A Child's Sit Spot
- Sarah Morrison
- Sep 4, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2018
- "Sit Spot" is the practice of finding a place in nature to sit quiet and still, allowing the senses to be flooded by the environment.- Smith, 2018
- “How are the children going to spend their time outside, and how will I make it meaningful?" - Fravel, 2017
Children and Sit Spots
Sit spots are a child-selected space where he or she can observe nature. Sit spots provide a good starting point for teachers or caregivers and youth wanting to try nature-based learning because they require no set up, equipment or specialized knowledge. Children return to the same sit spot regularly over the course of a school year to notice how nature changes over time. The Association of Fish and Wildlife recommends visiting the spots in rain and shine and bringing notebooks along to record observations.
Benefits of Observing in a Sit Spot
Children usually benefit from visiting their sit spots regularly. Modern life often moves too quickly for young children. Sit spots encourage children to slow down, and reward patience with new insights about nature and people’s connection to it. It brings up interesting questions about sit spots, and what's going on around them. Sit spots also provide children with an opportunity to perfect their observation skills and reflect on all of the new sensations that they experience on a daily basis. When a child makes a connection on his or her own it is more rewarding and more memorable than when they learn about it second hand. The children take ownership of their sit spots, and joyfully report to the group the new insects, leaves, and happenings in the spots.
Setting Up Sit Spots
Setting sit spots up is simple, they need to be a place where the child can sit comfortably for an extended period of time. It should be solitary and separate from other children’s sit spots. Most importantly, a sit spot should have varied and interesting things to observe. If they are younger, modelling is a big piece of how children learn and assimilate information. Like for example showing children to look for their spots, how to look and what to look for. Walking around and testing different spots, how much room there is to sit, how many different colors are in each spot, and how many different textures they can feel. I look above, below, and behind and comment on what they see. Sitting quietly and listen for birds, frogs, and wind rustling the leaves.
Activities in Sit Spots
To begin, children need practice finding their spots and extending the amount of time they spend in silent observation. We start our observation time at one or two minutes and then slowly increase the time that children spend in their sit spots. Later, I introduce clipboards and pencils to take notes. Sometimes we bring tools – magnifying glasses, mirrors, small trowels, rulers, guide books – into the sit spots to guide and enhance their observations. Basic structure is required each time they visit the sit spots. Children are free to reflect on their own in their sit spots, and other times the teachers or caregivers can focus their observations. Focusing on using a single sense at a time, such as listening for as many sounds as we can hear or smelling all of the flora their spots for example. Looking for the change in the environment over time and how the animals affect the area. Learning how to look closely to discover signs of animal life and to use a magnifying glass to explore the soil. These questions that are brought up by their sit spots sometimes serve as new ideas for future learning topics.
Sit spots don't always need to be in an outdoor environment if there is no access to some near by. Using elements that are around us that are natural, adding different textures outside, using foam puzzle mats to define comfortable all-weather sit spots on a paved playground. A school garden would be a lovely place for a sit spot or even a seat in front of a window.
Children can observe nature anywhere that insects climb or birds fly. They can observe the wind and clouds or watch the sun create shadows.
The importance of sit spots is to give children a connection to the natural world through observation and reflection. Sit spots provide a valuable opportunity for students to slow down and engage with their environment, their peers, and their own thoughts as they reflect on their observations. In our busy world, these times are not only precious, but necessary.
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