Nature Play Archives | Creating Together Parkdale

Spring Nature Crafts

April 19, 2024 by Creating Together

Spring is finally here, and it’s the perfect weather to get outside as a family! Are you looking for educational but easy spring-themed nature crafts? Check out a few ideas below….

Dande-LIONs

Though this project takes a little more adult-prep or prep-supervision, it’s an adorable activity to enjoy on a long walk, and can be re-used a few times! Save cardboard from a cereal box, add a face, and poke pencil holes. Then take your lion on a family walk and add dandelions to create the mane.

Nature Bracelets

Short on time? This activity takes almost no planning and no prep, yet has a big payoff! Using packing tape, take a strip and wrap it around wrists, sticky side out. Take a walk and select different pieces of nature to add to your bracelet!

Nature Puzzle

Though this activity also takes preparation, it too can be reused. Draw a large shape on a piece of paper or piece of cardboard. For an older child, choose a more challenging shape. Then, collect nature items to use as puzzle pieces, and when you get home, challenge your child to fill the shape!

Follow the links under each activity for further information.

What do you think of these ideas? Let us know in the comments below!

Celebrating the Earth on Earth Day (and every day)

April 13, 2021 by Creating Together

Celebrate Earth Day with us on April 22nd. Earth Day is a day celebrated in 195 countries around the world. It was created to raise awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s air, earth, water, plants and animals.

At Creating Together, we will be celebrating with a week of Earth-themed activities, songs, and crafts – and we hope you’ll join us!

Below is a planting project and a storytime to get you started 🙂 Next week, check out programming all week on Facebook and join us for live circle time on Monday and Wednesday to celebrate our Earth.

Planting Project

Call us in advance to arrange a pick-up of your planting package (pot, soil, & seeds), and join us for a fun planting project. If you can’t pick up your planting package by Friday, then you can still create your own, and tune into this video “Planting and Pollinating Flowers” with Leah! Check our window to see the progress of our seeds if you stroll by the Creating Together EarlyOn Centre!

Storytime

https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale/videos/1142119392901131/

Other Resources:

Learn how to say “Happy Earth Day” in 40 other languages HERE!
21 Earth Day Activities for Kids
Check out this video to learn with your children what you can do together as a family to protect the environment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl3zgcL0Tv8&t=82s

Enjoying Summer in Nature

June 24, 2020 by Creating Together

Happy Summer Solstice everybody! Back in Spring we wrote about the importance of getting out in nature during COVID-19:

Free play in natural environments increases attentions spans, creative thought, and the desire to learn through exploration (1). It helps their motor, sensory, social and cognitive development – and is great for their general health and well-being (2).
(1) https://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=39558
(2) https://www.learningpotential.gov.au/the-benefits-of-outdoor-play

Well, this week we celebrated the longest day of the year on the summer solstice, and it’s a great time to enjoy all that the sunshine has to offer us. Get out and enjoy the beautiful bounty of the season while shaking off those solitude blah’s, with these fun activities.

First we’d like to kick things off with a fun nature walk with Tanya (here’s a hint – make sure you gather some flowers and small bits from your walk for your nature craft coming up next with Neetu!):

https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale/videos/192916012130648/

And when you return, from your walk, here’s a fun “Flower Painting and Nature Bracelet” craft you can enjoy with Neetu! The materials you will need include:

Flowers,
Paints,
Paper,
Double Tape, and
Clear Tape.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=553455038660914

Have a very wonderful summer everybody! We’ll see you soon!

Nature Play During COVID-19

April 16, 2020 by Creating Together

With everybody inside so much more these days due to social distancing and self-isolating, we’re all getting a lot less time outside. With a bit of creativity though, we can all get the outdoor dose that we need.

Getting children outside to enjoy time for free play in natural environments increases attentions spans, creative thought, and the desire to learn through exploration (https://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=39558). It also helps their motor, sensory, social and cognitive development – and is great for their general health and well-being (https://www.learningpotential.gov.au/the-benefits-of-outdoor-play).

In fact, “wilderness therapy” has emerged as an alternative treatment for behavioral and psychological problems in adolescents and teens. One study found that “wilderness therapy” was an effective treatment for teens suffering from attention deficit disorder, alcohol and drug addiction, depression, and other behavioral problems. Afterward, patients showed higher levels of confidence, better organizational and leadership skills, and exhibited fewer problematic behaviors (http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/wrc/Pdf/howwildtherworks.PDF).

For more benefits of getting outside, you can check out Balancing Screen Time with Green Time.

For today though, we’d like to give you some resources to get you and your kids outside in ways that respect social distancing and keeps everybody safe. It has become clear that we all need new and creative strategies for connecting to the natural world, even if that may mean being indoors.

Star Gazing

“If we can’t see the stars, how will we know our place in the universe?”
Trevor Hancock, a professor at the University of Victoria’s School of Public Health and Social Policy

Drops in air pollution have revealed awe-inspiring stars that suburban and urban dwellers would have never seen otherwise. So set a star date for a bright night, bundle up, grab a blanket, and go see what the stars have to offer! Resources: International Dark-Sky Association, and How to Start Stargazing With Your Kids. For the top 10 books on stars, check out bookroo’s list here: https://bookroo.com/books/topics/stars or check out this great list on Stars, Planets and the Night Sky that you can order online from “Start with a Book”.

Get Reading! Bookroo’s top 10 books on stars…

Nature Window

If you can’t get outside, you can still experience moon watching, stargazing (if stars are visible), cloudspotting, bird-watching, and nature in general. Create a world-watching window or a nature window, set up a date, set up all your supplies, and get ready to observe! Things to consider bringing: your nature notebook, field guides (birds, stars, etc), binoculars, a telescope, and a camera – you could maybe even a sound recorder to capture the sounds of the natural world.

Make a Spring Nature Table

A spring nature table is a space in the home used for placing natural items that reflect the season. It is meant to be explored and used as a nature study aid in the home. Nature tables give children the opportunity to play with objects found in nature, helping them notice the little changes that happen when a season shifts, and connect with the natural world. They also create a sensory experience for the child, and can be used for pretend or imaginative play. Check out this lovely table by the Imagination Tree:

Spring Nature Exploration Table by The Imagination Tree

Consider what the season represents for your family’s culture, values, beliefs, celebrations. Then, go around your home with that in mind and you’d be surprised what you can find (rocks, leaves, sticks, acorns, pine cones, seasonal art and crafts, silks and candles in the season, fall books for kids, etc)! Put these together, and voila!

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of things found in nature around your garden, block, or a local trail. Then go out for a walk or hike with the family and see how many items you can find. The print shops are all closed due to COVID-19 so you’ll need to get creative – make a list on your phone or do some lists by hand. Looking for some ideas? Check these templates out here: https://www.freekidscrafts.com/summer-scavenger-hunt/

Family Bike Ride

According to Cycle Toronto, as long as you are not infected with COVID-19, symptomatic, or otherwise self-isolating. Riding a bicycle is compatible with physical distancing. In fact, the 2 metres (6 feet) is about the distance of a bicycle. According to the City of Toronto, we can only bike in groups if they are people we reside with, and at this point, city parks’ green spaces, including multi-use trails, currently remain open and accessible. Toronto has some really great trails to choose from as well, as per the interactive map here: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/cycling-in-toronto/cycling-google-map/

Need some help planning your route? Check out this great article by Cycle Toronto: https://www.cycleto.ca/how-plan-your-bike-route

Tip: Plan ahead! Many of these experiences are also great as we gear up for Earth Day on April 26th!

Stay healthy and safe!

Overcoming Barriers to Play

May 1, 2019 by Creating Together

Last month Creating Together had a great turn-out offering parents and caregivers some information to understand why play is so important, and how to apply our learning stations to support play in our children.

We know it’s good for us – but what are some of the barriers to play, and what can we do about them?

Trying to keep your child clean can discourage children from playing, for the fear that things might get messy. Yet, kids need to get dirty to be both healthy and happy.

Children should be outside often and should be allowed to be barefoot and to get dirty, and handwashing does not necessarily need to immediately follow these activities. – Let Them Eat Dirt: How Microbes Can Make Your Child Healthier

A growing body of research tells us that getting dirty is great for immune health, activity, memory, sensory development, and so much more.

When children are out walking or playing in a green space […] the risk of getting infected with microbes that carry human diseases decreases drastically. Allow your kids to touch anything they want (except animal waste), including dirt, mud, trees, plants, insects, etc. […] Let them stay dirty for as long as the play session lasts or until it’s time to eat.Let Them Eat Dirt: How Microbes Can Make Your Child Healthier¹

There aren’t many suitable spaces to accommodate children, which can make it very difficult for them to play. This is one of the great benefits of having play centres like Creating Together. Now that it’s Springtime it’s also easier to find spaces outside. Check out this listing of playgrounds in Toronto to find one near you, or even near an area you’ll be visiting friends.

Play takes time. With parents and caregivers more stressed than they’ve ever been and all the scheduled activities (school, sports, enrichment, etc) put in place for children, there’s just not enough time for unstructured play. Cancel something. Schedule free play time on your calendar.

Some play takes materials and the effort to put the materials together so children can reach for what they seek and have satisfying access to play materials. Check out this great list of activities you can facilitate with things you have on hand at home: https://handsonaswegrow.com/50-toddler-activities/

In a world of rules, programs, and structures, children can quickly feel like they don’t have permission to play freely (and safely). To get you through this, have a clear picture of what actions you would like or need your children to request permission. Ask if your requirements are based on safety and cultural needs, and be careful not to micromanage your children, while providing clear leadership.

It’s a wonder we get outside at all with television, phone calls, e-mail, and video games. Screen time use has doubled in children over the last 20 years, and studies have linked high levels of screen time with delayed development in children. It’s not a simple thing to just unplug, so try these 10 Ways to Limit Your Child’s Screen Time from Very Well Family.