For children to learn about the world, they need to experience its beauty and fragility, understanding that they have a responsibility of care towards it. We have the honour of sharing this clarity of thought and feeling with the children we seek to inspire.
Here are some ideas to help children discover the world around them, using products developed by Yellow Door.
Wonderfully different
Superhero Wooden Characters (842141)
Learning that we are all different, having our own character, talents and preferences will enable children to embrace diversity. Discuss with them what they notice about the wooden characters, including their different sides. The occupations of the adults have been carefully chosen to reflect caring professions that have been vital during the Covid pandemic – not all superheroes wear capes. Leave the characters out to stimulate discussion.
Provide a range of resources – fabric, art materials, modelling clay – so that children can create their own heroes. Allow them to decide whether their superhero will be in everyday dress or superhero costume.
Festival of Food
Sensory Play Stones – Foods of the World (427310) and Breads of the World (427309)
The variety of food from different cultures is a great teaching opportunity. Not only are such foods wonderful to try, they come with origin stories and how they went from local to global. Such stories are best shared by those with first-hand experience, so invite parents/carers, bakers, greengrocers, chefs to visit, share stories and help with cooking activities. Hold a Festival of Food for which the children prepare food or provide a dish from their own culture/family to share.
How old?
Let’s Investigate Fossils (450231)
Bury the fossil stones in sand, soil or mud, or hide them outside. Provide a variety of spades, brushes and magnifiers for the children to dig them up, clean them, examine and display them. Fossil hunts provide opportunities to discuss the age of the earth, how to care for it and the animals and plants that inhabit it. Create a museum to display your finds. Leave out books for the children to learn from and encourage them to write labels for their exhibits.
Little lands, big ideas
Little Lands Houses (427317) and Little Lands Vehicles (427318)
Take the children on a walk that will allow them to see buildings used for different purposes. Discuss what they saw when you return to the classroom. Using the Little Lands stones and other construction resources (bricks, boxes, small world play buildings, road layouts), ask the children to design a town. This will enable them to reflect on what they have learned and what’s needed for a community to function.
Home from home
Let’s Investigate Bugs (450230)
Children who care for the world learn to respect it. Making a home for insects is a simple way to learn to care for animals the children encounter in their local environment.
Begin by filling a plant pot with sticks, straw and bamboo, packing them well so that when the pot is laid on its side, they remain in place. Fill any gaps with leaf litter. Place the pot in a quiet, dry, shady spot that is easy for the children to access.
About the Author
Corin is one of the product developers at Yellow Door. Using his own teaching experience and editorial skills, he creates resources to support practitioners and inspire children.
About Yellow Door
Since their launch in 2006, Yellow Door have been passionately developing quality resources to support the learning and development of young children. Their range is full of award-winning, multi-sensory resources designed to inspire creative, open-ended and language-rich play.
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