Outdoor Learning! Pollinators

 Pollinators ~ Last summer, 2021, I was on my way to the Toronto Public Library to pick up a few books which I booked online. I came across these beautiful flowers alongside the street and noticed a couple of bees buzzing around and hovering over me. I paused for a bit, and soon they were attracted to the beautiful blossoms. Such a beautiful sight to behold and thought of sharing. 🌸 Endless learning opportunities about the pollinators! 

A pollinator is an animal that helps plants produce fruit or seeds. When pollinators such as bees, birds, bats, butterflies, and small mammals go to plants to eat their nectar, they get pollen grains stuck on them, which then rubs off onto the next plant they travel to. The pollen from one plant can fertilize the next plant that the pollinator gets nectar from. Only fertilized plants can make fruit and/or seeds, and without them, the plants cannot reproduce.

Insect pollinators include four major groups: Bees and wasps, Beetles, Butterflies and moths. Flies' and Other types of pollinators are bats and hummingbirds.





Benefits of outdoor Pedagogy: 

Spending time outdoors daily helps keep children fit and healthy physically. We spend two hours a day for outdoor play experience. (Except inclement weather)
The outdoors is the perfect place to encourage and engage children in physical activity for gross motor fun activities.
Having an outside area allowing children to connect with nature and explore different types of plants can have a calming effect. Spending time outdoors allows children to explore their natural environment and the world around them. 
We learned a lot about Pollination and pollinators.

Tapasi's ECE Journal



Comments

  1. The photo and video are lovely! Thank you for sharing about the benefits of outdoor pedagogy! I have noticed all of these benefits in my work with children too. I'm curious what types of gross motor activities you notice children engaging in the most? Do you join in with their gross motor play?

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    1. There are many gross motor activities we do on daily basis. Our requirement for outdoor play is two hours a day. An hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Toddlers love to throw things, so we encourage them to throw different sizes of coloured balls into the basket. We also practice bouncing, rolling and kicking balls. I often act as a play partner and follow their lead.
      2.Toss soft bean bags while we sing head and shoulder.
      3.Chasing bubbles is one of their favourite activities.

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    2. That's great to hear that you are getting outside for at least 2 hours a day! I love that you take are a partner in their play. I loved to do this with chase games like tag and dramatic play in the outdoor kitchen.

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  2. Amazing Tapasi - thanks for sharing! I love the idea of pollinator gardens and/or container pots of pollinators. I look froward to learning more about this! I'll have to visit my library too!

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