"A flower is not living for it has no eyes" - Dhanika

Being the youngest member of the group, Fia pays attention to the living things around her in her own way. Outdoors, her eyes follow the movement of an ant. At another moment, she points toward it to communicate her interest to us.

Fia noticing and tracking the ant shows focused attention and curiosity about living things. She naturally observe small details in our environment and begin to make sense of the world through what catches our interest.

When she points at the ant, that is especially significant. Pointing is a form of joint attention and nonverbal communication. ​

With a bold and caring spirit in her heart, Dhanika gently offers her hand to lift the roly-poly up. She lets it linger around her fingers, whispering sweet little words as it slowly explores her hand.

When we build relationships with nature, we are not simply learning about plants, insects, mud, rain, or trees. We are learning how to belong to the world around us. Nature invites us into a relationship that is slow, sensory, intentional, and deeply alive.

When Dhanika carefully carries a tray full of planting pots, she demonstrates thoughtfulness and care. When Anthony learns to gently hold a worm, he begins to develop compassion and responsibility. When Rebecca reaches the beautiful bright red objects hanging from a tree branch, she discovers determination and curiosity. These moments may appear small, yet they shape how we see ourselves, others, and the world.

Sticks become fishing rods, castles, or magic wands. Puddles become laboratories for discovery. In these open-ended experiences, we develop creativity, problem-solving, and confidence because nature does not demand one "correct" way to play or explore. 

As we return to the same tree, garden, or outdoor space over time, we begin building familiarity and attachment. We notice seasonal changes, recognize birdsongs, remember where worms appear after rain, and care when flowers wilt. This repeated connection nurtures empathy and stewardship. We begin to understand that the earth is not separate from us; it is something we are part of and responsible for.

Nature also strengthens relationships between friends. Shared discoveries like finding worms, building a worm jar, rescuing a roly-poly create opportunities for collaboration, conversation, and collective joy. These shared experiences often become meaningful memories that deepen our social bonds.

Most importantly, nature nurtures a sense of wonder. In a world that often moves quickly, nature teaches us to pause, observe, question, and appreciate. Wonder becomes the foundation for lifelong learning because when we are curious about the world are more likely to care for it.

Having a discussion about where roly-polies live in the nature, some of us think they are under the ground, and some others of us think they are on top of the ground. We are not looking for the right answers and we are here to explore the world and our minds together. Each of us has different imaginations, and it comes out freely with our hands. 

Emily thinks roly-polies live under the ground. When she makes a house for them, she keeps her thought and is imagining it is under the ground with flowers. Her thoughts come out to the reality by using the materials with her hands. 

Imagination is so powerful and beautiful that is allows anything to be possible like flowers can live under the ground with roly-poly. It is very interesting to see how we are so flexible to go back and forth with their imagination to this real world. 

Dhanika makes a fresh room for a roly-poly placing some flowers and some berries in the house. She puts the berries for them to eat. She observes the roly-poly and finds out that they are not eating the berries. 

From her observation, it is a perfect opportunity for us to think, "Why are they not eating the berries?" and discover "What do they eat?" This observation helps us to open a new door of our wonder.

Drawing our garden becomes more than an artistic learning experience; it becomes a quiet conversation between ourselves and nature. Each line, shape, and colour reflects not only what we see, but also how we experience the living world around us. 

As we sketch the curve of a petal, Emily comes up with an idea to express her "hearty" shape of petals. Anthony pulls his green-coloured straight lines to become grass where some garden creatures choose to live as their homes. The garden slowly transforms into a shared composition. 

We ask ourselves how to carefully handle an apparatus such as a magnifying glass while examining objects. We learn to hold the magnifying glass gently by the handle and move it slowly closer to the objects we are observing. As we explore leaves, flower petals, and small classroom materials, we notice tiny details we have not seen before, such as lines, textures, and patterns.

At first, we become excited and want to move quickly from one object to another. However, with guidance and reminders to slow down and take turns, we begin to use the magnifying glass more thoughtfully and responsibly. 

Through this experience, we develop curiosity, observation skills, and respect for scientific tools. We begin to understand that tools like magnifying glasses help us explore the world more closely and discover details that are often missed with the naked eye.

We continue our further conversation when sitting around the table during our morning snack. "Do we think flowers are living or non-living things?" Emelia asks, remembering the flowers we explore together the day before. 
Dhanika smiles confidently, "They are not living."
Emelia further asks, "What makes you think so?"
"It does not have eyes," Dhanika explains.

Rebecca notices, "The flowers move side to side." So it adds up to our growing understanding that flowers are also able to move in its own way. Together, we begin comparing flowers to other living things we know about, such as people, pets, and trees.

As we talk, we begin to recognize that living things do not all look the same or move in the same ways. Some living things, like flowers and pants, stay rooted in one place yet still grow and change over time.

The conversation invites us to reflect, question, and build our understanding together. Through sharing ideas and listening to one another's perspectives, we begin developing early scientific thinking skills and a deeper curiosity about the natural world around us.

We use droppers or brushes to place watercolour onto coffee filters, watching the colours spread and blend naturally into delicate, flower-like patterns. Once dry, we try to crumple the centre part and twist to shape into blossoms.

One challenge comes when it is time to use scissors to cut the wires. However, Rebecca and Ryan listen to the suggestion to take turns stretching and cutting them. Rebecca carefully holds the wire steady while Ryan lines up the scissors and makes a slow, careful snip. Then they switch roles so each child has a chance to practice. As they work together, they begin to communicate more clearly, reminding one another to keep fingers safe and to wait patiently for a turn.

Once the wires are cut, the children twist them around the colourful coffee filter flowers they have created earlier. The soft watercolour patterns resemble blooming petals, and each flower looks slightly different because the colours blended in unique ways. 

This learning experience encourages us to strengthen fine motor skills, problem-solving, and cooperation. We learn that working patiently together helps us complete a challenging task successfully. By the end of the experience, we proudly hold up our finished flowers, excited to display our artwork for us to admire. ​

As our week comes to an end, we take a moment to think about the special people who care for us each day. With warm smiles, we wish all of our moms a very lovely and happy Mother's Day. Thank you for your endless love, care, encouragement, and support. Happy Mother's Day!

Kindest,
Children & Friends.