Over the last few weeks we have had a few visitors to our playground. First we found a rather large spider hiding in our teepee. We managed to carefully put it in a box so we could have a good look at its very long legs and delicate body. We talked about what it might eat and where it should live. We decided it wasn't fair to keep it in the box so a small group of us released it into the bush near the community garden.
We then found a snail hanging out in the carpentry area (not the usual place you might find a snail!)
We decided to rescue him/her from its unsafe living place and then again talked about what it might eat and what a suitable home for a snail would be. The children searched the playground and gathered leaves and we watched carefully as it slithered all over them. The children asked why it wasn't eating the leaves and we talked about how they might not be the right type of leaves and how at the home we have seen snails eat things growing in vegetable gardens like lettice or cabbage. The children then had a great suggestion, maybe it would eat some apple. We luckily had some apple we were saving for the worm farm so we gave a piece to the snail which it seemed to be more interested in. After our discussions about its habitat we found a cool, damp place under some leaves in the garden and left our snail there to enjoy its apple.
As we observe and learn about all the beautiful plants and creatures that Papatuanuku (mother earth) has to offer the children develop a sense of care and responsibility over it. They are becoming Kaitiaki (Guardians) of our natural environment.
That was one big spider!
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