We all depend on Nature

• Key idea: We need nature – e.g. learning how the natural environment provides resources for food, clothes, houses, etc. (UC2.3)

Emergent learning:

Emergent learning involves the children learning through ‘doing’, so here we can involve them in using natural ingredients to make food and natural materials to make items of clothing and model buildings.   The topic provides a good excuse to tell (or have the children tell you) the popular story of the ‘Three Little Piggies’, but then to draw upon their own collections of stones, sticks and straw, stacking them up (as model houses) to test them for strength and stability.  We can make the connections with clothing and natural materials  through simple weaving and threading activities, and we can make natural dye’s with them.  Our next recommended story book includes child-friendly recipe ideas for different foods.

Activity recommendation:

We can also create thread with the children, a little raw fleece can be collected from a fence or hedgerow on a country walk (or purchased). We can show them how a drop spindle works, and how traditional spinning wheels did the job better.

See also: https://www.instructables.com/spinning-yarn/
https://joyofhandspinning.com/how-to-make-a-drop-spindle/
https://youtu.be/3h3DePzT1Bo?si=ckdqX5i1SdJilGWL

Book recommendation:

Recommendation reason: