WILD CHILD: Climbing Rocks

This is my son Wells who is 2.5 years old and climbs absolutely everything. We love heading into the woods at Westminster Ponds because he gets to really indulge his wild ways and just be free. During our last hike he spotted a big mossy rock in the middle of all this beautiful snow and made a beeline straight for it. He started climbing it a few times but had trouble getting up so he took off his gloves to try with his bare hands. When he felt the moss he looked at me and said “wow, soft rock Mama!” He was finally able to get a good grip and make it to the top of the rock. I could tell he was so proud, giving me a big triumphant smile!

As an ECE, I see a lot going on here. Firstly, Wells is developing his gross motor skills as he attempts to climb up the rock. Secondly, he is working his cognition with some serious problem solving as he attempts to get a better grip by taking his gloves off. When he feels the rock with his bare hands he is using sensory discrimination to identify that this rock is softer than the ones he is used to. Lastly, he is using some expressive language to tell me what he is experiencing. 

As parents we can feel a lot of pressure to make sure we are giving our kids the right education but here is just a friendly reminder that play is enough! Children are little learning machines and nature is the best teacher so just get that snow suit on and head to the trees.

Written by Abby Dique, Fanshawe ECE student

This post originally appeared January 20, 2021 as part of our WILD WEDNESDAYS series.