Recently, I – along with the other members of ORIN (Oklahoma Reggio-Inspired Network) – had the pleasure of touring Rosa Parks Early Childhood Education Center. This is a Reggio-Inspired preschool in the Union Public School district. This school is beautiful inside and out. For the purpose of the ORIN meeting, the teachers had created nature-inspired provocations for the members to gain inspiration from. While visiting these beautiful invitations to play, I wanted to do just that-play. Unfortunately, I was there for business, not pleasure. If these provocations can provoke wonder and a desire to learn from a 36 year-old (yes, that's my real age), can you imagine what kind of joy and curiosity they would bring to a child?
Indoor Provocations
This provocation featured wood cookies fitted with a pre-drilled small hole for hanging, pine cones, dried oranges, cinnamon sticks, corks, wire, wire cutters, woven balls, and other natural materials.
One of the finished creations.
This teacher created an invitation to mash-up and blend together natural materials.
Imagine the use of motor skills, color mixing, texture exploration…so many possibilities.
In this classroom, the class had gathered an abundance of natural materials for the members to create houses or other structures with.
Building platform supplies were stored on another table.
The table was overflowing with natural materials to create to your imagination's desire. I wanted to play so bad!
This classroom had also gathered an array of natural materials for creation of transient art.
I loved the addition of the berries.
This was an invitation to create nature prints in clay.
Outdoor Provocations
One of my favorite parts of the tour were the outdoor provocations. This one is an invitation to paint the landscape views.
Love the use of the muffin tin!
An invitation to paint and create with nature. The teachers explained that the students may use the nature materials as the tools for painting or as inspiration or to paint ON.
What a beautiful display of materials to paint, glue, cut and create!
Painting leaves. Notice the “paint brushes”.
I was blown away by the creativity and the use of natural materials in these provocations.
How do you use nature in your classroom?
Sally I’m so inspired by your teachings. i just want to go and set them p and educate my other colleagues about what real Reggio inspired play spaces should look like.
Love it! We would love to see pictures if you do have a chance to set them up! 🙂
I am so excited that my friend spoke about you this week! It has opened a whole new world to us. Now we can start putting to use that 5 gallon bucket of acorns the kids collected this fall, as well as all of the other nature items they collect!
Yes! How awesome! I love children’s collected bits (or buckets!) of nature!
That was so beautiful. It is fantastic to see the links with nature and the room environment! Mara
I’m so happy you were inspired, Mara!
Fantastic!!!
Amei!!! 🙂
Inspiring!
Thank you, Cindy. The teachers of Rosa Parks ECEC work really hard to create inviting and thought provoking activities for their students.
The pictures posted are great examples of how to incorporate nature in classroom activities@
Thank you, Teresa. I agree and will pass along your kind words to the teachers of Rosa Parks ECEC.
Invitations of nature inspire and create. How exciting to see the ways children can use simple materials to produce elaborate designs!
Exquisite! I love how the children’s eye can see and create using the simple beauty of nature!
On holidays collecting things from nature that are not readily available around our centre. Imagining the creations
How lovely, Sandra! So happy you found inspiration in this post. Would love to see pics of what your center does with the nature items you collected.
Thank you sally.
I always get inspired by looking at the pictures you share. Makes me realise that thetes no end to how creative we can be, as early childhood teachers.
Yes! I love the creativity of teaching. The children’s creativity inspires me!
This is sooooo inspiring! I love how nature materials have that open ended functionality, allowing the children to fully discover their potential of all the things they can do. There’s no wrong way! Only their creative way!
Sally you have inspired me so much all the way here in Australia xx
Thanks for inspiring us, Reggio is trully a program that bring us teachers and children connected to nature and to our real self. I love what you are doing, congratulations, e um beijo.
I have registered for the Confrence. Enjoying and learning a lot. Hopefully use this in my teaching
Thank you
This is so beautiful. A little sad that the wonderful products were then showing an Elmers Glue bottle in the images. You can get Natural, Plant based glue from Tiny Land – they are in the UK but may ship to you?
http://www.tiny-land.co.uk
Thank you for the information, Alison! I agree, it’s wonderful to use as many natural ingredients as possible. Elmer’s is inexpensive and easily accessible to purchase for families and teachers alike!