Spring Resources

• Fresh Air Fun SPRING Blog Post
• SPRING Scavenger Hunt (download PDF)
• SPRING Reading List (download PDF)
• ABC Nature Walk (download PDF)
• RVCA Bug ID Cards (download PDF)

Loose Parts Play — Loose parts are random items that children use to build, play, create and more. Look through your home and think like a kid: boards, tires, fabric, boxes, old kitchen items, buckets, sticks, tubes, pipes, logs, rocks, recycling items and more can all become loose parts. And there is no better place to play with them than outside!

Why is this type of play beneficial for kids?  Loose parts encourage kids to be physically active and creative. The learning is hands on, engaging, and encourages children to communicate and be cooperative along with developing great problem-solving skills.

Rainy Day Play — Water is a wonderful invitation for play and exploration! A puddle, a ditch, a stream, or a pond in your neighbourhood or backyard can all lead to some excellent fresh air fun. Raid your recycling bin for containers that you can use as scoops. Use an old kitchen strainer as a net. Find a pail, bowl, or basin to collect water and any creatures you might find. Don’t forget your rubber boots! Want to know what creatures you found? Make observations about sie, number of legs, antennae and how it swims. Then look it up later using our bug ID cards or online. This is a good spot to start: //www.ducks.ca/resources/educators/

Parents, be sure to watch your kids near deep or fast flowing water!

Dry off and pair your experience with a fun story. Check out “Over and Under the Pond" by Kate Messner or "In the Small, Small Pond" by Denise Fleming. If you have a library card, many books can be accessed through digital library connections like OverDrive Tumble Books for free.

Toad House — Hop to it and try your hand at creating toad habitat in your own backyard! Toads are great neighbours because they love to eat bugs and slugs. Learn more from Ranger Rebecca as she gives tips on how to build a toad house with your little ones. Don’t forget to post and tag us in your creation! 

Mud Kitchen — How about building a mud kitchen?

The messiness of play and learning can take its tole on your indoor space and patience! Try taking it outside for some fresh air fun. Grab some containers from your recycling, buckets, old kitchen utensils, bowls, pots, pans, etc. that you have lying around and set up a mud kitchen in your backyard. Find a spot where your children can dig in the soil or sand and collect ingredients from nature. Fill some containers with water and watch their imaginations go! Although you may see lots of fancy set-ups for mud kitchens online, we have found that children are more than happy to sit on the ground or work with their tools on a stump, bench, board, or picnic table. When the play is finished, you can throw everything in a plastic bin or sturdy reusable shopping bag. Washing things off is totally optional!   

How can this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:

• Ask your children about the ingredients they are using.
• Count the scoops and numbers of things they adding to their creations.
• Offer the opportunity to record their recipe either through words or pictures. 
• The acts of scooping, stirring, grasping, and more are all great ways to develop fine motor skills. 

Have fun! Don’t for get to check out our blog at https://www.rvca.ca/blog.

Map & Compass — Get back to basics with this edition of fresh air fun! GPS technology is amazing but it doesn’t always work the way we expect it. Traditional map and compass work is a great way to explore outside. Break out your old compass and see if you can figure out how to find north and the other cardinal directions. Grab some paper, pencils, and colouring tools to make a map of your backyard or neighbourhood. See if you can match north on your map to magnetic north and see how that can help you navigate on your adventure. Ranger Rebecca explains more at https://youtu.be/6e9J29G8xD8 

Sidewalk Chalk — Do you have a container of sidewalk chalk lying around? In our forest school programs, we have discovered that it’s not just for sidewalks. We bring it with us to mark our path on outdoor adventures and write what letters things start with. We mash it with our mud kitchen tools and mix it into our creations (think sprinkles for delicious mud cupcakes) or add water to make paint and create artwork on rocks and logs. The good news for clean-up? Just wait for a rainy day or let the kids get out the hose! 

How does this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:

• Creativity and imagination
• Fine motor skills used for mashing, scooping, and mixing
• Problem solving and figuring out how to use things in a different way
• Talking about and maybe writing down our procedures

Tiny Habitats — Did you know you might have some tiny habitats hiding right in your backyard? Do you have a rock sitting in your garden? How about a big stick or log sitting on the grass by your shed? Try lifting it up and looking underneath: you might be surprised what you find. When you're finished, be sure to put the rock or log back so the things living underneath stay safe.    

How does this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:

• Talking about and describing the things you are seeing.
• Asking questions as to why they are there and what makes it a good habitat.  
• Counting the different creatures you see.

Resources:

• Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and other Ughs by Anthony D. Fredericks, illustrated by Jennifer DiRubbio
• A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Robin Brickman

Pretend to be an animal — Classic fresh air fun: pretend to be an animal! Try hide and seek with a forest friend twist – the little owls fly out into the forest and hide from one of their owl friends. When everyone is ready, the owls start to hoot and their friend listens to try and find them.