Use Safety while using Natural Resources to help send a useful ideas pack to parents to help them best navigate how they teach their children best practices also.
Take some of these ideas for inspiration:
Safety while using Natural Resources – Guidance for Parents
Here are a few tips your setting is using to ensure that the children are kept safe whilst using natural resources. It would be Muddy Fantastic if you could try and adopt similar strategies when you are also out and about.
Stone Babies
The greatest danger here is trapped fingers, especially with young children. Children often do not understand that weight hurts, so try this fabulous idea to keep those stones at bay.
We only use small stones but we still teach them a great method. We teach them to carry stones like babies. We pick them up gently and we carry them with two hands so the children do not drop it on their feet. Then, they place it down as if the stone baby is now asleep.
Sticky Sticks
Children love sticks! But sometimes those sticks go wafting in the sky and we are unsure of its journey as the children let their imaginations soar. So, we encourage the children to carry sticks with one thumb on top and to keep their waist height below. For some things, they do need them higher but we ensure we supervise this. Try this little rhyme to help:
“Sticks stay low they tickle our toe, if they go high, they poke you in the eye.”
Picking off the Floor
When we pick off the floor, we can never be sure what’s really there. There could be animal faeces, litter, glass or even medication. So, we always encourage the children to use their feet as a brush then their hands. If there is ever something there that they don’t like the look of they need to tell an adult.
Weather
It is always a good idea every time you step outside for a walk to check out the weather and talk about surfaces. Is it too slippery for climbing on rocks, why? Is it very hot today? What should we make sure we have with us? It’s a really great mini-science lesson but also it makes your child think about their own personal safety when out and about.
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