For this year’s “Start Small Dream Big” project with the theme “Our Family, Our Community“, Children from Toddler to Kindergarten 2 were involved to different activities where they had the opportunities to express their love and care for their environment. Through this project, we aim to impart to our little explorers the good value of taking care of the environment.
The title of this project is “Little Explorers Care”, and this gave children the opportunity to explore different ways of showing care and love on the world around them.
**Toddler Class:**The main objective of this project was to increase awareness of children about water conservation. Through lesson, children discovered ways of conserving water and how we can make the most out of the water we have and cherishing them.
After lessons with the children, we collected rainwater using a pail. Then on sunny days, we used the collected rainwater to water plants instead of using tap water.
Parental Involvement :Little Explorer Cares in Conserving Water
The class learnt the importance of conserving water in school. To extend their learning this parent-child activity was being carried out to get the parents involvement in creating awareness in reinforcing the children’s learning about the importance of water at home. In this activity, the children were given an information sheet where the parents can involve their children in saving water.
After which, children still continue to save water at home and in school. This activity motivated the children to learn more about saving water and why water is so precious to everyone. We believe that “No dream is too big, and no dreamer too small”. With the guidance of their parents at home the children are more inspired to love and care to save water for our future.
<u>N1 Class:</u>
In June 2022, N1 launched our Start Small Dream Big Project “Caring For Our Environment”. Through this project, children learnt how to take care of their environment through recycling. We started the project by discussing about the recycling bins that we see around us.
The children shared that they often saw the blue recycling bins at the void deck of their HDB blocks. We then discussed what recyclables can be put into the recycling bins.
After which, we made our own recycling bins so that we can recycle the plastic, aluminium and glass items in our classroom. The children referenced the new recycling bins introduced in Singapore and coloured the bins accordingly. They used different materials such as paint and paper that they had torn by themselves to colour the bins.
The children then noticed there was a lot of recycled paper left. Using the glass, plastic and aluminium example bottles, they upcycled them by decorating them and creating shakers by sticking the torn up bits of left over paper onto the bottles.
After experiencing what it was like to recycle, the children gained an interest in the materials around them. They also often pointed out the recycling bins and recycling trucks while on their nature walks. The children enjoyed partaking in this project. By taking care of the environment, it ensure that many more people can enjoy our clean garden city in the future.
**N2 Class: **
Our centre launched the SSDB project “Our Family Our Community- Little Explorer Cares” in April. This year, N2 children focus on the topic of gardening.
Parents were invited to participate in the SSDB project during Term 2 school holiday. They were involved in making their own planter together with their child by using recycled bottle as home learning support activity. Parents discussed and designed the planter with their child at home and painted it with vibrant colours.
Some of the childcare children did their planter in the centre. They brought plastic bottles from home, washed and dried them. While the teachers helped to cut the bottles into half, children decorated them by drawing with markers. “I Love Gardening”
To promote gardening to children, children made their own planter. They brought it to school to do planting in the class after Term 2 school holiday. As our centre do not have a garden plot in the premise, the children decided to plant onion in the class.
Children showed perseverance in the process as they took turns to scoop the soil into their planter with focus and precision as it was not an easy task to transfer the soil into bottle by using a spoon. Next, the children put an onion each in the centre of their planter.
Children brought their planter out from the classroom and placed it at the corridor area for better sunlight. They also did not forget to water the plant with water.
Children were very excited when they observed their onion grew into a spring onion. They did show and tell to their friends by presenting their very own planter. At the end of the SSDB project, children harvested the spring onions and fried them with eggs as a dish for their lunch. “It is yummy!” they exclaimed.
It was mid-April when our K1 class officially launched the SSDB Project for this year. They were oriented about the topic “Caring for the Environment”. Children discussed how they can show care for the environment. This project is aligned to the MSF’s mission of nurturing strong families and a caring society in celebrating the year of SG Families, which is by doing simple things in making our surroundings clean, we are also showing care to our loved ones as well as others around us. “Little Explorer Cares: Taking Good Care of Plants”
K1 children began to show awareness of taking responsibility for the things around them. The children started by wondering whether the plants which were around the school premise, behind the school’s kitchen, were taken care of. Having understood the importance of water to plants, the children suggested helping water the plants on a daily basis. They created a daily schedule to make sure that the plants are well taken care of. Through this activity, the children exhibited a sense of responsibility in taking care of the environment that would benefit everyone.
Through this project on caring for the environment, children also learned saving water, signs and rules in public places and about the importance of recycling and how to recycle common items. During class discussions, children brainstormed about how we can reuse plastic bottles and how we can make recycling a part of our daily lives. The children proceeded to create their own planters. K2 Class:
As part of the SSDB project, the K2 children explored and discussed different types of energy. Children thought about real objects that require energy to function, bringing in items that require the battery and to be plugged into the electricity socket! As children discussed ideas, they also learnt about how energy is generated from natural resources, such as from sunlight (solar power), water (hydropower) and windmills. Children could still remember the discovery of the world lesson that was previously conducted where they investigated the difference between wind and water energy to push the bean forward. The issue of conservation was then brought up to save electricity! Thus, children created an energy conservation poster that includes simple alternatives ways to go about carrying daily tasks to reduce energy consumption.
This year’s SSDB project provided meaningful and purposeful opportunities for children to show love and care to their environenment. Little Explorers really had a great time exploring and learning different ways in making and keeping our environment safe and clean as one of their ways in showing love and care to their community. It is indeed that Little Explorers really care!
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