Getting “Lost” in Nature

In addition to their weekly outdoor excursions, students in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade are enjoying extended time in the outdoor classroom, thanks to an exciting new program introduced this year. Each week, the Lower School Outdoor Program allows a different grade to spend an entire afternoon engaged in the natural surroundings of our own campus. Recently, we caught up with second graders to see what the program is all about.

On this particular day, the students were divided into four groups and guided by four teachers. One group circled up in an open spot to learn about macro-invertebrates. Our stream is full of them, so students took their own samples, identified them, and discussed their findings. Another group observed the many colors and hues in nature and then were invited to pick a spot and paint exactly what they saw. A third group used magnifying glasses to see nature up close. They drew the things they could see through the magnifying glass, and then the things they could see without it. The fourth group lined up for a walk on our marked trails, looking for specific patterns and natural elements, and making their own discoveries.

Students spent a significant portion of unhurried time participating in each group, as well as exploring on their own. By the end of the period they had spent nearly 2 ½ hours and all of their senses immersed in the natural world. Did they realize they were stimulating creativity, enhancing cognitive development, growing their confidence and independence, improving mental well-being, and increasing environmental awareness? Maybe. But the only thing on their minds seemed to be, “When can we do this again?”