Exploring nature with your children is a great way to enjoy a beautiful summer day, while also keeping their minds engaged in an educational activity. This can be a particularly valuable experience for young children and toddlers as their minds are beginning to form important foundational principles and a new understanding of the world around them.
Here are just a few reasons to explore nature with your toddler this summer.
Understanding Biodiversity
Exploring nature, especially within a specific ecosystem like that of a pond or marsh area, allows children to begin to understand the interconnectedness of the environment around us. Learning first hand that an ecosystem relies on a variety of species and genetic diversity will help your child gain a deeper understanding of this dynamic, which holds greater parallels for the world itself.
Environmental Responsibility and Stewardship
In a world where it is becoming increasingly necessary for our practices and decisions to be environmentally-conscious, it is becoming more and more important to instill these values in your child early to foster a healthy relationship and understanding of nature and the environment.
Build Confidence
Media seems to instill a notion that forests and nature are scary – places to be avoided for safety. For children growing up in this environment, it can easily create phobias and inaccurate perspectives on nature spaces. These areas should be experienced and enjoyed, not feared and avoided. Of course, it’s important for children to be aware of safety concerns and ways protect themselves and make smart decisions, but it is also healthy for them to have a balanced understanding of the natural environment surrounding them.
Deeper Understanding of Natural World
Encouraging an understanding and respect for nature instills a heightened awareness and sense of philosophy in your child as they grow, realizing that their lives and their actions are all tied to the surrounding world. We are all part of nature and we are all connected.
St-Laurent Academy’s Macoun Marsh Outdoor Classroom: Open to Public All Summer
At St-Laurent Academy, we are committed to the benefits of environmental learning. Our Macoun Marsh Project has hosted youth delegations from across the globe and is used as a centre for conservation, geological, taxonomic, and meteorological studies.
Our Macoun Marsh Outdoor Classroom is open to the public all summer long! Macoun Marsh is home to a wide variety of species, including chickadees, painted turtles, and blue spotted salamanders. The Macoun Marsh allows children and youth to discover species in their natural habitat, encouraging a deeper understanding and respect for biodiversity and environmental stewardship. Learn more about what St-Laurent Academy has to offer!