Our senses and Nature | Enriched Children

I love bringing nature into our every day play and with so many lovely sunny days, it doesn't seem hard to do.  Despite the forecast of sun this morning, rain clouds appeared and we decided to postpone our morning at the lake.

Instead, the boys and I had some fun indoors with playdough and natural items.

I made a batch of playdough and kept it white in colour.  Next, we collected a few items from the yard- dandelions, twigs, pinecones, shells- there's no right or wrong!  I displayed all of the items we collected and let the boys explore with the plain playdough and natural items- no plastics!

Using the plain playdough without any colours allowed the natural items to stand out plus yellow from dandelions and green from leaves actually stained the playdough leaving their own natural colours.

Often we use plastic rollers and cutters to create with the playdough, but I loved giving the boys an opportunity to imagine with the few items we collected.  I absolutely loved the conversation that was going on and creativity as they explored.

If you find yourself staying in on an odd rainy day this summer, bring the outdoors in and have fun exploring with a few simple items that provide an
 opportunity for so much imagination and learning!