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Materials needed: Any objects found in nature.
Time required: Variable.
Purpose: To get children to reflect on the ways nature can be the source of materials used to play a game.
Activity:
Show children some stones, a stick, or other natural object Ask them "See if you can invent a game that you could play with these." After they have made some suggestions - complete with rules for playing - allow them to play the game or games they have invented.
Children may also play familiar games, Such as jacks, marbles or pick-up sticks, using natural materials (cones, twigs, rocks etc.) instead of their manufactured counterparts. They may also be encouraged to invent new games using the materials they find, without noticeably changing or damaging the environment of the area from which these materials are taken.
Materials needed: Blindfolds, wooded area.
Time required: 40 minutes
Purpose: To develop trust and initiate a discussion about the environment
Activity:
Children are paired and take turns leading a blindfolded partner to a tree. They investigate the tree and its surrounding area without removing the blindfold. They are led back to the starting point. The blindfold is removed and they attempt to find their tree.
Materials needed: Leaves.
Time required: Variable
Purpose: To get children acquainted with the different shapes of leaves.
Activity:
Divide the group into several teams. Ask the players to collect leaves from a number of different trees. They are to collect as many leaves fallen from each tree as there are teams. For each team, make a leaf pile consisting of one leaf from each tree and place this pile at a set distance in front of the team. The leader holds up a leaf and then says "Go". At the signal, the first player each team runs to the pile of leaves, finds the leaf shown and holds it up. A point is awarded for each leaf correctly identified The leaves are returned to the piles and the players go to the end of the line. The game can also be played as a speed relay.
Materials needed: Any objects found in nature.
Time required: Variable.
Purpose: To use forest products or waste to make musical instruments
Activity:
Create musical instruments out of forest-derived materials or junk/ waste items.
There are four main kinds of junk instrument - things you hit, things you pluck, things you blow and things you shake. The easiest things to start with are percussion instruments. Basically, if you hit it and you like the noise it makes, then it's an instrument. Cardboard sheets and string can be used to make a "stringed instrument": Filling canisters with seeds or stones and shaking them will make good maracas, and running a ruler along a jagged edge becomes a marimba. A sweeter sound can be made by suspending several bottles from a pole and filling them with varied amounts of water - this can be surprisingly accurate and by regulating the water levels a great Xylophone can be improvised.
Try to make a variety of instruments, including some strings, woodwind and percussion instruments. Have a concert and play the instruments.
Materials needed: Blindfolds for half the group, trail signs.
Time required: 30 - 45 minutes.
Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of sight in living in our environment. To trust each others.
Activity:
The leaders and junior counsellors should supervise this activity and the children will be the participants.
Prior to this activity some of the leaders and junior counsellors should lay out a trail, which can be indoors, outdoors, or a combination of both. Do not make the trail too long or too difficult because one partner will be blindfolded.
Divide into two groups by counting l-2. Group l forms a line and Group 2 forms a line opposite them. The two lines face each other. The person across from you is your partner.
Explain that everyone is going on a trust walk. Group l children will be the "eyes" for their partners and guide them. Group 2 children will be blindfolded so they must trust their partners. At about halfway point of the trail, the partners change places, so both children have the experience of being blindfolded.
Signs should be posted along the trail giving directions. Suggestions are: Crawl through the grass, jump over the stick walk around the tree, stop and count to five before hopping over the bunny hole, dance around with your partner three times, walk slowly and quietly past the bee tree, etc. Let your imagination run wild! (Leaders and junior counsellors should be stationed along the trail to help interpret the directions.)
When the trail is completed divide the children into small groups and discuss their feelings. How did the guides feel? How did the blindfolded children fee1? How important is trust when you work with other people?
Materials needed: Plenty of space.
Time required: 45 minutes.
Purpose: To help children become aware of the many physical features in our landscape
Activity:
Divide the children into two groups with an equal number in each group. Large groups work well in this activity. Each child should have a partner.
Group 1 children will be the ones who form the physical features. Here are some suggestions:
a. A "hill" is formed by two children facing each other, then lying down on their backs, legs up, with their toes touching.
b. A "mountain" is formed the same way with four to six children lying down in a line.
c. A "lake" is formed by six or eight children sitting cross-legged in a circle, arms outstretched, hands joined.
d. A "river" is formed by six or eight children. The first child lies down on his/her stomach. The second child lies down at his/her feet, grasping the feet of the first child in his/her hands Continue the chain in an irregular line like a flowing river.
e. A "tree" is formed by two children standing back to back with arms outstretched.
f. A "tunnel" is formed by six children. Three children standing in a line face their partners. With hands touching, each of the partners makes an arch.
Any number of the above groups can be arranged in the available space until all the Group 1 children are involved. They can be creative in thinking of other landscape features.
Group 2 children are led around, over, under, or along the landscape features formed by the Group l children in this special game of follow the leader.
The leader may present special challenges to the followers. The group may carefully climb over the mountains rather than go around them. They may swim across the lake. They may hop around the trees on one foot. There are many variations and opportunities for creative play.
The groups should reverse roles when the game is played again.
Materials Needed: None
Time required: Variable
Purpose: To appreciate the variety of the natural world
Activity:
Various Scavenger Hunt themes e.g.
collecting a variety of natural objects to match with descriptive words e.g. something spiky
collecting pairs of natural objects displaying opposite characteristics (e.g. rough and smooth)
Colour Chips - matching natural shades with artificial colours
Colour Palettes - collecting as many tiny samples of different natural colours and shades as possible.
Materials needed: 13 cm square sheets of white paper (one for each person), pencils, crayons, markers, masking tape, old tennis balls, string.
Time required:30 minutes.
Purpose: To show each living thing has a purpose and plays an important part.
Activity:
Divide into groups so there are no more than eight people in each group and at least one leader in each group.
Discuss how all living things are dependent on one another. If you have a pet, that animal depends on you to feed it. You are dependent on the farmer who raises corn for your cereal. The cow depends on grass for food. We get milk from the cow. The truck driver delivers food to the grocery store. The grocery store owner depends on us to buy groceries so he can pay his employees.
Distribute the necessary materials. Decide what relationships of dependency you will demonstrate. Don't forget to include plants and animals. Each person draws a picture which is taped on his/her shirt. Each person is given a length of string somewhat larger than the diameter of the circle. Tape one end of the string firmly to the tennis ball and wind the string around the ball.
The leader says: The cow depends on grass for food. (The person with the cow picture and the person with the grass picture toss their tennis balls to one another while firmly holding the end of the string).
The leader says: The farmer gets milk from the cow. (The person with the cow picture and the person with the farmer picture toss their tennis balls to one another while firmly holding the end of the string).
The game continues until each person has thrown the tennis ball at least once. It looks like a spider web when the game is completed and clearly demonstrates our dependence on one another.
The above games are a sample taken from other websites, please see the following links for further ideas:
For more music ideas see Kid's Craft
Any comments/queries/suggestions to Stefania Isbell
or tel 01244 603191 or fax 01244 603033
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