Nature provides an abundance of opportunities for children to learn and explore.
MY nephew celebrated his seventh birthday in a park two weeks ago. I gave him a “wonder box” for a present. He is a great collector of things that fascinate him. From a young age, he would collect insects, leaves, stones and twigs.
His “wonder box” was intended to enhance his curiosity of the world around him. I included “tools” that will help him in his discovery of the world when he goes out exploring – useful things like a magnifying glass, string, pencil and notebook, rubber bands and a pair of scissors.
Learning experience: Children playing with fish at the Pulau Payar Marine Park in Kedah. Children use their five senses to discover the world.A child’s sense of wonder is an integral part of his life. Children are curious about their world and the things around them. They are patient with small creatures around them. They often wonder what clouds are made of.
Many adults have been amazed by how intent and patient a two-year-old can be when he follows an ant trail. You may even have seen a three-year-old chasing after a dragonfly in the garden.
Through the child’s eyes, adults can take delight in sharing the wonder and awe that nature inspires in each of us, regardless of our age or the environment we live in.
To nurture this keen appreciation of nature, children need a significant adult in their lives to share their interest. Parents and teachers can even rediscover the wonders around us if they allow the child to be their guide.
As children’s eagerness to learn increases, adults can help by providing resources for them to work with. They can offer guidebooks or help them to do a search in the Internet.
Don’t worry if you know nothing about the rhinoceros beetle or coniferous plants. You can learn alongside your child as he explores nature. You don’t have to have all the answers; just show enough enthusiasm to spur your child’s interest.
Children are spontaneous when they explore. They do not think about what they know or what they do not know. They just pick up ideas as they go along. They use their five senses to discover the world. They listen, look, smell and touch to find the answers to their questions
Observation is a powerful tool for children to gain knowledge and skills.
Young children watch and listen to those older and more skilled than them. They pick up language better when they hear it being used in conversations.
Children learn a lot when they watch people at work. These days, when machines perform most work, children hardly see fine craftsmen in action. It will benefit them greatly if their parents can show them how tailors sew clothes, how carpenters make furniture or how bakers bake cakes.
Young children absorb what goes on around them. They need a stimulating environment. You can provide this by allowing your your child to explore and experiment. Make a mess and find out what it feels like. Talk about everything. Read aloud to your child so that he can hear the wonderful sounds you make.
Some may say that children need to be taught and trained by adults to gain important lessons in life. They insist that children cannot learn much from their observations.
Critics have always considered child’s play as frivolous and time wasting. Contrary to their ideas, children gain greater knowledge and skills from play. The over-zealous adult who intervenes with children’s learning may do more harm than good.
Take time to observe your young child at play with other children. You will probably hear them negotiating and making up rules as they go along. Children learn to communicate and cooperate with one another. They also learn to solve problems and think critically.
One child might say: “You start running and I will follow.” When they are playing with children of mixed ages and abilities, they will have to adapt their play to fit everyone’s needs.
These play experiences help promote children’s social, cognitive, language and physical development.
Instead of allowing your child to sit for hours watching “educational” television programmes, take him out to the garden or the park. Talk about the living organisms that exist in the outdoors. Compare the different plants and listen to your child tell you what he observes.
Your child needs concrete experiences to learn about living and non-living things.
Children should be allowed to climb over, crawl under, and come into contact with dirt, sand, mud and just about anything there is in nature that is meant for them to experience and enjoy.
