Mama Tierra (Mother Earth) as our teacher
Our materials are simple and inspired by the forest, the wild and life itself.
Twigs, shells, sand, leaves, flowers, grass, water, mulch, rocks, wool, wood, branches, logs, dirt, clay, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables among others are an example of the natural materials that our children have the freedom to explore with. Their different textures, shapes, smells, sizes, colors, and sounds, make them part of a great sensory play while learning about nature.
By exploring these kinds of materials, children become architects, designers, cooks, carpenters, artists as they build, sort, design and manipulate. I say this, because in the eyes of the adult, perhaps we “just” see children carrying water from one place to another but perhaps the children, in their world, are crossing rivers. Maybe we “just” see them in our mud kitchen, mixing mulch and dirt that they found on the floor with the water that they got from the hose but in reality, they are creating herb soups, nature milkshakes, flower cakes and magic potions…
“Before we ever put a pencil in a child’s hands, those hands should dig, climb, press, push, squish, twist and pinch in a wide array of environments and with a variety of materials.”
– Amanda Morgan
Our children strengthen their bodies and let their imagination fly when manipulating these materials by for example digging in sand or dirt, pinching clay, building with small pieces of wood, filling, pouring, and dumping water, peeling fruits and extracting seeds etc.
Our materials have the power to make children thrive and wonder. They inspire them to want to stay a while, explore a little (or a lot), try new things, create, take risks, make decisions, and solve problems.They are carefully chosen with an intention; what do they look , feel and smell like? Do they come from nature? Can the child connect with the material in some way?
The 3 “R”s
What do you think about our easels being made of pizza boxes?
Another way to make our children aware of the importance of taking care of Mama Tierra is by incorporating recycled materials. At Little Creative Souls our mission is to make a better world by practicing the three R’s of waste: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
One of the skills that children learn with us is knowing how to recognize materials and how to classify them in each of our recycling cans. Not only are the three R’s important, they are also fun. How? Showing the children that a material that you usually throw away can be turned into something amazing!
As I always tell the children: