“We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
-Native American Proverb
Outdoor play is a large part of our children’s development centre programming. When Earth Day happens, we tend to do more specific learning activities about the outside world and our planet. Throughout the year, children recycle and compost in the classrooms using blue and green bins. Once spring begins, we start our annual garden work and connect the children to the earth more. This year, one of our department in-service trainings offered was Using Outdoor Spaces for More Than Physical Play. Educators learned about transforming spaces, and one takeaway for the Champlain team was to introduce a more calming space in our large playground.
The centre has always had lemon balm plants, and the children have been taught to rub the leaves, which transfers a lovely scent to their fingers. We have expanded it this year to include lavender, various mints, and rosemary, which made some of us crave potatoes! It is well documented that using senses helps with anxiety. Having access to these plants uses the sense of sight, touch, and smell. Children helped create the space by painting rocks to define it and planting seeds, then transferring them to the garden.
Over the next month, we plan to add some garden chairs and colours, with scarves or cushions, to enhance the calm corner. The hope is to create a space outside to breathe in the fresh air while taking a moment, rather than feeling pressure to always be on the go. There is talk of giving the space a name, maybe creating a sign, and we welcome suggestions to the centre email. Our Earth has so much to offer. Learning to care for it and enjoy it, in several ways, will help nurture all of us together.
