How Small Creatures Inspire Big Connections and Deep Reflections

On a recent school program, I used bugs as a way to introduce the idea of community. I know it seems far out there but one of the many things I love about watching kids brains at work, is how expansive their imagination is. It is truly mind blowing and downright inspiring. 

Bugs and Community: An Unlikely Connection

Perhaps you’re already thinking about how bugs and community have anything to do with each other? There really is no right answer. It’s an open invitation to expand your mind and also to slow down and observe. 

Learning from Nature: The Ants’ Lesson

Even an insect as small as an ant plays a role in its community. I once witnessed a group of ants moving a potato chip together. If you’ve ever tried to move a raft with a group of people, you would instantly develop deep respect for just how in sync ants must be, to be able to move something so large at such a rhythmic pace.  

Unexpected Insights from Students  

I was ready to listen and learn from these students at the end of our debrief since they have an amazing ability to retain and share fun facts.

To be honest, I was expecting them to either share bug facts or things they noticed about working together. Some certainly touched on those points but many actually noticed the environment around them.

Sensory Awareness and Memory

One student said that the air they are breathing is different than in the classroom. Another said that they smell something similar to the smell of a comic book. There was a momentary pause as we all took a deep breath to try to find a smell that makes a special connection in our brain.

I know that certain smells remind me of a time and a place. The walk down memory lane is food for the soul. There is something very different about the heart that feeds off moments like this, over the head’s need to constantly please the ego.  

The Rush of Modern Life

How can we allow ourselves that connection when we are rushing around in our car going from one building to another? How would we be able to identify the smell of a comic book, unless we fully immersed ourselves in the experience to even notice that subtle smell and then make that connection? 

More often than not, these moments are bypassed and the opportunity to dance with the experience of life is missed. In an increasingly fast paced world, the process has become less important than the destination but the process is where all the stories are written and learning takes place.

An Invitation to Pause and Reflect

Today I invite you to take a pause. To get out into nature and take a breath so deep that you make a connection with an experience or memory that is waiting to be remembered or perhaps you simply just look around and soak up the present moment for all that it is.

Immerse in Nature

At Calleva, we invite you to join our Nature Immersion Programs, where the outside environment becomes a dynamic classroom for your child to learn and grow. By embracing the natural world, children develop self-confidence, a sense of purpose, and the resilience to meet new challenges.

Our programs prioritize social and emotional development, fostering cooperation, teamwork, kindness, compassion, and empathy. By allowing children to “just” play in nature, we facilitate deep learning across a range of subjects, including ecology, biology, botany, math, physics, literacy, language, and engineering.

Following our “challenge by choice” model, we ensure that every child is encouraged to stretch themselves in a safe and supportive environment. Join us at Calleva and give your child a chance to pause and connect with nature.