Review the video: Virtual Child Care Center TourLinks to an external site.. Click on “Let’s Go,” turn the volume on your computer off, and take time to view each age level setting (Infant Classroom, T

Engaging Environments

Module 3: Infusing Nature into an Early Childhood Setting

Indirect and Direct Natural Elements Assessment and Budget Recommendations

Part 1: Observing and Assessing Indirect and Direct Natural Elements

Based on what you have learned from the Learning Resources in this module, use the chart below to indicate which age-level setting you are evaluating, then record your observations and assessment of the direct and indirect natural elements in the indoor setting and the Outdoor Plan environment. Ask yourself such questions as: What are the natural elements in this setting? Could there be more? How much plastic is there in the setting? Could some of the plastic items be replaced by natural items? If so, how?

Environment Age Level:	Elements List and describe, objectively, the natural elements you observe in the environments.	Assessment Notes Address the questions above as well as offer your summary of how/whether the environments – indoors and outdoors- provide children with connectedness to nature.
Indoors	Indirect
Direct
Outdoors	Indirect
Direct

Part 2: Infusing Natural Elements

Exciting news! You have been given a budget that must be used to infuse direct and/or indirect natural elements into this early childhood environment. Use the chart to identify at least 4 items for each price range that you would choose to help infuse nature into indoor and outdoor settings.

Budget: $0	Description	Direct or Indirect Element	Rationale for choosing this item
Indoor Environment
Title of item:
Title of item:
Outdoor Environment
Title of item:
Title of item:
Budget: $100 (approximately)	Description	Direct or Indirect Element	Rationale for choosing this item
Indoor Environment
Title of item:
Title of item:
Outdoor Environment
Title of item:
Title of item:
Budget: $1,000 (approximately)	Description	Direct or Indirect Element	Rationale for choosing this item
Indoor Environment
Title of item:
Title of item:
Outdoor Environment
Title of item:
Title of item:

As stated in “Natural Environments” (State Government of Victoria, 2013), it “is not enough for children to look at trees and plants in children’s services, they must be able to actively explore, engage with, and experience different types of natural environments. This means allowing children to touch and interact with the natural environment in their everyday play. Features that enable children to explore and experience the natural environment A natural environment in a children’s service is an environment which includes natural elements...

gardens where children can grow their own plants
sandpits for sensory, symbolic and physical play
digging patches where children can use garden equipment
a range of planting to encourage a variety of modes of play such as playing with gum nuts, small branches, flowers, stones and bark
small pits of pebbles, gravel, coarse sand and smooth river rocks for fine motor and imaginative play
plants for smelling and picking
plants that encourage birds, butterflies and other insects
trees which provide shade
worm farms and compost areas for environmental education
water play areas for sensory play.”

Resources

To help you decide possible direct and/or indirect natural elements you would like to use to infuse natural elements into your Field Experience setting, consider consulting the following:

Department of Education and Training. (2013). Natural environments. State Government of Victoria. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/regulation/pracnotesnaturalenv.pdf
Kaplan Early Learning Company. (n.d.). Using natural elements in classroom design.

https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/using-natural-elements-in-classroom-design

Note: This site may have other natural items in other categories.

Nature Explore Program. (n.d.). Natural outdoor classroom products.

https://natureexplore.org/natural-outdoor-classroom-products/

Natural Playgrounds Shop. (2020). https://naturalplaygroundsstore.com/