Let Them Lead

Today we headed out for a short walk to enjoy this beautiful weather. We took this opportunity to let the kids lead & they had a blast and felt a sense of control and ownership.

We let them stop where they wanted and this lead to wonderful opportunities to see what they noticed and were interested in. After a few minutes we asked some questions about what they saw and this lead to some good discussion. (Today that included topics like seeds floating, water movement, beaver dams, leaves changing colors, etc.). A great phrase to ask is “What do you notice & what do you wonder?”

On our way back we stopped again and A asked if she could draw for a minute. This was an easy Yes. She initiated it, found a stick, dipped it in water, and then drew on some big rocks. What an easy & quick way to encourage art and appreciation of nature.

This is now a great chance to find any books (library, YouTube read aloud, etc), and other resources of topics they were interested in. This helps expand their learning and vocabulary of topics they have chosen. The more sense of control the kids have, the more buy in they will have.

In a world were most of the days are spent telling kids what to do & when to do it, giving them a chance to be in control will lead to wonderful outcomes.

Until next time, take a chance and let them lead.

#otwlearning #playislearning #comelearnwithus #noticeandwonder