Twisted Learning Game about Nature

This variation on Twister helps kids review a lesson in nature identification. Whether you are playing with campers, scouts, students, or your own children and their friends, kids will be learning about nature while having fun.

The preparation for this game can take a while. Have kids make the game. If you have a classroom full of kids, divide the kids into teams of four or five. Assign each team different nature images. The entire class can focus on leaves or birds or each team can gear their game for a different aspect of nature. This way the class can create several games, allowing kids to rotate to different game stations, adding to the learning challenge.

Materials and Preparations: Start by making a game board with a rectangular vinyl tablecloth or flat bed sheet. With permanent marker, fabric marker, or acrylic paint, divide the cloth into sixteen equal blocks (four rows by four columns). Next, select four images (the tracks of four different animals, leaves for four different types of trees, four different types of birds, etc) and draw them in four different boxes scattered over the game board.

Next, you’ll need to make a spinner. Take a square of cardboard and draw a circle on the board. Divide the circle into eight sections. In each section, repeat the four images from the game board. Also, label each image as hand or foot (each image will be on the spinner twice, once for the hand and the other for feet). Poke a hole in the center of the circle and attach a cardboard arrow with a paper fastener so the arrow spins with a flick of the finger.

To play, one player takes on the role as spinner, the person who spins the spinner. This will indicate to another player where to hold their hand or foot. Players maintain this position as the spinner spins again. Rotate through the players and then start back with the first player. Continue the game until one child falls. Switch players so the person who was in charge of the spinner can play the game.

Make a Bucket List for Nature

Transform the idea of writing a bucket list, a list of the things you want to do before you die, to a kid-friendly, nature-inspired task. Whether your children are preschoolers or preteens, you can encourage your children to create a list of things they would like to experience in nature. For preschoolers, you may ask them what nature activities they would be interested in doing that day or that week. Older children and preteens, who have a better sense of the passage of time, could make lists of what they want to do during a particular season, the upcoming year, or
before they graduate from high school.

This activity can give you ideas for things to do with your child. You’ll also get a better sense of their interests. If your ten-year-old gets bored on walks and yet lists activities such as rock climbing, camping, and kayaking on his bucket list, you know you have a child who enjoys the outdoors – as long as the time includes active, challenging pursuits.

Encourage your child to list specific places they want to go to. This will create an opportunity to learn more about your child and discover what draws them to these locations. If your child is drawn to waterfalls are there some (even small waterfalls) within driving distance? Make your own list and share it with your child. Together you can plan places to go and activities to try. This may guide you toward sending your child to an active camp where they can sample all sorts of recreational pursuits. Or, you may realize that your child is happiest taking photographs of the backyard and neighborhood.

Although you may not be able to help your child do the things on their bucket list in the time frame they would like, by having them state the things they are interested in, you will both become more aware of opportunities to help them meet those goals.

Enjoy Summer While It's Still Here

The commercials for back-to-school clothing and supplies have already been playing on television for a couple of weeks. It seems too soon, but schedules will only get busier with school and extracurricular activities on the horizon. Create some memorable outdoor experiences with your kids.

• Have the kids eat breakfast outside. Outside can be the front stoop, a porch, a patch of grass beneath a tree. Breakfast can be simple – muffins and juice, Canadian bacon between a couple of waffles. Bring a thermos of coffee for yourself.
• Take a walk around the neighborhood … when it is raining.
• Collect leaves or flowers and press them between the pages of a dictionary.
• Go to a farmer’s market. Give each child one dollar to make a purchase of something for dinner.
• Count the number of birds that visits your feeder over five or ten minutes.
• Have a picnic lunch or supper in the backyard, at the park, at the beach, at the local forest.
• Read a bedtime story outside by flashlight as the day’s light fades.
• Lie on blankets and watch the stars come out.

Outdoor time doesn’t have to involve elaborate experiences but simple moments when everyone is present in the activity.

Walking Games with Kids

Whether you’ll be walking in the wood, through a park, along a city or suburban sidewalk, or, perhaps, through the mall, these walking games will engage young children. If older children think the game is too silly, then have them take turns leading the game or place them in charge of younger siblings.

Animals on the Move
Have the children pretend to be animals while walking from one spot to the next. At the beginning of this game you can select one or two animals and call them out randomly. Children must then act out that animal’s behavior for ten-to-fifteen seconds.

Fox – Red fox “perfect step,” which means that all four feet move in a single line and that the back feet step in the prints left behind by the front feet. Have the children walk placing one foot in front of another in a straight line.
Rabbit – Hop with feet together.
Hawk – Hold arms out to the side and pretend to soar.
Ant – Crawl along the ground in a straight line.
Geese – Try to walk so all participants are moving in a v-shape.

After introducing each animal and calling out the actions for the children to act out, you should be able to call out the animal’s name at any time and the kids should respond.

Animal Antics
This version allows for more random actions. If you are walking with children who are arguing about who gets to walk at the front of the line, this activity will eliminate the pushing and shoving by rotating the children from the front to the back of the line. Start by telling the children that when the leader make an animal sound, they must then act out the behavior of that animal for a count of ten while continuing to walk.

Select a child to be the leader. Point out a spot up ahead and tell the child that when the group reaches that point she should make an animal sound. (Why point out a place for the child to make the call? Depending on the child’s age, she may make an animal sound immediately upon it becoming her turn and then the group doesn’t get to move very far.) When the group hears the animal sound, they then act out the behavior they believe most appropriate. Rotate leaders.

The challenge with this game is encouraging the children to make the sound loud enough for the other children to hear. As the leader, you can help support the child-leader by encouraging them to repeat the sound as they turn to face the other children.

Now, get walking!

Make a Flower Chain

A child wearing a headband or necklace of interlocked daisies just seems to symbolize carefree summer. Although it takes a bit to get used to interlocking the flowers, children with good fine motor skills (they can tie their own shoes with ease) can learn the process. Younger children can pick the flowers. Just be warned – you probably won’t be able to work fast enough if you have more than one child waiting!

You want a flower with a stem that you can easily slit with your thumbnail. The stem should also be flexible enough to bend without it crooking into a sharp angle. The shorter the stem, the more flowers you’ll need, setting the blossoms close together.

With your thumbnail, cut a slit through the stem. Next, slide the stem of another flower through the slit. The blossom of the second flower should stop at the slit of the first flower. Continue until the piece is as long as desired. To finish off the chain and bring it into a loop, make a larger slit in the last stem and fit it over the first flower. That’s it!

Welcome Summer!

Although we look at the first day of summer with anticipation of longer, warmer, sunnier days; more time outdoors; and relaxing or stimulating vacations (and summer camp for kids) – the irony is that the Summer Solstice hails the start of shorter days.

Try this bit of sympathetic magic with your children during this season when schedules change and (perhaps) we have a bit more time. If the idea of magic brings up negative thoughts, consider this a prayer or even a following of the season’s pattern.

You and your children can each think of something in your life that makes you dissatisfied. Maybe the messy state of your child’s bedroom causes arguments. Ask your child to state a goal, “As the summer days dwindle, so does the mess in my bedroom.” Perhaps you say, “As the summer days dwindle, so do my harsh words about your bedroom.” (The two goals do not have to be related.)

Next, decide on a positive action to get this goal rolling. Now, cut that goal in half (so instead of “Clean my room for an hour,” make the statement “Clean my room for half an hour). If this goal still sounds difficult, keep cutting it in half until you laugh with how simple it will be to keep this goal. (“Clean my bedroom for sixty seconds before dinner every day.” “Eliminate my nagging to a single word reminder, ‘room’ fifteen minutes before dinner.”)

Go out into the sun and feel the energy of the sun’s rays energizing your goal. You could also write or draw a picture of the goal and then burn it on the barbecue or fire pit. Toast and eat a marshmallow cooked over the flames created from the paper listing your intent to banish something negative from your life.

Kids may find this magical way of working on a problem different enough that they manage the task. Happy First Day of Summer!

Nature Investigation and Imagination

When walking with your child or children you can keep a few games in mind to play along the way. The games help to focus both you and your children on your surroundings. It is easy to get caught up in conversations, which, although valuable to your relationship, can move you out of the present moment. Instead of noticing where you are walking at the moment you are busy talking about going to the mall and selecting a birthday present for the child’s friend.

You can still talk, but every so often try to bring everyone’s awareness to the moment with sensory activities. The following game starts off with observation and works its ways to a (sometimes wild) imagination activity. Whether your child is a preschooler or a preteen, this word game allows kids to stretch their creativity.

One person starts this game by looking around and selecting something fairly large that is within view, such as a mountain or a tree, and says, “I see a tree.” The next person then picks something big on the tree, and says, “I see bark on the tree.” The next person has to pick a thing that’s on the bark, “I see a branch on the bark.” (If two people are playing, then you would go back-and-forth with your child.)

Participants continue in this fashion, noticing smaller and more specific details until they can no longer actually see anything to mention. Then they are free to make up details, such as, “I see a bug on the leaf,” and the next person might say, “I see a baby bug on the back of the big bug,” and so on until players can’t think of anything smaller. Move down the trail and have a different individual start another round.

Nature Art for Kids – Word Art

Use rocks, twigs, and seashells to write messages to others who'll visit your location after you've left. You can do this art in nature project almost anywhere. This is a fun activity for children just learning their letters; but, it is even more enjoyable for children who can spell. For this kids’ craft, children use natural materials to write messages to others who will later discover their simple endeavors.

Children will need to gather a supply of twigs, pine cones, seashells, pebbles, acorns, etc. with which to write a letter or word. The location will determine the materials the children use. Kids might decide to write out each letter with a different object or use a mix of natural materials to create each letter. Encourage children to experiment and then judge the results.

When you select a location, you want it to be somewhere others will see the message without destroying it should a walker who isn’t paying attention accidentally scattering the letters with her feet. You should also be careful to avoid doing this on lawns – when a lawnmower comes on the scene, it could be dangerous for the operator and anyone in the area if pebbles or twigs start flying as the cutting blade runs over your project.

Children will also find it easier to work if they select a location where others don’t have to sidestep around a child to get to where they are going – so, no doorways, pathways, etc. It can be a challenge to find a spot where kids can work but where others will see their artistic messages.

With a work area and a supply of natural materials, children can write out words or messages to those who’ll come along at a later time and discover these expressions. This can be as simple as “Hello,” or can encourage an action, “Shhh,” or “Look up.” Letters six-to-twelve inches high work up quickly. You may want children to start with words containing approximately five letters.

Young children who are just learning their letters can use their gathered materials to form letters. Have a bit of fun by making a “T” next to a tree or an “S” from seashells. This is a casual way to reinforce what a child is learning in school. If your child is enjoying the process, you could help him write out simple words. When possible, scratch the letters in the sand or dirt and allow the children to form the letters with found objects.

This is a fun and easy kids’ activity to do while you are resting alongside a natural trail or while you are picnicking or having a snack. Children may become inspired to write a series of words, which develop into a short phrase when read together as someone moves along a quarter-mile or even a mile section of trail.

Find more nature-inspired art and craft projects in Art in Nature/Nature in Art: Art Experiences for Kids Ages 8 – to – 14 and their Creative Adults.

Listening to Nature Activities

Perhaps it is the time of year – the birds are singing but the trees are still bare so the sounds of nature stand out particularly sharp. Visual details capture my attention. When I take tests about learning styles or the various intelligences I inevitably “fail” as someone who takes in information through the auditory sense.

I’ve tried to learn to bird by ear, but it is an ability I lack. I’ve learned some of the mnemonics – for example, white throated sparrows sing a song that sounds like “Sam Peabody, Sam Peabody,” but it took me years before one day I heard a familiar, but unidentified, song and it suddenly occurred to me that I was listening to something very much like a bird singing “Sam Peabody, Sam Peabody.”

The following activities don’t require that you or the children you are with identify the sources of the sound; however, they do make you more aware of the sounds around you. You can do these activities anywhere outdoors – backyard, schoolyard, forest, field; preferably somewhere manmade sounds don’t entirely overwhelm the sounds of nature.

Sound Map
Each person starts with an index card and a marking pen (because markers don’t require as much pressure as a pencil or pen to leave a mark). Draw an “X” in the middle of the card. This represents the individual. As each person detects a sound, he or she draws a dot indicating where they think that sound is in relationship to where he or she is sitting.

For the individual who thinks they know what is making the sound, they could instead draw a simple picture of the plane, bird, wind in the trees, etc. that creating the sound. Natural and manmade sounds should all be noticed and recorded. Do this activity for five-to-ten minutes.

Sound Pictures
For this activity, you’ll interpret sound into an image. The image consists of geometric shapes, no need to draw a bird if you think you hear a bird or a plane if you hear an airplane. In fact, you’re better off if you don’t name the things which are making the noises you are drawing.
So, the chatter of a bird becomes, “- - - - - - - - - - - - - - .” The wind, at that moment, may sound like, “~~~~~~~~~~~;” the rain on the leaves, “``````````.”

As for me, when I take my morning walk, I hear a bird’s song and look for the source, “Oh, a robin.” Moments later I hear another bird and scan the trees, “Oh, a robin.” Ten minutes later, more birdsong and, yep, another robin.

Shadow Art

Originally published 4/12/2011 at explorealongtheway.com

Have kids do this project on a sunny day that isn’t too windy. They can do this in their own backyard. They’ll need to start with a large piece of white paper and a pencil. They will also need a sturdy piece of cardboard that they can use as a drawing board and a couple of binder clips to hold the paper in place as they work.

Walk around outside looking for interesting shadows. It doesn’t really matter what is casting the shadow, they’re interested in the shadows themselves. Look for shadows on the ground as well as shadows that may fall on walls. Don’t worry if the entire shadow doesn’t fit on the piece of paper. Hold the paper so an interesting part of the shadow falls across the paper.

Work quickly to trace the shape of the shadow. If there is a slight breeze the objects will move a bit, so they should do as good a job as they can; this doesn’t have to be perfect. Because of the angle of the sun, a traced shadow won’t look like an outline of the object. This can be fun because people looking at the finished artwork won’t necessarily know the inspiration for the piece. After tracing the shadow onto the paper, the kids will want to get some other art supplies. For this project, they can use watercolor paints, colored pencils, pastels, marker, crayons, etc.

Tell the kids to color in the shadow(s) however they like, using a solid color or changing colors when they want. After coloring in the shape, they may want to cut it out and glue it onto a piece of colored construction paper for additional contrast.

The Logistics of Exploring Nature with Kids

Originally published 4/01/2011 at explorealongtheway.com

Everything that you read and hear about kids spending more time outdoors sounds logical. In fact, you think it would be great for your family to go walking in nature during weekends. But where should you start? What do you need to bring with you? What if the kids are miserable and they refuse to go hiking a second time?

Check out How Families Can Take a Successful Nature Walk or Hike with Kids for ideas on keeping kids fed, watered, and entertained whether the walk lasts thirty minutes or two hours. At minimum, bring along water, snacks, basic first aid supplies, sunscreen, insect repellent, a map of the location’s trail system, and a cell phone – turned off, but handy in an emergency.

Which may bring up the thought, how long should you go walking with kids? If neither you nor the kids are used to hiking in the woods, start with five minutes for each year old the child is (or the average age of a few children).

When this proves successful, go with seven-to-ten minutes for each year old. Of course, this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule and it doesn’t mean uninterrupted walking time. Allow some time for snack or water breaks, exploration, and even games – like “I Spy” – or the occasional art project. Thirty minutes of walking can be broken with other activities so you may end up spending an hour or more out on your “walk.”

Remember, that “down time” is probably as important as movement – if you just want exercise, then walk quickly; but, if you really want to appreciate your time in nature, you’ll need to meander so you can actually notice your surroundings; Help Children Develop an Appreciation of Nature with Observation. If you enjoy the experience of walking in nature, chances are your children will develop an enthusiasm for exploring the outdoors.

Tree Observation Activities with Kids

Originally published 3/28/2011 at explorealongtheway.com

Although I love walking in the forest, I truly enjoy walking through parks. There is something about walking along a path and seeing individual trees growing separate from one another as opposed to seeing the jumble of a forest that makes me better appreciate the beauty of trees. I think that sometimes people get caught up by the number of trees around them and just see ‘trees’ instead of learning to recognize the distinctive qualities of ‘maples,’ ‘ash,’ or ‘oaks.’

The following activities help children, and adults, notice and then recognize unique characteristics about trees than can then help them identify the trees in their area. You can do these activities with just you and one child or with a group of up to fifteen (break up larger groups).

Tree Silhouette Charades – Notice the overall shape of the trees. Although trees in a park may get lower branches cut off for the safety of human visitors, the shape of different species of trees is distinct. For this game, It looks around and uses his or her body to form the shape of a tree he or she can see. The other players try to figure out which tree It is representing and point to that tree. This works well in winter with bare trees as well as in the summer with trees that have a full canopy of leaves.

Two-Minute Sketches – Give each participant a stack of approximately ten blank index cards and a black marker. Stand someplace where everyone can see a variety of trees with unique shapes. Working quickly, participants sketch the general shape of as many trees as they can within two minutes. Because they don’t have much time, players won’t get bogged down with details.

When time’s up, the leader points to a tree and participants who drew that tree show off their pictures. If you have a competitive group, players can vote for the most realistic sketch for each tree. For a non-competitive activity, after pointing to a tree, ask the participants to describe the shape of the tree with words and then show off the sketches. Players can self-evaluate if their description matches their drawing.

Do you remember drawing ‘lollipop’ trees as a child? These quick activities make kids and adults aware of the distinctive shapes possessed by different species of trees. These activities can be a first step toward noting the individuality of trees and moving closer to learning how to identify trees. For more fun with trees, read Leaf Identification Games and Activities.

Write a Diamante about Nature

Originally published 3/01/2011 at explorealongtheway.com
While making observations in nature you may want a record of what you see. You could take a picture or make some notes, but another way of collecting your interpretation of your time in nature is to write a poem.

If you never willingly wrote a poem because you think a poem has to be obscure, this simple format allows you to capture tangible details. In essence, a diamante is a diamond-shape poem. The lines don’t have to rhyme. As an added bonus for adults and the children, you don’t even have to think in partial or entire lines of poetry. A diamante is constructed of individual words that are placed in a specific pattern.

A poem is a great way to capture observations that you and children have made in nature. A diamante feels a bit more purposeful than taking notes; because, what are you going to do with those notes? When you write a poem, you are done. Accent a diamante with a photograph or a drawing and you can set the two in a scrapbook or combine them on the computer and post them online for friends and family to share.

The basic format of a diamante uses specific types of words. Writers can work on this poem on their own or you can lead this as a group activity, with individuals calling out words that fit the structure. The key to holding this structure together is that the selected words should have something to do with the topic, as described by the first word.

Line 1: Noun (person, place or thing)

Line 2: Adjective Adjective (words that describes a person place or thing; not an action)

Line 3: Participle Participle Participle (a verb, an action, ending in –ing)

Line 4: Noun Noun Noun Noun

Line 5: Participle Participle Participle

Line 6: Adjective Adjective

Line 7: Noun (another way of describing the person, place, or thing from the first line)

You use the words that best capture the sights, senses and experiences of a specific location. That’s it. Sixteen words, no punctuation. You are a poet. Why not start by writing a diamante and posting it below in the comments?

Taking Mental Pictures of Nature

Originally published 2/28/2011 at explorealongtheway.com

Many ways exist to encourage children and adults to see nature in different ways. The following nature game, often referred to as “Camera” encourages observations skills. Individuals should work in pairs. Preferably, the two paired together are similar in height, because one will guide the other individual who will keep her eyes closed. One player will be the photographer and the other the camera.

This isn’t the best activity to do with one adult and one preschooler because the child won’t be able to determine that he is directing his father into a low-hanging tree branch. This is a good activity for children to work together. Adults can try this observation game with preteens who will be able to direct an adult.

One person will be the camera and the other the photographer. After five-to-ten minutes, the players will switch roles. The camera closes her eyes as the photographer gently moves his camera, walking to a nearby location where he wishes to take a picture. The photographer can also tilt the head of the camera so she is at the proper angle for the photographer. When the photographer wishes to take a picture, he taps the camera on the shoulder, essentially pushing the shutter button.

The camera responds by opening her eyes for a count of one and then closing her shutters/eyelids. The photographer continues guiding his camera through the area snapping “pictures” while within the time limit. At the end of the time, the camera “processes” the images and tells the photographer what she remembers seeing or what she most enjoyed.

Switch roles. By acting as the photographer, an individual focuses on what he finds interesting and hopes that someone else will find interesting. The camera, by only looking at what the photographer wants her to see, is capturing small parts of the area she and her partner are exploring. This nature game allows both players to gain a different appreciation of the area they are investigating.