Exploring Nature through Art: A Learning Experience for Concrete Operational Thinkers.

Children are naturally curious, and their learning experiences become richer when they interact with their environment. In this blog, I, Purwa will share an engaging activity I conducted for five children aged 7 to 11 years, all in the concrete operational stage of cognitive development, as described by Jean Piaget. The activity involved observing, feeling, and drawing Colocasia leaves (Taro leaves) from their desired angles while sitting in a garden. The experience was designed based on Albert Bandura's Observational Learning Theory and Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

This simple yet impactful activity aimed to enhance children's observation skills, sensory learning, and spatial reasoning while fostering naturalistic intelligence. Through free-hand drawing and engagement with nature, the children explored depth, perspective, and artistic expression, leading to valuable insights into how they perceive the world around them.

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Objectives of the Activity

Every learning experience should have well-defined objectives. The goals for this activity included:

1. Development of Observing Skills – Encouraging children to carefully notice details of the Colocasia leaves, including their shape, texture, and structure.
2. Sensory Learning – Allowing children to engage their senses through touch, experiencing the tiny thorns on the stem and the smooth texture of the leaves.
3. Understanding Depth (Z-axis) and Perspective – Helping them recognize changes in angles and viewpoints while drawing from observation.
4. Understanding Plant Structure – Familiarizing children with the leaf shape, vein patterns, and the unique absence of branches in the Colocasia plant.
5. Boosting Naturalistic Intelligence – Enhancing appreciation for nature through direct interaction and artistic representation.

These objectives align with Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, particularly visual-spatial and naturalistic intelligence, as well as Bandura’s Observational Learning, where children learn by watching, imitating, and internalizing information from their surroundings.

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 Methodology: Encouraging Creativity and Observation

To make the activity engaging and educational, I followed a structured yet flexible approach:

• Freedom of Perspective: Children were given the liberty to choose their own angle for drawing the Colocasia plant, allowing them to explore different viewpoints.
• Stationery and Color Selection: I provided them with paper, colors, and all necessary art materials, giving them the choice between color pencils, wax crayons, oil pastels, and sketch pens.
• Observation and Sensory Exploration: Before beginning the drawing, the children spent 2-3 minutes closely observing the plant, touching the leaves, and feeling the tiny thorns on the stem.
• Prompting for Depth and Perspective: To enhance their understanding of spatial relationships, I guided them to notice the angle of the wall beside the plant, helping them grasp the concept of depth in a real-world setting.
• Creative Freedom: The children had the choice to use portrait or landscape orientation for their drawings, allowing personal expression while reinforcing spatial awareness.

This approach ensured that the children actively engaged with their environment while developing artistic and cognitive skills.

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Observations: A Glimpse into a Child’s Perception

The responses and drawings from the children provided fascinating insights into their perception and cognitive abilities:

• Initial Struggles with Depth and Perspective: At first, their drawings lacked an understanding of depth and perspective, but after prompting, they began to grasp the concept.
• Recognizing Different Viewpoints: The activity helped them realize that others see objects differently based on their position, fostering an early understanding of multiple perspectives.
• Use of Vibrant Colors: Despite the Colocasia leaves being relatively dull in color, most children instinctively chose bright, vivid shades for their drawings, emphasizing their preference for eye-catching visuals.
• Shape Association: They successfully associated the shape of the Colocasia leaves with beetle leaves and Peepal leaves, showcasing their ability to classify and categorize objects based on similarities.
• Noticing Structural Details: Some children observed that the Colocasia plant had no branches, while one child meticulously included tiny thorns in her drawing, demonstrating heightened attention to detail.
• Adding Secondary Objects: Beyond the Colocasia plant, children also included other elements from their surroundings, such as stones and neighboring plant stems, illustrating an expanding awareness of their environment.
• Completion within Timeframe: Despite initial hesitation, all children managed to complete their drawings within the allotted 90-minute period

 

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Theoretical Connections: How the Activity Supported Cognitive Development

The observations made during the activity align closely with Piaget’s characteristics of the concrete operational stage, as well as Bandura’s and Gardner’s theories:

1. Seriation: The ability to logically arrange objects – seen in how children ordered elements in their drawings, recognizing size relationships.
2. Classification: The recognition of shared features – observed in how children connected Colocasia leaves to other similarly shaped leaves.
3. Decentering: The consideration of multiple aspects of a situation – children realized that angles and perspectives influence how objects appear.
4. End of Egocentrism: They acknowledged that other children perceived the plant differently based on their viewpoint.
5. Spatial Reasoning: Their understanding of depth, angles, and relative positioning improved through guided observation.

Additionally, according to Gardner’s theory, this activity primarily enhanced naturalistic intelligence (connection with nature) and visual-spatial intelligence (understanding of perspective, angles, and spatial relationships). Bandura’s Observational Learning was also evident, as children improved their drawings by watching others and noting new observations.

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Conclusion: A Successful and Enjoyable Learning Experience

This activity proved to be an enriching experience for the children, successfully blending artistic creativity with cognitive and sensory development. The structured yet flexible approach allowed them to explore their surroundings, sharpen observational skills, and develop a deeper understanding of spatial relationships and perspective.

Key takeaways from this experience:

• Hands-on learning enhances retention – Sensory engagement helped children remember and understand plant characteristics.
• Observational prompts aid cognitive growth – Simple guidance on angles and perspectives significantly improved their drawings.
• Freedom fosters creativity – Allowing children to choose their own angles and colors led to unique and expressive artwork.
• Social learning is impactful – Observing their peers’ interpretations helped children refine their own perceptions and artistic decisions.

Through a simple activity in a garden, these children not only improved their artistic skills but also deepened their connection with nature. It reinforced the importance of experiential learning, where direct interaction with the environment sparks curiosity, creativity, and cognitive growth.

Encouraging such hands-on activities in education can make learning more meaningful and enjoyable. Whether through art, observation, or sensory exploration, children benefit immensely from opportunities that allow them to explore the world in their own unique ways.

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Final Thought: Encouraging More Nature-Based Learning

Recreation and education don’t have to be separate—sometimes, the best learning happens outside the classroom. Incorporating nature-based activities into a child’s routine can lead to enhanced cognitive, social, and artistic development.

Do share your views on my conducted activity by commenting and tell me more about your ideas of creative activities to promote Observational Learning, Naturalistic Intelligence, Sensory Development etc. for children :)