Brother's Are for Making Mud Pies

Can you remember making mud pies and daisy chains , rolling down grassy hills , drawing with
sticks in the dirt , creating fairy perfumes from flowers and building bush cubbies? These are some of the experiences we had as children that connected us with the natural environment. While they may not be part of our conscious thought as adults, they are significant nonetheless in shaping who we are and our values about the natural environment. Direct experiences with the natural environment are important for sensory development. These experiences cannot be described verbally or portrayed by images in picture storybooks or on television and computer screens; they must be explored up close and personal!

How to aid Sensory development in your child:

Though sensory development is natural process in kids, you can certainly make the entire procedure fast by helping him in coming out of the complex hurdles in the way. But before that you yourself need to understand few things.

• Do not over burden your kid with knowledge at an initiating point. This will do nothing but irritate your kid.


• Try to help him where he feels hindered otherwise let him explore the world on his own.


• Do not be overprotective about your kid. Draw a line between being caring and over caring.


• Let him go out of the way to explore the world. Do not safeguard him so much that you start limiting his desires and capabilities.


• Try to understand the world from a kid's point of view before you start telling all complex things together. It's not a kid who will become mature to understand you, remember you will have to become a kid to understand him.

As educators we have an active and significant role to play ensuring children experience connections with the natural environment in meaningful ways — ways that will assist their understanding of connectedness both with and in the natural environment, and ultimately, promote action for sustainability. So when you are looking at Childcare/Daycare/Kinders for your child be sure to ask how they provide these learning experiences for the children in their care.

One of my favourite childhood memories comes from making mud pies in the backyard with my brother. So today Master 4 and Master 2 put on their boots and got out in the mud and made some mud pies! Wow what fun did they have, and even better the language that I heard coming from the two was great. As a bedtime favourite "The Little Yellow Digger" both boys know this story inside out and back the front, so it was wonderful to hear them chatting away and using the language they have picked up from our story time. A couple of muffin tins, spoons, bucket and diggers provided the stage for an hour long outdoor play session that provide them with so many valuable skills. All of which was easily packed up with a warm bath and LOTS of soap!!!