Medicine Hat College's (MHC) Early Learning & Child Care (ELCC) program is inviting families with children ages 2-5 to engage with current students for all-weather play this fall.
Exploring how outdoor learning benefits child development, students are taking their classroom learnings to Kin Coulee Park to work with young children and families. The first activity took place on Sept. 12 and focused on building in nature, using loose, open-ended materials to imagine and create.
Program coordinator and instructor for the outdoor pedagogy class, Jennifer Usher, says playing outdoors offers cognitive and physical development benefits for children.
"We started our class by talking about how outdoor play benefits children's development in a bunch of different ways. Their physical development, their gross motor skills, their fine motor skills, their cognitive development and all the thinking, exploration, and investigating that is happening," explains Usher. "Communication and social skills are being built too as they share, collaborate and cooperate."
The students are then given the opportunity to implement their learning and cite real-life examples from their experiences.
Second-year student, Amrit Kaur, says she noticed children engaging in a variety of activities, including hopping on steps, balancing items, and creating music.
"We brought lots of provocations for them so they're learning a lot and we are interacting with them as well as with their parents," says Kaur, who has enjoyed seeing both the children and parents learning together. "The children are coming up and trying to engage [with activities] by themselves, and we are also encouraging them to come and join the applications."
Throughout the semester, students will explore new ways to help children engage with the outdoors while ensuring child safety.
Activities planned will take place in all-weather, including sun, rain, and snow. Themes for upcoming sessions include a park exploration, engaging provocations to encourage open-ended play, a "looking closely" walk, and a campfire. Families are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather.
Registration is free for families as a way to give back to the community, says Usher, adding her thanks to the City of Medicine Hat who have allowed the students to utilize Kin Coulee Park.
The next offering for the outdoor free play sessions is Oct. 1. Space is limited. Sign up at https://bit.ly/3X7iPnw.
