Create an Outdoor Learning Environment

	Setting Up a Natural Learning Environment
	Gardening and Planting
	Planting for Hummingbirds and Butterflies
	Digging to China

Outdoor play should be more than sliding and swinging. Children need open spaces to run and play. The options for your child to learn about nature are infinite:

• Provide an open area large enough for children to run, roll, skip and hold their arms open and spin.



• Create a nature trail for children to explore. A trail doesn't require a lot of room, just a little imagination. Lay out a trail with a bird and wildlife feeding area, birdhouse or butterfly house, fountains, ponds, a bench or stump for reading or enjoying the surroundings. Books on identifying animals, insects and plants are good resources to have on hand.



• Set up a picnic table for family outings in your backyard.



• Include a transition area in your planning. A mudroom offers a transition area from outdoor play to inside

Gardening with your children teaches them responsibility and how to nurture plants.

Planting flowers, trees, grass, fruits and vegetables teaches children more than just how things grow:

• Educate them about weather and the roles of soil, water and light in a plant's life. Your children will enjoy planting and growing something of their own while they learn responsibility.



• Talk to your children about the changes the plant is going through as it grows. You can compare a child's development to that of a plant. Explain that the child caring for the plant is similar to the parent caring for the child.



• Keep a thermometer nearby to teach children about temperature and seasonal changes.

When purchasing plants for the learning environment, choose plantings that attract certain kinds of birds and insects. Hummingbirds and butterflies are interesting and beautiful creatures to observe. Below is a list of plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Choose plants that bloom at different times to supply nectar all season. Bloom times vary by planting zone.

Annuals	Perennials	Shrubs	Trees	Vines
Begonia	Canna	Azalea	Buckeye	Clematis
Fuschia	Columbine	Buddleia	Mimosa	Honeysuckle
Geranium	Daylilies	Lantana	Red	Trumpet Vine
Impatiens	Foxglove	Lilac
Petunia	Hosta	Quince
Red Salvia	Lupine
Snapdragon	Monarda
Zinnia	Yucca

Good idea: Check with your local Cooperative Extension Agent for information on poisonous plants in your area. The Poison Control Center has information and resources as well at (1-800-848-6946).

As adults, we must face the fact that children love to play in the dirt. We see it as messy when in actuality it can be educational and beneficial to a child's development. Having a designated digging area for children provides them the opportunity to explore and strengthen motor skills. The following are just a few activities your children can do in the dirt:

• Dig for treasure—bury items for children to discover. Have them search for fossils and various other buried riches. The motion of digging strengthens children's hands. The searching aspect develops an inquisitive nature.



• Tunnel and channel water—this teaches children about flowing water.



• Planting their own garden teaches caring for plants and responsibility.

Provide toys for play in the dirt: washable toy animals, toy vehicles and sticks to construct buildings. Children can build their own town and develop learning skills at the same time.

Before you begin any excavation (that means even digging a hole), call and check for underground utilities. It's not just a good idea, it's the LAW. The North America One Call Referral Service at 1-888-258-0808 connects you to a national directory of utility companies.