WILD Wednesday: Balancing on logs

This past week we headed to Dingman Creek Conservation Area to explore in the snow and the kids had a blast. It was India who first spotted this excellent balancing log. She pulled on her brother’s arm and said: “Wells, let’s try to make it to the top!” Wells needed a little bit of help from his sister to get up, and then they shimmied their way up the log until they inevitably slid off into the snow.

So much wonderful learning going on here. As India was helping her brother onto the log, she was developing her social domain, specifically her helping skills. This activity was also great for emotional development, growing their self-esteem as they set a goal to reach the top and then worked towards it. Both of them were growing their gross motor skills as they climbed and balanced up the log. 

As parents, it can be hard to let our children engage in “risky play”, but this type of play is crucial for brain development and also lowers the risk of injury down the road. When our children engage in this kind of play, they start to better understand their own limits, what they are capable of, and how to react in challenging situations.

Written by Abby Dique, Fanshawe ECE Student