Making a Nature Viewing Window is a simple way for your children to take a closer look at nature. Fold a piece of paper in half and cut out a shape (in the pictures below everyone chose a rectangle, but you can cut out any shape), leaving a border to create a frame.
Place the frame in locations around the preschool playground and then take a closer look at everything inside the frame. What do the children see? Leaves, bugs, sticks, rocks, mulch, ants, spiders, acorns, dirt, sand, holes?
Do the children think of any different places to put the frame? How about instead of putting it on the ground and looking down, you put it in a tree, and look up. What do you see now? Clouds, grass, a fence, the building? Does everyone see the same things now that the frame is up in the air? Do you see something different if you crouch down vs. if you stand tall?
Try putting the frame on something with small details like a stump with many rings. Use a magnifying glass to really get a good look. See how many rings you and the children can count!
When the group comes back together, make a list of everything that was seen through the Nature Viewing Window. Our natural playground ideas involve taking a closer look at something you might not have noticed before.
