Building Blocks Developmental Preschool in Commack has added an outdoor classroom for hands-on explorational learning. The outdoor classroom combines multi-sensory exploration with developing environmental awareness all in a safe, child-friendly, natural environment.
Building Blocks Developmental Preschool adds outdoor classroom for hands-on learning; courtesy Building Blocks Developmental Preschool” src=”http://cityguideny.com/uploads2/73778/BuildingBlocks.jpg” alt=”Building Blocks Developmental Preschool adds outdoor classroom for hands-on learning; courtesy Building Blocks Developmental Preschool” width=”250″ height=”167″ />Anyone who has been around a toddler or a preschooler for more than five minutes knows that small children learn through hands-on inquiry. In order to tap into their students’ learning styles, Building Blocks Developmental Preschool thought outside the box and moved some of their science curriculum, well, outside. The preschool now includes an outdoor classroom where children ages 2-5 can explore and learn.
“It’s been our experience that, when piqued, children’s natural curiosity can lead to some of the best learning opportunities. It’s for this reason that we wanted to create a natural environment that would be safe and child-friendly while promoting problem-solving skills,” explains director Donna Charbonneau.
The outdoor classroom incorporates multi-sensory exploration with developing environmental awareness. This spring, Building Blocks students learned about plant structure by planting seeds and watching them grow in the outdoor classroom. The children later used these veggies in a subsequent cooking lesson! The space also includes a birdhouse and a dirt excavation box where kids can learn about birds and bugs respectively.
