This document summarizes activities that children engage in during nature courtyard time at Gan Katan. [1] Children collect beans, pasta, and other materials to create designs on the ground. [2] They sort leaves and plants, make observational drawings, and go on scavenger hunts to find and count different items. [3] Other activities include exploring water, bubbles, clay, dirt, clouds, seeds, and harvesting vegetables from the garden. The courtyard provides opportunities for sensory exploration, creative expression, cooperative group work, and developing respect for nature.

1. GAN KATAN
A WALK THROUGH THE COURTYARD

2. WORKING WITH LEAVES AND BEANS
TO CREATE PICTURES
• Children are given the opportunity to gather,
collect, and use sorted beans and dried pasta in
the courtyard for creating individual designs

3. SORTING AND CREATING
Choosing materials and Drawing our designs with
making designs paper and clip boards

4. SELECTING MATERIALS
Planning Concentrating

5. SORTING AND CREATING WITH
DEIDRE’S GUIDANCE
(Focused work) – we are quiet and pensive in our small group

6. WORKING TOGETHER TO DESIGN AND
CREATE
Alexander is working and Roxie,
Kaden, and Johnny are observing

7. OBSERVATIONAL DRAWINGS OF
LEAVES AND PLANTS
Leaf drawing on the Observing drawings with
clipboard Deidre

8. EXAMINING LEAVES AND OUR
DRAWINGS ON THE CLIPBOARDS
Jacob and Yan are looking Five different leaf designs on
at the tomato leaves the table

9. FIND IT AND COUNT IT
Each child has a clipboard with pictures of different
items in the courtyard. The children are locating items
and counting them

10. THE SEARCH IS ON AND WE ARE ALL
FINDING AND COUNTING DIFFERENT ITEMS

11. THE WATER BOOK

12. WATER TABLE EXPLORATION AND
PAINTING WITH WATER
Children are exploring at the water
table and painting with water and
brushes outside on a warm day

13. EXPLORATIONS WITH WATER
We are using tubes, funnels, brushes, cups and bottles

14. BUBBLES –DISCOVERING THE WONDER
OF MIXING WATER AND BUBBLES

15. WE PUT OUR HANDS INTO THE WATER
AND RUB THE BUBBLES TOGETHER

16. MORE BUBBLES AND WATER….

17. CLEANING THE WINDOWS AND DOORS
OF THE SCHOOL
Soapy Water and Brushes Soapy Water and Squeegies

18. WE WORK IN PAIRS WITH DIFFERENT
TOOLS TO WASH AND CLEAN

19. ADVENTURES WITH CLAY
Looking … Touching …

20. CREATING A MASTERPIECE

21. ORIGINAL ART WITH CLAY ON
PLEXIGLASS

22. GETTING OUR HANDS IN THE DIRT

23. GETTING OUR HANDS IN THE “WET”
DIRT
Negotiating…

24. OBSERVING CLOUDS
A Cloud Walk

25. OBSERVING CLOUDS OUTSIDE IN
NATURE
Types of Clouds: Cumulus, Cirrus, Stratus

26. OBSERVING CLOUDS FROM THE
CLASSROOM WINDOW
Our City
Extension of observations in GK1

27. SEEDS AND PLANTS
Looking at “A Seed is Sleepy” book with Deidre

28. OUR HARVESTED CORN AND
SUNFLOWER SEED STALK
Corn Sunflower stalk

29. HARVESTING TOMATOES, SEEDS, AND
FRUITS FROM OUR COURTYARD

30. HARVESTING BEANS FROM SEED PODS
Quiet and thoughtful work

31. BRINGING THE COURTYARD INTO THE
CLASSROOM WITH THE SEED BOOK AND
SEED PODS
We are extending our work in the courtyard
into the classroom with observational
drawings

32. OBSERVATIONAL DRAWINGS IN CLASS
FROM THE SEED BOOK

33. “A SEED IS SLEEPY” BOOK BECOMES A
PART OF THE CLASSROOM
We are observing the pictures and drawing what we see

34. THE SEED POD AND BRANCHES TABLE IN
GK2 – WE USE MAGNIFYING GLASSES TO
LOOK AND PENCILS TO CREATE

35. FINISHED SEED AND BRANCHES
PICTURES AND SAMPLE BOOK PAGES

36. INDEPENDENT COURTYARD EXPLORATIONS
Using multiple senses to discover leaves

37. PURPLE SPARKLE SAND – SENSORY
TABLE

38. SAND TABLE AND ROCK TABLE FOR
EXPLORATION
Sensory exploration with sand and rocks

39. FRIENDS WORK TOGETHER AT THE
SAND TABLE

40. ALL GAN KATAN CLASSES GO IN NEW
MIXED GROUPINGS FOR COURTYARD
Children now have opportunities to work
together with friends from other classrooms

41. FINISHED CAMPSITE CREATION BY BROOKS, RILEY, HERSCHEL,
AND ZACH
A WORK OF ART IN THE COURTYARD

42. FRIENDS IN THE COURTYARD
• Quiet and Happy • Laughing and Silly

43. WHAT THE CHILDREN ARE LEARNING
Respect for nature and science
Math and counting – number correspondence
Social interactions and working in groups
Artistic and creative expression
Sorting and categorizing items
Observational skills
Sensory exploration in dirt, water, clay, sand
Following directions
Quiet and respectful work time - Patience
Cooperation in structured experiences
Fine and gross motor skill development
Concept of seasons and time
Gardening skills

44. A SPECIAL THANKS TO DEIDRE FOR ALL OF THE CREATIVE
LEARNING AND EXPLORATION THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE
NATURE COURTYARD EVERY WEEK!