Observation Loop – Get Kids to Focus Small

A common naturalist’s tool for getting children to focus on a small area is to intentionally or randomly set a Hula hoop on the ground. Kids then use this boundary for their close-up investigation. See, if you just point to a grassy area in a yard or a leaf-strewn area in the forest kids will glance at the area (maybe, but not likely, crouching to do so), and tell you they see nothing. Define the area and now it’s easier for kids to center their attention.

Of course, a Hula hoop is an awkward item to carry on a walk, so you can carry a piece of rope. Tie two sliding knots and you can adjust the size of your loop. To do this, take a twelve foot piece of rope and cross the two ends over one another so they extend approximately a foot beyond the point where they cross. Now, knot one end to the loop and the knot the other end to the loop. You should be able to slide the knots along the loop, making the circle larger or smaller.

Go for a walk and find a spot to set the loop. Don’t worry if you don’t see anything obvious about that location, the key to the observation loop is that it helps to reveal things that you’d overlook. You and the kids may have to squat or kneel around the loop to get closer. Move the leaf litter (gently), push aside the blades of grass as you and your children look for insects, worm castings (little piles of soil), seeds, rocks, holes or trails worn into the soil, and whatever else you might find.

You don’t need magnifying glasses, although kids may enjoy using them as they are thinking small. The object of the activity is to learn that you just can’t give something in nature (and beyond) a quick glance and think that you’ve seen and learned everything that you need to. This activity encourages patience and if your child isn’t patient then when you set down the observation loop you can challenge them to find the five or ten secret or hidden things. You don’t have to know what these five or ten things are, but a random number makes this observation more task-oriented.

You can bring this loop of rope anywhere – forest, field, backyard, etc – and learn to see the tiny worlds that you normally walk past.