Excursions
At least once a week, we head out of the kindergarten on an excursion. As well as being fun, it is important that our excursions have rules that the children understand and can follow and discuss.
Recently we headed next door to Massey High School and, even though it wasn’t very far, there was plenty to look at, learn and enjoy. Our rules were:
We had to be quiet (the big children were working at school)
We had to stay together
We had to listen to the kaiako
The rules were taken very seriously by our children and they did really well following them and understanding why they were important.
We try to incorporate as many aspects of the Froebelian Approach in our excursions as possible and our trip to the ‘Big School’ was no exception.
That we were engaged in outdoor play is clear but it’s what that outdoor play offers in terms of the children’s learning that is key.
There is the experience of nature and the wide range of trees, bushes, plants, logs and sand etc that offer rich scope for investigation and engagement and the opportunities for adventure, risk and challenge. Risk-taking is another aspect of the Froebelian Approach that cannot be discounted. Risk-taking offers children the experience of height, perspective and distance and can create feelings of joy as well as that all-important sense of “I did it!”
We look forward to going on excursions more often and please … if you have any ideas on where we could go, do let us know.
- Debbie Reed