SENSORY EXPERIENCES FOR TODDLERS IN NATURAL WORLD
If you are looking for sensory experiences for toddlers in Natural world, this article is for you.
“Children deserve to grow and learn in a place and alongside a force that is as wild and alive as they are” – Nicolette Sowder
Scrunching grey pebble stones at every step of the narrow footpath, we strolled further and further into the bushland. It was our bush- walk day with the kids.
For me, nature is a small laboratory to experience all kinds of visual treats, exotic smells, vibrant textures, enchanting sounds and peculiar tastes.
Read about how to build connection between kids and nature
This is how I make sure our bush walk is appealing to all their faculties of sight, sound, taste, smell, touch PLUS balance and body awareness.
Following sensory experiences are not necessarily to be experienced in one outing. On the contrary, children need to get closer and closer a little bit every day as they grow up.
Sensory experiences for toddlers - SIGHT
“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing” -Camille Pissarro
If we open our eyes to the little miracles around us, there’s a myriad of them offered to us by Nature. Something as little as a spider’s web can spark our wonder and curiosity as to how a small spider managed to make this thing of beauty.
These little wonders compel us to slow down from our endless rat race and pay attention to minute details in Nature.
When children are encouraged to admire these little beauties that an ordinary person may fail to notice, they will look at life from a different angle.
In addition, what they see and admire today, can be the reason why they become a scientist, Nature poet, Environmental conservationist or best of all, a happier human being. Because Nature inspires us in so many ways while giving us a feeling of security and freedom.
Letting my kids bond with Nature and encouraging them to make unforgettable memories is something I am aspiring to do with my kids. Age appropriate discussion is always what I aim for.
For example colour, shapes, patterns, wildlife, plants and minerals are topics they can soak up at this age. And we can always go from there as they grow up.
Don’t fail to notice these little miracles in Nature. Let your kids relish them and in the long run it will help our little ones find THEMSELVES!
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- Blue sky
- Birds flying in the sky
- Colourful flowers
- Green meadows
- Mountain ranges
- Mossy rocks
- Brambles
- Frothy bubbles in the creek
- Tadpoles
- Algae
- Watching how a seed sprouts
- Fallen trees/tree logs
- Beehives
- Ant hills
- Dewy plants
- Sun- drenched tree tops
- Bird nests
- Flocks of native birds
- Shapes made by clouds
- Thick green forest
- Amber-red maple leaves
- Dull yellow leaves
- Worms under a rock
- Rainbow
Sensory experiences for toddlers - SOUND
“The earth has music for those who listen” W. Shakespeare
Getting familiar with the varied sounds that nature has to offer not only relaxes you, but also revives your connection to the natural world.
The innate desire of man to live in harmony with Nature, makes us deeply bonded with sounds like chattering water, wind whistling, rain splattering so on and so forth.
These sweet sounds can be a way of signalling our brain “You are home and you are safe”.
To indulge in these melodious sounds with children, all you have to do is pay attention with your ears open. Your child will find Nature an orchestra itself.
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- Chirping of birds
- Rustling of leaves
- Creaking branches of trees
- Hooting of owls
- Insects humming
- Animals munching and chomping their food
- Rain splattering on leaves
- Thundering
- Sound of waterfalls pounding the rocks
- Quacking of ducks
- Huffing and puffing sounds of wild animals
- Buzzing of bees
- Wind whistling
- Grunts and clicks of frogs
- Cooing of doves
- Chattering of creeks
Sensory experiences for toddlers - SMELL
“Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions or will- Patrick Suskind
I cannot stress enough how underrated our power of smell is. Just as people have their own unique smell, the natural world is also enriched with subtle variations of fragrance and aroma.
If our little ones take in this assortment of stimuli, they will see how much Nature is ALIVE in her own peculiar way.
Even the musty smell of rotting wood is an indication that Nature is alive. Though the wood is living her last days , it has given life to another living organism, the fungi.
Our Natural world is filled with the smell of LIFE itself, Let’s teach our kids to cherish it.
May be they will one day look back on these special moments spent in natural world with hearts filled with warmth and nostalgia.
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- Fragrance of flowers
- Smell of rain on parched earth
- Rotting wood
- Musty smell of moss, damp wood and rain-sodden leaves.
- Earthy smell of mud
- Smell of mushrooms
- Pungent smell of pine sap
- Lemony smells of citrus trees
- Scratch and sniff leaves and smell their distinct aroma like mint, wild ginger, wild onion
- Deer dung
- The earthy moist smell when you lift up a rock to see worms
- Dusty smell of hot summer breeze
Sensory experiences for toddlers - TASTE
“We could have never loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it” George Elliot
Nature is full of flavour. Since the first primitive cell of life on earth, Nature has always been our lifeline.
Man is biologically dependent on flavours Nature offers to us and no wonder why our kids JUST LOVE to eat wild berries, drink flower nectar or even rain water.
With little to no encouragement, they are going to explore these because they are part of Natural World.
Children and Nature have a strong bond and they share similar qualities. Both admirable, yet unpredictable 🙂
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- Taste of rain water
- Sour wild berries
- Sweet wild fruits
- Sweet flower nectar
- Spicy cinnamon, pepper
- Salty water from sea
- Earthy spicy taste of wild onion and wild ginger.
- Edible plants like dandelion
- Mint flavour
Sensory experiences for toddlers - TOUCH
Encourage your child to have muddy, grassy or sandy feet at the end of each day. That’s the childhood they deserve”- Penny Whitehouse
Children’s hands and bare feet can absorb so many stimuli of different textures, temperatures and contacts with Nature, building a strong nerves connection.
Let them explore, get dirty and get connected with these vital sources of stimuli Nature has in abundance.
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- Damp. mossy rocks
- Rough tree barks
- Spiky wild bushes
- Silky smooth bird feathers
- Sticky sap of trees
- Fruit flies hovering around the face
- Spider web strands on face
- Dewy grass cooling feet
- Silky soft sand in riverbanks
- Scorching sun burning the skin
- Soft, slimy mud
- Cold/warm water from creeks
- Tickle of falling leaves
- Smooth pebble stones in creeks
- Ants and termites running on skin
BALANCE and BODY AWARENESS
“Nature is a tool to get children to experience not just the wider world, but themselves” Stephen Moss
Balance or in other words vestibular sense is a skill of understanding where your body is in space.
It helps movement and balance. Body awareness or spatial awareness helps children understand where their bodies are in space. Nature has multitude of opportunities for little ones to improve these skills.
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- Walking
- Stepping stones
- Climbing trees or rocks
- Swinging on vines, low branches
- Walking on uneven ground
- Balancing on fallen tree logs
- Hiking
Our Experience ...
The stillness of giant trees and the indistinct patterns of shadows retained an aura of mystery. An occasional puff of wind would sweep through our face leaving fragrance from wild flowers.
It was the season of autumn. Different hues of yellow and orange veiled over the woodland like a dome.
The kids collected amber-red maple leaves for their artwork. Their pockets were full of wild blackcurrants that they kept chomping, making their lips scarlet red.
The day is a bit overcast, with some rain clouds looming in the distance, but we just did not have the heart tun back. We carefully made our way down a fairly steep, muddy bank to the edge of a small creek.
The glass shine of the surface and the dull murmuring of the water flow had the lullaby effect on us. We sat on a mossy stone and looked around that amazing natural habitat that gives life to millions of plants and wildlife with awe.
We got carried away admiring the beauty and failed to notice the rain at hand. As the soft drizzle turned into swollen, ploppy raindrops, we hurried our steps to take shelter under what seemed like a Centuries-old Oak tree.
Though it was autumn, it still had leaves survived from rain and wind. We felt grateful for that ancient leafy canopy for everything she has provided for us for hundreds of years and counting.
Bush walk day is a special day for our family for so many reasons. But my favourite reason is, it gives so many opportunities for children to find their connection with nature.
Furthermore, children and Nature have their own special bond where they give so much to each other. If you think about it, it really makes sense. Man is biologically bonded with nature.
One glance at my children, playing with rain water dripping down the tree branches is enough to prove that. Their curiosity to see how bird eggs hatch, excitement to see how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, interest in sweet-smelling flowers remind me that nature is their HOME, nowhere else.
Summary
What’s your favourite thing to do with kids in natural environment? Leave a comment 🙂
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