STEM Learning in the Outdoor Classroom
Building with Natural Materials
Building with Large Wooden Blocks
Big Builder
Magna-Tiles
Magnet Blocks
Gum Drops and Toothpicks
Marble Maze
Dominoes
Trains
Author: PCSPreschool
Oh Hello, Mr. Guitar and Mrs. Violin!
Whether we’re inside, outside, or visiting the “Big Field” we love to incorporate worship and music/movement into our everyday routine. We are filled with joy as we sing songs that remind us about how much we are loved by God!
There are so many benefits associated with music! Some of which include: learning to participate in a group activity, expressing emotions, strengthening listening skills, becoming aware of one’s body, cultivating imagination, and improving large and small motor skills. Music and movement is a time when we get to discover that movements have the power to communicate messages. Woah! Isn’t learning about the world around us,so much more fun when we get to act it out with our own body?
It’s Time For…Small Groups!
Our Green Elephants, Yellow Giraffes, Blue Ladybugs, and Purple Butterflies LOVE small group time! Each small group consists of six children who rotate to four different stations in our classroom.
First, we have our Language and Literacy group. At this teacher-directed station, we implement our Happily Ever After Curriculum. At our elementary school, the transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten classes also integrate a version of this program, called Superkids.Therefore, this fun reading readiness program helps us bridge the gap between pre-k and kindergarten, for our PCS families. Happily Ever After is centered on classic children’s literature. These activities aim to meet a wide range of student objectives in the areas of vocabulary/conceptual development; print and book awareness; letter recognition; auditory discrimination; phonological awareness; comprehension, emergent writing; listening and speaking; and fine motor skills.
Our Math and Science group is also facilitated by one of the three teachers in our classroom. Primarily, we use games and manipulatives to build understanding of spacial relationships, classification, patterning, and cause and effect. A fun way we help children develop a sense of quantity is by learning to estimate. For example, our math and science table has become an Estimation Station! At The Estimation Station, each child estimated the quantity of various objects (pine cones, pastel cubes, and glass marbles). They wrote down their estimations and counted the objects together. We celebrated the closest estimations with a special clap we like to call a “Fire Style” (everyone wants their friends to give them a fire style!)
We develop knowledge of the natural world by going on nature hunts. We count, classify, and compare objects like sticks, pinecones, and leaves. It’s always fun to integrate nature and science into art. Check out our Leaf Man Project!
Our third small group is The Writing Center. The children use their Daily Writing Journals to creatively depict their thoughts, feelings, and the images of their imagination. The children are either given “free choice” or an exciting prompt pertaining to things they have experienced that day or stories they have heard. Our main objective is to help children develop emergent writing skills through dialogue and dictation.
Lastly, our Independent group is our child-directed activity. We put self-regulation to work as we look at books, build with blocks, assemble manipulatives, line up dominoes, or work with play dough. Here are just a couple of the independent group activities we’ve done.
Occasionally, we are blessed with a Cal State LA student intern, and on those days our independent group is facilitated by a teacher in training.
Leaping into Learning
We know that active play is an important part of a child’s development. Our Room 1 friends stay active in our outdoor classroom by running, leaping, climbing, jumping, and spinning! Gross motor skills are put to the test as the children leap onto a colored mat, but not before making a prediction. They shout with determination, “I’m gunna’ get red!” Then, they leap with all their might (sometimes falling short of their expectation but committed to trying again). We are building strong muscles, improving coordination, fostering cooperation, encouraging self-esteem, and learning colors…all while having a blast!
Mixin’ It Up!
Who wants to sit and look at a boring ol’ color chart? No, thank you! We would much rather EXPERIENCE color mixing first-hand! During our morning free choice play, we had the opportunity to experiment with primary water colors at our science table.
Do Teachers REALLY Come to School on a Professional Development Day???
Absolutely! Today, our teachers spent time organizing, cleaning classrooms, and preparing upcoming lessons for our students. They also learned how to accurately complete the new Developmental Profiles (aka ‘progress reports’) using the new state assessment form for upcoming Parent-Teacher conferences. They also learned how to add a post to our new blog! It was a productive day, but we are excited to see our little ones back on Monday!
STEM Learning Through Sensory Bins
Children in Room 3 spent countless minutes investigating the new multi-level sensory experience in the Outdoor Classroom during yard time today. Multiple children busily went back and forth, carrying cups and bowls filled with corn kernels over to the gutter ‘slides’. The corn rolled down the gutters, got pushed into the slot in the box, then fell to the next gutter to make its way down the line. Kids delighted as they prodded, pushed, scooped, and poured the corn. All of these activities create stronger connections in science as they learn measurement, gravity, engineering, and more.
Fall Fun in Room 4
Friends in Room 4 have been busily learning about all things fall: pumpkins, apples, planting, harvest, and more! They have been learning to use their fine motor skills to sort beautiful fall colored jewels, they are growing celery stalks from celery stems, and they have been carefully putting together some crafty “quilted clothes” for a scarecrow that will be hung in the front lobby.
“Hay” Rides for Room 3
Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins!
Friends in Room 5 have been delving into the wonderful world of pumpkins! Baking Pumpkin Delight and creating funny-faced pumpkins are just part of the fun we’ve had.
Pasadena Christian Preschool 
