Members of Lethbridge Plays have been working together to offer Nature Play Pop-Ups throughout the summer and fall at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre.
These programs provide children with a chance to build, create and explore with loose parts. Loose parts are materials with no specific set of directions. They can be used alone or combined with other materials. A great example of a loose part is a cardboard box.
The Nature Centre hosted Nature Play Pop-Ups throughout July and August. The YMCA and Building Brains Together joined in facilitating the programs.
“Over the summer, more than 680 people participated in the Nature Play Pop-Ups,” says Jessica Deacon-Rogers with the Nature Centre. “It was exciting to watch people of all ages play in different ways with loose parts. We enjoyed asking kids to tell us what they were creating. A wooden crate and two boards became an airplane heading to South America. A bucket full of water and woodchips was the perfect mix for soup.”
Play is extremely important for people of all ages. Open-ended materials in outdoor environments, offer children unique play opportunities that build their curiosity and life experiences. Exposure to loose parts contributes to flexible and divergent thinking, while supporting exploration of new ideas, perspectives and skills necessary for later in life.
In September and October, Nature Play Pop-Ups will take place every Friday. They’re offered in partnership with the YMCA, Lethbridge School Division – Early Learning and the Nature Centre. The outdoor programs take place in front of the Nature Centre.
A full schedule is available on the Nature Centre’s website nature.lethbridge.ca/playpopup.
