Beginning last week, a construction crew installed themselves on our street. They’ll be here for a month updating the water and sewer lines and repairing the road. The kids are in HEAVEN! Every morning at breakfast they take their seats facing out the window to watch the action. So far they haven’t been disappointed. An excavator is digging, a dump truck is dumping, a front loader is carting loads of dirt up the street and the roller rolls everything flat again at the end of the day. The crew has been wonderful, waving to the kids and occasionally stopping to chat and answer questions.
Babe is enthralled by the sites and sounds of the big trucks. I’m amazed at how long he can stand in one place and just watch them. But Bug has really surprised me. Her usual passions involve fairies and kitty-cats. She is a lover of caterpillars, butterflies and flowers, and generally hates loud noises. But now she is loving learning about how roads are built and how big machines work. Of course, every bit of knowledge leads to more questions. She is delving into the world of scientific inquiry and discovery.
On that topic, I came across a great article in Early Childhood Today magazine entitled “Outdoor Activities: Taking Science Outside“. It talks about the value of taking science projects outdoors and gives ideas of very simple outdoor science experiences for young children. It is a good reminder that science and learning doesn’t have to be complicated.
Filed under: Activities for Kids, Personal Life | Tagged: activities, Early Childhood, kids, Summer, Teaching
