lruggier
03-06-2011, 05:09 PM
Hi folks,
I work with 2yr olds in a nursery near Tavistock. The children are based primarily outside, spending a great deal of time in and around the 10 acres of the nursery. In our 2 yr old group we help to prepare them for the forest school that they move on to when they are 3. They have a 'camp' back near the nursery school building where we can get shelter and they can paint, play with construction materials, role play 'house' 'shop' etc.
The reason I am telling you all of this is I am starting to realise just how skilled you guys are, and how much you have that you can pass on to others. It made me think that maybe you could give me some ideas, or even help to make a few things for the children while you are busy with your bushcraft tools. We are trying to avoid using any plastic toys at all - so we need to make all wood construction blocks, best of all still with bark on them. We also need plates, bowls and spoons etc. for home play, small world toys like animals and cars, buildings etc, hoops for throwing games, and anything else you think a 2yr old would enjoy.
It would mean a lot if we can talk to the children about how these things were made, to help them to understand that these items should be treated with care - so important in a world where everything has become disposable and worthless and children have no knowledge of where things come from. They are given the opportunity to use simple tools already and make items from natural resources, so they will be very interested in seeing other crafts to aspire to one day.
So can anyone help with advice, offcuts of timber cut into construction block size, wooden implements and plates etc (just a circle of trunk makes a great toy plate), child size furniture, lashing with cordage, diffeernt woods they can identify.....and of course photos of who made them and names,and video or photos of the process, for our display boards and for the children to be able to relate the item to a person.
Our nursery near Tavistock is used by many students to gain experience of outdoor environmental learning and we are in a position to pass on the message about the role of crafts and traditional materials.
Maybe a bit of a project for a weekend meet?
Many, many thanks
Lucy
I work with 2yr olds in a nursery near Tavistock. The children are based primarily outside, spending a great deal of time in and around the 10 acres of the nursery. In our 2 yr old group we help to prepare them for the forest school that they move on to when they are 3. They have a 'camp' back near the nursery school building where we can get shelter and they can paint, play with construction materials, role play 'house' 'shop' etc.
The reason I am telling you all of this is I am starting to realise just how skilled you guys are, and how much you have that you can pass on to others. It made me think that maybe you could give me some ideas, or even help to make a few things for the children while you are busy with your bushcraft tools. We are trying to avoid using any plastic toys at all - so we need to make all wood construction blocks, best of all still with bark on them. We also need plates, bowls and spoons etc. for home play, small world toys like animals and cars, buildings etc, hoops for throwing games, and anything else you think a 2yr old would enjoy.
It would mean a lot if we can talk to the children about how these things were made, to help them to understand that these items should be treated with care - so important in a world where everything has become disposable and worthless and children have no knowledge of where things come from. They are given the opportunity to use simple tools already and make items from natural resources, so they will be very interested in seeing other crafts to aspire to one day.
So can anyone help with advice, offcuts of timber cut into construction block size, wooden implements and plates etc (just a circle of trunk makes a great toy plate), child size furniture, lashing with cordage, diffeernt woods they can identify.....and of course photos of who made them and names,and video or photos of the process, for our display boards and for the children to be able to relate the item to a person.
Our nursery near Tavistock is used by many students to gain experience of outdoor environmental learning and we are in a position to pass on the message about the role of crafts and traditional materials.
Maybe a bit of a project for a weekend meet?
Many, many thanks
Lucy