Rainbows are pure magic for kids! They are also a most special, positive symbol for many people and can be used to express happiness, hope and the beautiful diversity among people and within our natural world. If the rainbow has special, sacred meaning to you, we honor that. As featured in our June Activity Calendar, we share this sweet way for kids to discover and create a rainbow using the colors they find in nature. If you do not yet have your free copy of the June Activity Calendar, get it here.
The Guide
Step 1: Enjoy a Story. Read a story together about rainbows (or look at photos of rainbows together). Some of our favorites stories featuring rainbows are the telling of "The Horse of a Different Color" on the Circle Round storytelling podcast and Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert.
In honor of Pride Month, we also recommend the book Rainbow: A First Book of Pride by Michael Genhart, which explains the meaning of each stripe in the Pride rainbow (a great way to make the connection between the many colors of the rainbow and the beautiful diversity within people and families).
Step 2: Invite Exploration. Wonder, "Do you think we can make a rainbow out in the yard/park/your favorite outdoor space?" Decide it's worth a try, pack a snack and head outside. You can bring pretend binoculars (or real ones), a magnifying glass or just your senses (your most important tools!).
Step 3: Hunt for Color. Once outside, look for things that your child (and you!) think are beautiful and special to behold. Look for colors that you love. Try to make a rainbow out of the objects you find in your space. Look high, low, far and near. If sight is a challenge, you can use other senses to smell, listen or feel for beauty, too.
Step 4: Create. If you like, create something using the treasures you see or gather. You may simply use a phone or other device with a camera to take photos of what you find beautiful—a lovely way to make memories and leave no trace. You can also use contact paper or double-sided tape on sturdy paper to make a beautiful collage, nature crown or sun catcher. Use cardboard and rubber bands to weave your nature treasures. Rub the colorful treasures you collect on light colored stone, paper or fabric to make art as well.
Step 5: Share and give. Make a difference in someone's day by sharing the images or actual creations with that person. Let them know that you were thinking of them and that you hope these colorful treasures or rainbow creation from nature fills their bucket with happiness. Include a wish, too, for them to have a great day, a happy spring or whatever pops into your child's mind. Wonder with kids who might really enjoy (or even need) a boost. Ask kids, "How do you think this will make them feel?" and then enjoy every bit of giving and finding out.
Share your rainbows with us by tagging @tinkergarten, too! We'd love to celebrate hope, love and the beautiful diversity of nature with you!
Why is this activity great for kids?
Searching for colors of the rainbow in nature easily inspires kids to remember and experience, first hand, how colorful and beautiful our natural world really is. Noticing the variety of colors in nature is also a great jumping off point to talk with kids about the beautiful diversity in our world. Searching for colorful, beautiful objects also gives kids' sensory systems a perfect workout! Then, when we share whatever we discover or create with someone, we spread joy and take part in a genuine act of kindness. That practice of thinking of someone else and caring for them through such acts supports strong empathy development, too (and it just feels so good!).
What do we mean by developing the ability to Make Connections?
By making connections, we mean the ability to take something new and understand how it is similar to, related to, or different from other things. In addition, it is understanding how those relationships change in different situations. This is sophisticated stuff, and young children are not able to make these connections with abstract ideas. However, the more young kids learn to sort, categorize and identify how objects are similar or different, the better they build the foundational skills for making connections down the road.
Why does it matter?
In order to recognize themes when reading, or build a sense of how numbers work, one needs to understand how one thing relates to another and how those relationships can change in different circumstances. Information is not hard to search for these days, but understanding is always hard fought. Kids who can make connections can make real sense of, build on and apply what they are taught in school. It's also the kids (and adults) who can see the unusual connections between things who can think and act creatively. It's not surprising that making connections is one of the seven skills professor, author and child development expert Ellen Galinskyadvocates as essential for today's children in her book, Mind in the Making.
Naturalist
Category:
Thinking Skills
What is a Naturalist?
The oldest and simplest definition, “student of plants and animals,” dates back to 1600. The term has evolved over time, it's importance changing as the values of dominant culture have changed. 400 years after that old definition, Howard Gardner, the paradigm-shifting education theorist, added “naturalist” to his list of “multiple intelligences.” Gardner challenged the notion that intelligence is a single entity that results from a single capability. Instead, he recognizes eight types of intelligence, all of which enable individuals to think, solve problems or to create things of value. To Gardner, the Naturalist intelligence enables human beings to recognize, categorize and draw upon certain features of the environment.
A true naturalist has not simply Googled and learned the names of plants, animals, rocks, etc. Rather, he or she has had direct experience with them, coming to know about them and using all senses to develop this intelligence. A naturalist also has a reverence for nature, valuing and caring for living things from the smallest mite to the tallest tree. A naturalist comes to not only knowing the creatures and features of his or her environment, but treasuring them in thought and action.
Why does it matter?
In the process of becoming a naturalist, children become stewards of nature, a connection that is associated with a range of benefits, including greater emotional well-being, physical health and sensory development (not to mention the benefits to nature itself!). In a world in which primary experience of nature is being replaced by the limited, directed stimulation of electronic media, kids senses are being dulled and many believe their depth of both their interest in and capacity to understand complicated phenomena are being eroded. To contrast, the naturalist learns about the key features of their natural environment by using all of his senses and be interpreting open-ended and ever-changing stimuli.
Sensory
Category:
Body Skills
What is Sensory Development?
Although some scientists classify as many as 20 senses, when childhood educators talk about "developing the senses," we typically mean developing the five standard senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. In addition to honing these senses, educators care about sensory integration, which is the ability to take in, sort out, process and make use of information gathered from the world around us via the senses.
Why does it matter?
The better kids are able to tune and integrate their senses, the more they can learn. First, if their senses are sharper, the information kids can gather should be of greater quantity and quality, making their understanding of the world more sophisticated. Further, until the lower levels of the brain can efficiently and accurately sort out information gathered through the senses, the higher levels cannot begin to develop thinking and organization skills kids need to succeed. Senses also have a powerful connection to memory. Children (and adults) often retain new learning when the senses are an active part of the learning.
So, if kids have more sensory experiences, they will learn more, retain better and be better able to think at a higher level. Makes the days they get all wet and dirty in the sandbox seem better, doesn't it?
Empathy
Category:
Social Skills
What is Empathy?
Simply put, empathy is the ability to think and care about the feelings and needs of others. The good news is, the more we study, it appears that children are empathetic by nature. All we need to do is nurture it in them—that of course is now always easy. Even though young children are simply working on gaining control over their emotions and won’t learn to really think about their emotions and the cause and effect of their behavior on others until their school years, they can start to develop the foundation for empathy much earlier. Taking actions (and watching adults take actions) that benefit other people, caring for animals and their environment and even just wondering how other people or creatures are feeling helps build both positive habits and a strong base for the development of empathy.
Why does it matter?
Empathy is at the root of what psychologists call “pro-social” behavior—behavior that people must develop in order to develop a conscience, build close relationships, maintain friendships, and develop strong communities. Empathy also helps kids avoid bullying, one of the most worrisome social challenges young kids face. Being able to think and feel for others can keep kids from becoming either bully or victim and equip them to stand up for others who are bullied. Imagine if all kids had such tools!
Age: 0 to 8+
Time: 1 hour+
Materials: colorful objects from nature
