Coast to Country

Children are natural explorers, always eager to discover and learn. At Coast to Country we believe in nurturing this curiosity by teaching kids the value of awareness—noticing the world around them with their eyes, ears, hands, and hearts.

Awareness is more than just paying attention. It’s about connecting with nature, finding joy in small details, and growing a sense of wonder. Whether it’s spotting a butterfly in the garden or hearing the sound of the wind, little explorers learn that the world is full of surprises waiting to be discovered.

In the Coast to Country Classroom, we make awareness fun and interactive. We teach children how to be explorers that find new sights, sounds, and textures. These activities spark curiosity and help kids connect with the world.

“Slow down, look closely, and you’ll find beauty everywhere.” – Coast to Country

Lesson plan & Activities for Your Little Explorers:

Objective: Children will learn to pay attention to their surroundings, use their senses, and recognize how awareness helps them enjoy and understand the world.

1. Introduce the concept

• Explain awareness in simple terms:

• “Awareness means noticing what’s around us and how we feel.”

• Ask: “What can we use to notice things? (Eyes, ears, nose, hands, etc.)”

• Share a fun fact: “Being aware can make you a great explorer, noticing things others don’t!”

2. Explorer Walks:

• Take a short walk inside or outside. Challenge kids to:

• Spot 3 things they’ve never noticed before.

• Hear 2 different sounds (birds, wind, footsteps).

• Touch something interesting (smooth rock, rough bark).

• Smell 1 scent (flowers, fresh air, or something from inside).

• After the walk, gather and ask: “What did you discover?”

3. Activity 2: Mindful Object Observation

• Give each child a small object (leaf, flower, or rock).

• Ask them to look, touch, and smell it. Prompt them:

• “What does it look like?”

• “Does it feel rough or smooth?”

• “Does it have a smell?”

• Encourage them to describe or draw the object.

4. Observation

”Let’s close our eyes and listen for a minute and try to name every sound you hear”-birds, cars, the wind, or even your own breathing!

Discuss: “How does being quiet help us notice sounds better?”

5. Reflection

• Gather and ask:

• “How did it feel to notice new things?”

• “What’s something you can notice at home today?”

• Share a Bible verse:

• Proverbs 20:12 – “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.”

• Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”

6. Closing

• End with a simple affirmation:

• “I can notice wonderful things all around me!”

We are awareness:

Let’s nurture awareness in our homes, creating a foundation for joy, gratitude, and deeper connections. After all, it’s in the small moments that life’s greatest lessons unfold.

Start small: Begin each day with a moment of gratitude and a simple observation. For example, “What do you notice about the morning sky today?”

Create space for reflection: Encourage your child to journal their observations and feelings.

Model awareness: Show your children how you pause to enjoy the little things, like a sunset or a kind gesture.

Why Awareness Matters:

• Calm and focus: Paying attention to small details helps children slow down and focus.

• Gratitude: Awareness helps kids appreciate the world around them, from a flower to a kind word.

• Connection: They begin to see how they fit into the world and how others feel too.

Closing Thought:

Let’s encourage our children to be little explorers of life. With awareness, they’ll uncover the beauty of the world—and grow in wonder and gratitude along the way.

Pro Tip: Keep a journal or scrapbook of your child’s discoveries to look back on their amazing journey as an explorer.