Select the 5 opportunities for babies’ development in outdoor experiences that educators should use. Question 1Answer a. Place babies on their back or tummy on a blanket or mat of various textures and patterns; if able to sit up, place them where they can look out and engage with their surroundings b. Babies should explore the environment only using their gross motor skills due to the safety issues of the environment. c. Babies are not yet mobile so we don’t need to position babies yet as in time they will discover their surroundings. d. Promote positive interactions by listening to and responding when babies play with language. Repeat sounds and gestures, and describe objects, textures, and sounds. e. Resources don’t need to extend baby’s sense of agencies; however, it is important to encourage engagement with the natural world. f. Interactions are not required due to babies not being old enough to respond so it is important to just let the baby explore the environment. g. Babies use their senses, but it is not important for them to engage this in a natural environment. h. Promote babies’ discovery of the natural environment and share their intrigue by describing what they are doing, feeling, seeing, smelling. i. Provide opportunities and encouragement to promote sensory motor development as babies safely explore the environment with their hands, mouths, and bodies. j. Plan the use of age and ability appropriate resources to strengthen each baby’s sense of agency and encourage engagement with the natural world, while extending their emerging abilities and interests

Question 2 Select five (5) correct age appropriate for babies’ outdoor experiences. Question 2Answer a. Sturdy picture books and other indoor resources, preferably made from natural materials or safe repurposed items.ress-ups for dramatic play b. Natural objects, such as leaves, feathers, flowers, herbs, grass, smooth river stones (must be larger than a D-size battery). c. Writing utensils for the baby to write their name such as sand, playdough, paint etc. d. Different surfaces to crawl on, such as grass, wood, pavers, rubber, straw matting. e. A variety of objects that are soft and hard, heavy, and light, rough, and smooth, wet, and dry, cool and warm, things that make sounds or blow in the breeze or when shaken or kicked. f. Sand play for experiencing wet and dry sand on their hands and feet. g. Obstacle courses where babies can climb up and slide down. h. Dress-ups for dramatic play i. Scissors for cutting and paper for drawing outside.

List two (2) examples of indoor and two (2) examples of outdoor activities or exercises that could be created to support the physical development of children.

In this video, Infants and Toddlers: Creating an Optimal Learning Environment, we watch two separate examples of ways to make improvements to child care facilities and activities in order to enhance their development and learning experience. Think about your own experiences with early childhood learning centers. Did they provide plenty of opportunities for exploration and experimentation? Were they more play-centered or lesson-centered.Briefly describe suggestions from the video that can improve an infant or toddler learning environment. What would you do in these two situations to improve the learning environment?

Examples of activities that help provide stimulating environments for children include:Group of answer choicesCooking and food preparation. Please see physical development lecture activities for more information.Singing songs.All of these responses.Pointing to and naming objects. Please see physical development lecture activities for more information.

Discuss how the two (2) elements listed above could be applied to everyday practice to support children’s connection with the natural environment.