The outdoor world offers rich and diverse experiences that change throughout the year.
Outside, there are a lot of living things, and we can't overlook the fun that this life brings. From flowers growing, to falling leaves, the landscape is always full of different and exciting opportunities.
Children typically enjoy a sense of freedom while playing outside, and nature helps to stimulate all the senses. Fresh air and the promise of a different space make time simply melt away.
When they can play with fewer restrictions, in an ever-changing setting, your toddler may easily become absorbed in looking for new things to pop in their bowl.
They can head off on an adventure, carrying the bowl with one hand and spoon in the other, stopping here and there to put in items of interest – sometimes these might be a little scary, like when a stone is actually a beetle, and it scurries away!
As outdoors doesn’t always offer the promise of a flat surface, it’ll give your toddler a chance to try holding onto the bowl while they add to and mix their ingredients.
The ground is ever-changing and with the flow of the seasons, your toddler will be encouraged to navigate different surfaces under their feet.
This will give their hands a varied experience of trying to hold on to their tools and equipment while they wobble, slip or wade through longer grass. These spontaneous natural learning opportunities can’t be planned for, and they certainly can’t be replicated indoors.
Every season brings with it different ingredients for mixing and combining.
The joy of mixing outside is that a variety of things can be ‘made.’ Crispy leaves in autumn and sloppy mud in winter, if you’re lucky there may even be snow!
As the seasons change, your toddler’s hands and fingers will have plenty of opportunities to touch, grab and grip different textures. The natural variety makes each mixing opportunity a completely different experience from the last.
Imagine the thrill of mixing thick mud without the worry of dropping it on the floor or knowing it’s fine that the little stones and leaves they’ve found can spill out as they tip the bowl or knock it over.
With less pressure to stay clean and more time to indulge themselves in the wonderful world of nature, why wouldn’t they want to go and grab all the time they can out there?
So, when the moment takes you, put on suitable clothing and take the bowls and spoons outdoors.