Let's Get Dirty in TK! by Teresa Green

Planting a beautiful flower, harvesting a fresh vegetable, baking your first mud pie, creating a magical fairy garden, and painting a kindness rock for a rock garden are experiences I hope my TK students will never forget. Play is the work of children, and outdoor play helps children grow socially by providing healthy ways to form friendships, build relationships, respond to physical interactions, and use their imaginations to collaborate and entertain each other. Outdoor play is also a catalyst for solving problems, creating solutions, and building a deep respect for nature. In the world of play, the physical environment is the third teacher in a young child's educational experience. "Let's Get Dirty in TK" brings to fruition my desire to provide outdoor imagination stations with an outdoor kitchen, picnic benches, garden planters, fairy spaces, and rock gardens, all designed to invite TK students to get dirty and be active participants in their learning environment. Who knows, it may be the springboard for developing the next master gardener, prolific storyteller, or champion baker.