Ulog No. 13: "Bushwalk Fun and Adventure with the Children"

It was a cold morning. I wanted to stay in bed for a little bit more. I snoozed my alarm about 10 times, I think, from 6:15 to 7:10 AM, and in between snoozes, I still managed to sleep. But of course, eventually, I had to get up and get ready for work.

Luckily, I live in a country-type city where I can get to any destination within 3-5 minutes.

I love just being able to wake up and not worry about the traffic. Even if my work starts at 8:30 A.M., I can start getting ready at half past 7 and will arrive at school at 8 A.M.

Usually, I would come to work 45 minutes before my actual "clock-in" so I could set the activities up ready for the day, or if there's anything that needed to be prepared, I could quickly do it. So that at exactly 8:30 A.M., I am on the floor engaging with the children and the parents straight away.

But today, I got to school at 8:10 A.M. I was not worried at all. I prepared all that we needed for today's activity before I went home last night. We had another session of "Bush Kindy". Children were very excited. They were more than excited not only because it was Bush Kindy, but also because today, their buddies from the Grade 6 class would be joining us.

The cold wind coming from the South Pole didn't bother us, especially the children. The children couldn't wait until we were all allowed to explore and wander through the salt bushes and trees. I had 3 ELC children plus their three Grade 6 buddies under my supervision for about an hour. It was great to see those children look up to their older peers with respect. They adore and love their buddies!!!

This experience once again provided plenty of learning opportunities for all the children. They used their inquiry and investigative skills in exploring their surroundings. They were given a list of things for their scavenger hunt, which caused a lot of fun and laughter among the kids. I had a great time just watching them interact with one another and listening to their conversations.

"This is moss," one child said.
"Where's the moth?" another one asked.
"I said moss!"

"A kangaroo paw print!"
"No, it's just an ant hole."

Everybody helped each other build a stick house that looked like a tepee...

... and realised one is not enough.
They had to make another house to make it two.
Great team work!!!

Of course, I had to check if it was safe to come in.
Assessment: Not safe for adults! Only kids are allowed.

Overall, the bush kindy was fun and special! It was great to see the bigger kids leading their younger peers with care and respect. Everybody displayed excellent skills such as team work, negotiation, problem solving, inquiry, trial and error, and investigation throughout the morning. I'm sure the children went home exhausted but happy and fulfilled after such a rewarding experience they had today.

Thank you for reading. If you have any suggestion for fun activities that we can use in our preschool program or any feedback regarding my post, please leave a reply on the comment section below. I appreciate your thoughts. Thank you!