Have you or your child ever been camping? If not, this is the blog for you!
Room 11 is finishing up their “Camping” week theme. We spent the week inside a tent (which has been the most fun for these kiddos), playing with flashlights, making s’mores in a solar oven and went on a bear hunt and picnic with our teddy bears!
Our Tent: As a class we set up our tent together. The kids were super excited to “help” me lay the tent out on the ground, put the poles together (we noticed it was in the shape of the letter x) and slide each of the tent poles through the tent. The best part was watching the tent take shape! We spent our mornings taking turns in and out of the tent. The kids were invited to play and create inside. The kids were allowed to take different toys in and out of the tent during morning playtime and I noticed that they found “new” ways to incorporate their play with their toys. As a special reward, all of the children were able to spend one “rest time” in the tent (and yes, everyone napped!).
Flashlights: We have a class set of flashlights that come out during special occasions. We talked about how helpful flashlights can be when camping, especially when in the dark. Flashlights help us see where to go in the dark! Flashlights are fun for kiddos to use because they are a tool that they aren’t often tasked with using. We used the flashlights to create shadows, read and tell stories and build and play with Magnatiles. By incorporating one new item (flashlights) into our preexisting play (with toys we use regularly), the children found new ways to use the materials!
Bear Hunt:
One of our favorite “listening” books and music and movement songs is “Going on a Bear Hunt” written by Michael Rosen. This song (that has a book to go along with) focuses on sequencing (putting events in order) through rhyme. This book allows children to use their imagination through movement (the kids are encouraged to “move” through tall grass, a deep river, and a dark cave) and encourages children to be “brave”. After our bear hunt, we had a picnic with our own teddy bears!
Check the YouTube link below to go on a bear hunt at home.
If you haven’t been “actual” camping as a family yet, perhaps an idea to try is backyard or inside tent camping. Wherever your family camps, have fun together!
Happy Camping!
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