BaDump!
When we are outside we have lots of tumbles and bumps that often set off an exploration of emotions, but with a quick teacher exclaiming, “BaDump!” the children look about and break into a smile. It is one of the ways that we give the children permission to search their own agency and decide if the hurt was acceptable or not. We want them to feel more in control of their own play and with such a large yard they have lots of places to explore and express themselves.
It is Okay to be “Messy”
Our backyard has many different elements to it and many of them could be termed “messy”. We have the sandbox, the water pump, the mud kitchen, the edible garden, and the foggy dew that gathers on the grass and slide. We embrace these elements and do not add negative or positive emotions to them, instead we sit alongside them and offer suggestions to interact:
”Oh the slide is wet…too wet? Maybe we can get a towel to dry it?”
”The mud is making a sound when you let it pour out of your hands…PLOP!”
“Yes, the tomato seeds squished in my hand…is it tasty?”
“If it hasn’t been on the Hand and the Body, it can’t be in the Brain.”
- Bev Boss
I Can Do It!
A simple concept that often is hard for some to feel confident so we practice it daily here at school. If a child cannot reach a toy they want to use we offer them ways to do it for themselves. From either climbing up the structure in the backyard or getting a sandbox toy, we feel it is imperative to foster their independence. Sometimes they may not want to even try so we may offer alternatives to the ultimate goal
”If you go this way, it might work for you.”
”Where is another shovel? In the box? So how can you get it?”
”Can I offer a suggestion?”
The confidence they gain from the critical thinking can unlock verbal cues and develop gross motor skills that will help them throughout their lives.
