Walk To The Woods

[emmajess]

Next week we're going for a walk to the local woods with lots of our parents and I'm hoping to spend most of the morning there (if it's not too cold! ). I've got some ideas of things to do while we're there, but wondered if anyone had any other suggestions? We've recently been looking at homes so i thought the children could make dens or nests for our class crow puppet and now we're having a bit of a focus on colour, so I thought looking for different coloured leaves etc in woods, als making headdresses and collages... The woods has lots of fallen leaves, sticks and branches, but when I went in half term with my own children, couldn't spot conkers or acornsetc, which was a bit of a shame. Any other ideas?

[denisse]

What about taking some clipboards and crayons to do some leaf/bark rubbings. Camera's to capture the moments and for children to take pictures of things they find interesting, little bags for children to collect things they like to take back to the setting to maybe make collages or use for making paint prints with. A book e.g. Bear Hunt to read to the children in the woods and make it more atmospheric.

[Guest]

I always take card covered in sticky backed plastic - whatever the children find interesting they can stick on their card. Or if you wanted to make it more adult led you could ask them to see how many different shades of green they can find to stick to their card - starting with dark shades going through to light shades. You can also stick the tape on in designs or patterns, the children rub mud over the paper which sticks to the paper but not the plastic.

[Guest]

We go for a walk in our local woods every week and although i have an activity idea in the back of my mind the children usually self-initiate lots of ideas. bags to collects 'stuff' are a must, magnifiers are useful to take along, sticks are great for mark-making in the mud. tree climbing is a favourite activity for ours so you probably need to have decided beforehand whether this is something you are prepared for if a child initiates it. The activities suggested already are the sorts of things we provide for but i plan the activities very loosely - some children will love to do what you have prepared others will be engrossed in the own explorations for the whole morning. have fun.

[JohnSB]

What about collecting a seed or seedling that is lying or growing in an unlikely spot - and bringing it back for the children to nurture - and then plant out somewhere where it is likely to thrive?

 

I am keen to organise an international online experience for 4-5 year olds and their parents and educators on and around Earth Day 22nd April next year - the idea is for them to share the common experience of showing their commitment to the planet AND EACH OTHER by planting trees. I have some good contacts in Africa and Australia and I will try to draw in some more from the America's and Far East.

 

http://earthday.ning.com/profile/JohnSB