Getting to know nature

Planting teaches children more than just how things grow.
It also educates them about the weather and why plants need soil, water and light.
It helps to develope a positive attitudes and feeling toward the natural environment, or being familiar with their environment.

Of course, as a 15 months old child, Zu Yan cannot not understand about the weather, soil, water and light.

It's a simple and easy experience for him to get to know nature.
I was amaze by the way he handle the shovel.
He had fun this morning.















15 months old Zu Yan planting scallion.

One for you, one for you and one for you.

Yesterday night, I was eating wasabi pea. ZY noticed, walked to me and open his mouth wide.



"Are you sure you want this? It's wasabi pea. Hot!" He understand what "Hot!" means by touching hot water mug. May be not in the context of food. His mouth still wide open. I jugde the level of the "hot" of the pea and think he will be able to take it, worst he will spit out and stay away.



I popped one pea into his mouth. In seconds, he spitted out the pea. He did not walk away but reached for the pack of pea. Picked up a pea and send it into my mouth. One and after one after one till he finished the whole pack. He smiled and clapped.

ooh ooh ! up there!

Since last week, I started to bring ZY out to the nearby playground so that he would get a chance to further refine his gross motor skill. All this while, we will just hang around in the house yard in the evening, where he could only walk around and sit on bench. He admired the plants, grass, cars passing by, neighbour walk pass but never never the birds or airplane flying over our head. He pay no notice when I told him "Listen, what's that sound? Look up there! An aeroplane!" " Look! birds!" Emm.. he looked left or right or somewhere else but not the direction of where my finger point to, not lifted his head to look up at all.

So, it is not the time yet. I did not keep trying and I think one day he will notice by himself. And, last Thursday, we were in the playground, as usual, I will stand back and let him lead the way. At one moment I was looking elsewhere and when I turn to him, he was pointing to the sky. There were two birds flying by. Hey! he noticed!

And, today, I was looking elsewhere again and when I turn to him, he was pointing to the sky and his lip squash up like a beak "Ooh! ooh!". There was an aeroplane flying over.

His awareness of surrounding has extend up to things happend over his head.

ZY's discoveries

Quotation
"I have served the spirit of those children, and they have fulfilled their development, and I have kept them company in their experiences." Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 27.

Zu Yan's stop and look at a snail while having nature walk in the park.
The snail does not kept him for long.
He continue his nature walk after looking at it for awhile.

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Spinning ball in container

Yesterday, it was during the lunch time.
While I help ZY to feed himself, he was having fun with a 1 inch diameter wooden ball and a rice measuring cup.
He held them one in each hand, showing them high and low, place on the table, place the ball into the measuring cup and pour it out...suddenly, he found that he could make the ball to circulate in the cup by using only one hand and wrist.
And he did it again and again. While he was walking, sitting on sofa, sitting on floor, put it away, came back to the materials, pick up and work with it again.

Today, he repeat the same experience but in a variation.
He place a bigger plastic ball into a round ice cream container and make the circular motion by holding the container with two hands.
Later in the evening, he was spunning around by himself for the first time (Does this got anything to do with the ball spinning in the container?).
He fell on floor, got up, spun, fell, got up and spun again.





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