Michael picked up a stick and waved it in the air. He walked around the frame of the child-sized bird nest and promptly tossed it in. He then ran back to the pile of sticks, struggled to lift one that was over twice his height, and began swinging it in the air. When asked what he was doing, Michael didn't respond verbally, but instead looked around and pointed to something using the stick he was carrying. He was entranced by the natural beauty surrounding him and, even though he wasn't more than a year old, found a way to communicate his interest in the natural world around him without verbalizing his thoughts.
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| Building a bird's nest in the Be Great, Migrate! play habitat |
Just prior to his interest in nest building, Michael had crawled under nets, leaped over string "power lines", and acted like a bird with his two older brothers. He was able to interact with and investigate the play habitat freely. It was amazing to see how quickly he and the other children became interested in the bird themed play area and actually played the role of birds on a migratory journey toward warmer weather in the south. Michael, in particular, proved that age is no obstacle when playing in and connecting with nature.
Assir Abushouk, Stephanie Rustem, and Debi Sabo
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