RHYTHM - it is what guides us through the day and holds the children in a sense of security. When children know what to expect, they experience less stress and are able to be more present in the moment. In the absence of a routine, children may exhibit more challenging behaviours. You have probably noticed this at some point along your parenting journey (maybe very recently)!
The rhythm suggested in this post is similar to the rhythm of our day in the Nature Kindergarten. It is based on the idea of in-breaths and out-breaths; times for big energy and times for quiet and calm energy. Children need the opportunity to express and cultivate both of these energies in their day.
Please take these ideas as a jumping off point to develop the best rhythm for your family at this present time and not as a prescriptive model. You may be trying to balance the needs of multiple people in your household and you will need to tweak the rhythm so that it works for you and your family. It may also be good to keep in mind that a new rhythm can feel awkward at first while everyone adjusts to it. If something doesn’t feel right or isn’t working after a few days, check in with yourself and make whatever adjustment you think might be needed. Be gentle with yourself.
WEEKLY RHYTHM
In addition to the daily rhythm, we also follow a weekly rhythm. Since the concept of days of the week is too abstract for young children, we use an activity association. In other words, a child may not understand what a ‘Tuesday’ is but if Tuesday is always baking day they learn to associate baking with Tuesday and they can follow time that way. The activity gives children something concrete to track the rhythm of the week.
In our Nature Kindergarten class, we follow this weekly rhythm:
MONDAY - We fold the laundry and the children are invited to help if they choose.
TUESDAY - We bake or make food to eat for afternoon snack.
WEDNESDAY - We do maintenance and repairs (mend a toy that has a hole, tape a book that has been ripped…).
THURSDAY - We do handwork and woodwork projects.
FRIDAY - Is washing day. We gather up the laundry and wash the floor.
These tasks are not specifically placed on the daily rhythm outline. If you choose to follow this weekly rhythm at home, look for times in the day to involve your children in these tasks or simply model them by doing them yourself on a specific day of the week. Alternatively, develop a rhythm of tasks that you need to do regularly at home and associate each day of the week with a particular task.
RESOURCES
We will be providing lots of resources to support your daily rhythm at home with your child(ren). Check the blog daily for new songs, poems, and activities. We encourage you to use the poems and songs to help ease transitions. This practice helps bypass any resistance your child(ren) may feel to getting dressed to go outside, ending a playtime, or moving from one task / activity to another. Try it. It works like MAGIC!
We start our morning circle with this song every day:
Good morning dear Earth, and good morning dear Sun,
Good morning dear rocks, and dear bushes every one,
Good morning to the bears, and the birds in the trees,
Good morning to you, and good morning to me.
Week 1 - seasonal poem:
Actions to go with the poem -
1st Line: Begin by crouching down low.
2nd Line: Make sleeping gesture with palms together.
3rd Line: Remain crouching, open eyes look around surprised.
4th Line: Remain crouching, put hands to ear.
5th Line: Rise slowly, stretch arms upward.
6th Line: Stand on tiptoes, turn in place.
Week 1 - seasonal songs:
SPRING IS HERE
Spring is here, spring is here,
All around is fair,
Shiver, quiver on the river,
Joy is everywhere!
Spring is here, spring is here,
Flowers are waking too,
Crocus, lilies, daffodillies,
All are coming through.
Spring is here, spring is here,
Birds go build your nest,
Weave together straw and feather,
Doing each your best.
Spring is here, spring is here,
All around is fair,
Shiver, quiver on the river,
Joy is everywhere!
It’s a rainy day today
Drip, drip, drip
It slips away
In the garden
And down the street
Making puddles at our feet
It’s a rainy day today
(whistles)
MORNING ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES
Before heading outside for your morning adventure, have your child look out the window to observe the weather and open the door (or window) to get a feel for the temperature. Is it windy? Cold? Warm? Damp? Rainy? Have your child help figure out what outdoor clothing they will need to feel comfortable. Dress in layers and bring a backpack for water, snacks, and extra clothing and see where the adventure leads…
Here are some possible activities to get you started:
CLOUD WATCH
This week, go out each day and look for images in the clouds. Perhaps you will see sheep, whales, mountains or faces. This is a wonderful way to develop imagination. It also evokes a sense of wonder in the young child. Ask your child to describe the clouds in terms of large/small, big/little, flat/fluffy, dark/light etc. Think of other ways to contrast and compare them.
GO BIRDING
The birds are very active these days! Grab a pair of binoculars - if you have them - and head out to look for some flying friends. It is a good time to practice being quiet and still - at least for a few minutes. Count how many different kinds / colours of birds you see (or hear!).
Check out Audubon’s Guide to North American Birds
TREE FRIENDS
For this activity you will need a scarf or piece of fabric that can be used as a blindfold. Find a spot in your yard, park, or nature trail where there are at least a couple of trees. Blindfold your child and then gently lead them to one of the trees. Ask your child to do the following things:
feel the tree bark with their hands
wrap their arms around the tree to see how big it is
reach up the tree to see if they can feel any branches
crouch down at the base of the tree and feel around at the bottom of the trunk
smell the tree
Lead your child back to the starting spot and remove the blindfold. Then challenge them to find their tree friend.
STORY TIME
Story time is a special time in our Nature Kindergarten class. Everyday, one of the teachers will either read, tell, or act out a story for the children. When a teacher tells a story, the children are invited to ‘see the pictures’ in their imaginations. Sometimes, a teacher will act out a story on our story land table using puppets or small props. Children love to hear stories repeated and benefit from hearing the same story more than once. There is always more to be learned or taken from a story - even one that has been heard many times.
Stories are used to guide social behaviours, build community, explore seasonal concepts, and introduce letters and numbers.
SPRING READING LIST
A Nest Is Noisy ~ Dianna Hutts Aston, Sylvia Long (illustrator)
And Then It’s Spring ~ Julie Fogliano, Erin Stead (illustrator)
The Root Children ~ Sybylle Von Olfers
Birds, Nests and Eggs ~ Mel Boring
Children of the Forest ~ Elsa Beskow
Backyard Fairies ~ Phoebe Wahl
The button below will take you to a PDF file of this week’s first story:
Or you can listen to an audio recording here:
CRAFT
Following the story of Little Cloud, you could do one of these crafts (we have included a few options since you might be limited to what you have access to in your home at the moment).
WET PAPER PAINTING
Materials:
watercolour paper
paintbrush (Mr. Tippy)
sponge
blue watercolour paint
Method:
Soak the watercolour paper in a tub of water for a few seconds (take it out before the paper starts to look translucent - this usually starts at the corners). Take the paper out and place it on your child’s painting surface. Mop up the excess water with a sponge. Your child will use Mr. Tippy the paintbrush to gently apply a wash of blue. Clouds can be made by leaving spaces with only a light wash of colour, with darker around these spots.
WAX CRAYON RESIST
Materials:
white paper
white wax crayon
paintbrush (Mr. Tippy)
blue watercolour paint
Method:
Have your child draw clouds with the white wax crayons on the paper. Then use Mr. Tippy the paintbrush to gently apply a wash of blue watercolour paint over the whole page. The white wax crayon should ‘resist’ the watercolour paint making the shapes look like white clouds in the blue sky.
FLUFFY, PUFFY CLOUDS
Material:
cotton balls or naturally coloured wool
blue paper
glue
Method:
Glue the cotton balls or bits of naturally coloured wool onto a blue paper to make clouds. Your child may want to shape the fluff to look like animals.
AFTERNOON OUTDOOR PLAY
End the afternoon with a good-old-fashioned outdoor play! Give your child the opportunity to run, climb, balance, kick a ball, or ride a bike. This last big out breath will prepare your child for the calm needed to get everyone through dinner time and bed time with grace.
We end our day with this verse during our closing circle:
Brave and true, I will be
Each kind deed sets me free
Each kind word makes me strong
I will fight for the right
I will conquer the wrong.
Excerpt taken from A Child’d Seasonal Treasury. You may wish to read this reflection to your child or just to yourself. May it conjure the images of the season and inspire you to “take your child’s hand and step lightly into the beauty of spring-tide”.
CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY
You have the opportunity to connect with other parents and families on the Nature (home)School journey through a private Facebook group. The digital forum is a place where you can post photos of the activities that you get up to with your children, share stories or inspirations from your outdoor adventures, and connect with other families. Please follow the link to connect with other families in the online community or from Facebook - search: Nature (home)School Support.
We are a very small Not For Profit School. If you like these resources and find them helpful, please consider making a donation to our Nature Kindergarten program. We appreciate your support!