In today’s digital age, it’s easy for children to get lost in the virtual world. However, spending time in Nature offers numerous benefits for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being & development. Here are some tips to inspire your young ones to explore & connect with Nature:
1. Backyard Adventures:
- Create a Nature Corner: Set up a small space in your backyard or your apartment balcony corner with bird feeders, a butterfly garden, and a small pond.
- Have a Picnic: Enjoy a meal outdoors and take the opportunity to observe Nature’s wonders. Maybe sit down with them in the grass or perhaps under a tree(s).
- Plant/build a Garden: Involve your children in planting seeds, watering, and watching them grow – a small one in your apartment is great, too, for them and you.
2. Explore Local Parks and Trails:
- Go on a Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of natural objects to find, such as different types of leaves rocks, or identify insects.
- Consider going on a Nature Walk: Encourage your child to use their senses to explore the sights, sounds, smells, colors, and textures of Nature.
- Participate in Outdoor Activities: Join local nature clubs or organizations that offer family-friendly activities like hiking, camping, or bird-watching.
We may not always realize that there are quite a few nature parks and decent gardens in Gurgaon, besides the lovely ones in the Delhi areas or NCR neighborhoods – explore!
3. Indoor Nature Activities:
- Bring Nature Indoors: Collect natural objects like leaves, flowers, and rocks to display in a vase or jar.
- Pebbles collection is a great hobby to consider. Locating a few from different areas you visit of various colors and contours and maybe joining hands with your child to develop a unique “pebbles corner” in your home is also great. And then perhaps follow through and do some pebbles painting?
- Read Nature-Themed Books: Share stories about animals, plants, and the environment.
- Create Nature-Inspired Art: Encourage your child to draw, paint, or sculpt inspired by Nature. Visit the National Museum of Natural History @ Tansen Marg, New Delhi, on a winter weekend with your child/family – great learning & fun. The Railway Museum and the National Gallery of Modern Art – both in Delhi – are other good options, as many others.
Tips for a Successful Nature Experience:
- Start Small: Begin with short, frequent nature outings to build interest.
- Ask Questions: Spark curiosity by asking questions about the natural world.
- Be Patient: Allow your child to explore at their own pace.
- Set a Good Example: Show your enthusiasm for Nature.
By spending time in Nature, children can develop a lifelong appreciation for the environment and a sense of wonder about the world around them.
ANY SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES OR TIPS TAILORED FOR YOUNGER KIDS?
Nature offers a world of wonder and excitement for young children. Here are some simple and fun ways to introduce them to the outdoors:
Outdoor Adventures for the Little Ones:
- Sensory Play:
- Create a sensory bin @ home – filled with natural materials like leaves, pine needles, or soil. It’s amazing learning & development for your younger ones.
- Let them explore with their hands and feet, feeling different textures. Playing with some mud is ok, as long as you supervise that they don’t eat the same.
- Water Play:
- Fill a small pool or basin with water and add natural elements like rocks, sticks, or plants.
- Let them splash, pour, and experiment.
- Walk in the rain with your child, and of course, dry upon returning home.
- Nature Walks:
- Take short walks in your neighborhood park or backyard.
- Point out birds, flowers, and insects. Keep talking with them as you do these – as they are listening & their brains are developing language skills too. At the Sixth Element school @ Tata Primanti – we have a fascinating “interactive bird wall’ where you can activate the QR code on the wall next to each painted bird on the wall – to listen to the real sounds of the respective birds – consider checking out our unique Bird wall – by scheduling a free visit with your child, with our front office – post school hours (afternoons usually or on a Saturday when the school is not overflowing with our bright & bubbly kids).
- Please encourage them to listen to the sounds of nature. Perhaps sit by some flowing water – and talk.
- Gardening:
- Plant seeds in small pots or a garden bed.
- Water the plants and watch them grow.
- Picnics:
- Pack a simple picnic and enjoy a meal outdoors. Maybe go with a friend or two – with kids. A Fresbee or some very simple play games – including just a simple tennis ball – for throwing & catching, or a small football is great to consider.
- Bring/build a nature journal to draw or write about their observations. Let your child show off or talk about it with others – their nature drawings or their nature collections.
- Check out this video on the effectiveness of plants in cleaning AIR: https://youtu.be/3l8G2ZViF9A?si=yxQtFSiSpVVWHqxi.
ANY PRACTICAL TIPS ON NATURE ADVENTURES IN GURUGRAM?
Here are some local spots perfect for family outings:
Local Parks and Green Spaces:
- Leisure Valley Park: A sprawling green space with walking paths, trees, gardens, and a lake. Perfect for picnics, cycling, and bird-watching. This is near our Southcity1 campus -and is very easily accessible from sector 31, sector 40, etc. – with easy & free parking too.
- Sultanpur National Park: A birdwatcher’s paradise, this park is home to a diverse range of migratory birds.
- Aravali Biodiversity Park: A serene park with lush greenery, walking trails, and a variety of flora and fauna.
Outdoor Activities:
- Rock Climbing: Explore the Aravali Hills with guided rock climbing sessions.
- Camping: Organize a family camping trip at one of the many campsites near Gurugram, such as Damdama Lake.
These are easier to locate and reach from our Tata Primanti, sector 72 campus – and if you stay in the neighborhoods of sector70 sector 71, sector 48, Sohna Road.
Educational Outings:
- Nature Walks: Join guided nature walks to learn about local flora and fauna. The Badshahpur corridor – right next to Tatvam villas, is a great option to consider.
- Workshops and Camps: Participate in nature-themed workshops and camps organized by local environmental organizations.
Tips for a Memorable Nature Experience:
- Pack a picnic: Enjoy a meal outdoors and bond with your family.
- Bring a camera: Capture beautiful moments and memories.
- Dress comfortably: Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water, especially during outdoor activities.
- Respect nature: Avoid littering and disturbing wildlife.
By incorporating these local activities into your family’s routine, you can foster a love for nature and create lasting memories.
Travel, by the way, is a great learning method … not just in school classrooms.
What are your thoughts on creating a green, eco-friendly, plant-led environment at home or leveraging nature into your family?
Do share your experiences and insights in the comments below.
The Sixth Element School is a green school that encourages all of the above.
Why – the Sixth Element?
Very simply, the Sixth Element was a phrase coined by the school founders 20 years back to illustrate igniting the joy of learning – so important for children’s development – as we nurture and get them ready for the future.
How to Foster a Well-Rounded Child?
While there is lots of operating structure and detailed SOPs in the school’s daily /weekly/monthly/annual – schedules – “how” the same is executed is unique – i.e., the Sixth element way of incorporating co-curricular & scientific & artistic activities, project work, etc. – leading to children enjoy learning & look forward to coming to school each day (and interestingly they do miss school on holidays 😊 ! )
Some examples of what’s done to instill values & character building:
- Instill values: Understanding differences between right and wrong is discussed in its many facets, often also debating environmental issues, volunteering for community activities, clean-ups, and respecting all living beings.
- Values as a Compass: Values are the moral principles that guide our actions. The Cambridge International Curriculum, with its emphasis on global citizenship and community service, fosters values like respect, empathy, and responsibility.
- Embrace sustainability: Reduce waste, conserve energy, and grow your food together. Encouraging minimalism (BTW, we are a uniform school), upcycling, gardening, and exploring green technologies like rainwater harvesting, recycling, etc.
- Building Confidence: The curriculum’s focus on individual & team achievement (over experiential projects in small groups) and overcoming difficulties – and making progress, encouraged by the teacher, helps build self-esteem. By setting and achieving goals, students develop a strong sense of confidence and resilience.
- Life Skills for Real World: The curriculum’s focus on independent learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving equips students with essential life skills. These skills are invaluable in navigating challenges and opportunities- building confidence.
THE SIXTH ELEMENT School’s commitment to sustainability?
At the Sixth Element, we believe that education should go beyond classrooms. Our green, airy, spacious campuses are a living laboratory where children learn experimentally about sustainable practices. From solar panels to rainwater harvesting, recycling & near no plastics usage.
Our curriculum integrates sustainability into every subject, fostering a deep appreciation for nature, science, commerce & the arts – while instilling a desire to protect our planet.
By igniting the joy of learning and nurturing curiosity, confidence, values, and environmental consciousness – we empower children to become not only successful individuals but equally responsible members of society and global citizens.
Does a unique International Curriculum School like the Sixth Element help?
A progressive, holistic school following Cambridge International Curriculum significantly contributes to lots of experiential learning and project-based work.
The Sixth Element School: Where Cambridge International meets India- in an exclusive, low-density, impactful format
The reason why we chose the Cambridge International curriculum is that the blend of teacher-directed as well as learner-self-driven learning & research seems to be relevant for aspirational kids from Indian families, keen on preparing their kids to be global citizens of the future – whether based in India or overseas.
Is the Sixth Element School duly registered with Cambridge International?
Yes, The Sixth Element School – is duly registered as one of over 10,000 schools globally – as a Cambridge International school with a global registration number IA 892
Are you keen to see what a unique school like The Sixth Element School offers? Schedule a visit and see for yourself why it could be the perfect launchpad for your child’s bright, global future!
We started the first sixth element school 20 years back in 2004 @ Gurgaon.
Our schools & afternoon extended school & afternoon ‘activities enriched’ daycare centers are unique, exclusive, compact neighborhood green campuses – where a lot of outdoor activities & experiential learning (physical – not digital) take place with children on most days.
Our unique Smaller campus – with only two sections per class grade – and very limited children on campus allow us to focus on each child’s growth & development properly.
We are proud of our high-quality, committed teachers – the very backbone of any good learning environment.
We raise well-rounded, future-ready individuals who are prepared to face the challenges of the world with confidence and integrity, using the right methods and practices. As an example, our foundational fitness program, delivered in partnership with Fit Kids, our gym, our green playgrounds, and great coaches, gives our school kids a great foundational fitness start.
A good understanding and partnership between parents and schools are key to nurturing the future leaders of Gurugram, our great nation, and our planet.
THE SIXTH ELEMENT SCHOOL WE BELIEVE IN THE IMPORTANCE OF CATALYSING & ENSURING “THE SIXTH ELEMENT – i.e. THE JOY OF LEARNING ” FOR EVERY CHILD. OUR CURRICULUM IS BENCHMARKED WITH THE BEST INTERNATIONALLY WHILE DRAWING FROM OUR VERY OWN CORE ANCIENT INDIAN BEST PRACTICES SUCH AS THE GURU SHISHYA PARAMPARA) & VALUES. THANKS TO ITS 20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND ITS CORE CHILD DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES DRAWN FROM PIAGET, VYGOSTKY, AND BRUNER – WHICH IS INCIDENTALLY THE RESOURCE POOL – FOR THE FOUNDATIONAL YEARS SCHOOL CURRICULUM OF THE UPGRADED NEW EDUCATION (NEP) UNDER ROLLOUT IN INDIA NOW.
So, in line with some of India’s top and globally the very best, we are now a unique 100% Cambridge International School.
www.sixthelment.edu.in
the Sixth Element School
the schoolchildren love
SOUTH CITY 1. TATA PRIMANTI (sector 72)
85272-74695 or 97736-32626
since 2004(20 years)
Limited enrollment is available in pre-NURSERY, NURSERY, KG & DAYCARE, and grade 1 in our prenursery to K12 school programs.
@ Gurgaon’s only single-section “exclusive” boutique VENTILATED, AIRY, SPACIOUS. GREEN SCHOOL CAMPUSES