat cave’. As we head into
the dark cave on the side of the hill, you
can see the children are fascinated by the
dark, silent cave, adjusting their eyes to
see if any creatures are hiding in there.
As our adventures to the beyond run
over the different seasons we also take
the opportunity to make observation
and note with the children on changing
of conditions in the environment. One
feature that really encompasses this is
the huge maple tree that we see change
from bright green leaves, to yellow and
red leaves that drop to the ground and
the brown branches empty, ready for
more growth. For us as educators, this
also acts as a symbol and a reminder
of the growth and journey of our own
children.
Exploring water; In the middle of our
wild space, around a pond, we observe
the ever-changing body of water. Much
of our exploration is based around the
science-based elements of the water and
the living organisms within it. Through
our adventures, the children explore
concepts such as
buoyancy, volume
and matter. We
hypothesise and
research the algae,
plants and
creatures living in
the water and
continue this
research back at
Alkira ELC. Water
provides us
opportunities to
discuss differences
in water bodies as
well as the
important skills of water safety especially
pertinent living in our coastal region.
We are very proud and passionate
about our adventure program here
at Alkira ELC. It is not only for the
pure joy it brings the children but the
benefits we see in the children’s growth,
confidence, learning and behaviour
that inspires us to continue to develop
and tweak this special activity that has
continued to run every year since its
inception in 2015. Currently, led by our
outdoor and adventure facilitator, with a
certificate in Nature Pedagogy, our team
is continuously challenged to provoke the
children’s learning while they explore,
research, experience, take risk, build
memories and connect with nature.
Olivia
Educcational Leader Alkira ELC