We were so very lucky to have 6 little chickens come to visit us at kindergarten. A huge thank you to Sophia and her whanau for bringing them in!! We even gave some of them nicknames for the day...Lemonade, Brownie and Mudwiggle.
Children are engaged in science whenever they are learning about the world around them. This sort of play allows children to develop a perception of themselves as 'explorers' - competent, confident learners who ask questions and make discoveries. (MOE).
Science and nature can help children to:
- learn to question and investigate
- think and act
- discover how nature works
- learn the correct names for animals, plants and nature
- Nurture their sense of exploration and curiosity
- Create an environment that promotes observation, exploration and explanation
- Support children to touch, listen, see and smell
- Encourage them to come up with their own explanations
Indeed Te Whariki encourages opportunities for children to actively explore their world, developing their working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds.
"Young children have a natural curiosity that requires direct sensory experience...To be effective and engage children based upon their developmental abilities and ways of learning, their hands-on sensory experiences need to be immersive and open-ended rather than structured and scripted" (Bredencamp & Copple, 1997).
"It is during early childhood when children's experiences give give form to the values, attitudes, and basic orientation toward the world that they will carry with them throughout their lives" (Wilson, 1994).
"Regular positive interactions within nature allow children to feel comfortable in it, develop empathy with it, and grow to love it. No one can love what he or she doesn't know through intimate association" (Wilson, 1994 & 1996).
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