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Nature Activities

Awaken Enthusiasm

Focus Attention

Direct Experience

Share Inspiration

Recipe for a Forest

A. Share Inspiration

B. Aesthetic appreciation, balance of nature

C. Day / forest

D. 2 or more

E. 7 years and up

F. Pencils and index cards

Give each child an imaginary deed to one square mile of land. On this virgin plot he will be free to create his own dream-forest, complete with as many trees, animals, mountains and rivers as he desires. Let their imaginations run wild. To encourage creativity you can give the children some suggestions:

"To make your forest beautiful and radiant, you might want to add things like waterfalls and windstorms, or perpetual rainbows..."

Have them list the ingredients of their forest, then have them draw a picture of it. End by discussing with them whether their individual forests are able to maintain themselves year after year. For instance, see if they have chosen representatives of the food cycle: plant-eaters, plants, and decomposers (example: ants, mushrooms, bacteria). Don't let them forget subtle factors like soil and climate.

* from Sharing Nature with Children, (c) 1998 by Joseph Cornell

Folding Poem

A. Share Inspiration

B. Fellowship, reflection

C. Day and night/anywhere

D. Three or more

E. 10 years and up

F. Pencils & paper

After a group shares a deeply moving nature experience, I like to use the Folding Poem activity because it helps everyone express the inspiration they're feeling. It's a great way to end a week at camp, a memorable hike, or Silent Sharing Walk. This activity was originally created by the North Carolina Outward Bound School.

To begin, tell everyone that they'll be dividing up into teams of three, and each team is going to write a poem on the theme you've selected (some shared experience). Each person will have only partial knowledge of what else has been written.

Here's how to play: The first person for each team writes the first line of the poem then passes it to the second person. This person writes one line that responds to the first writer's line, then writes another; then folds the poem so the third person sees only the last line written. The third person writes a line responding to the second person's last line, then writes another; then folds the poem so that the first writer sees only the last line. The first person writes the last line of the stanza. Below is a diagram of how it works.

LINES

1 First Person Writes a Line

2 Second Person Responds

(Second player folds here before giving it to the third player)

3 Second person New Line

4 Third person Responds

(Third player folds here before giving it to the first player)

5 Third Person New Line

6 First Person Responds

Now divide up into teams and pass out a pencil and paper to each team. Then tell the teams they have 10 to 15 minutes to write their poems. Teams can write more than six lines if they finish early. After all the teams have written their poems, have each team read theirs to the group. You'll be amazed at the beautiful continuity of thought that runs through the poems. You can also create poems that are written by everyone in the group by extending the same format above.

Below is an example of a Folding Poem by Ashleigh, Keith, and Paul written at the Aigas Field Centre in Scotland after doing some forest activities.

Anchored deep within the earth

Reaching high towards the clouds

Spreading green wings to catch the winds

Tiny seeds float away to settle in the deep moist earth

Reaching down and up and out

The forest clothes the hills

* from Sharing Nature with Children, (c) 1998 by Joseph Cornell

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Sharing Nature Foundation
14618 Tyler Foote Rd.
Nevada City, CA 95959
530-478-7650
e-mail: info@sharingnature.com

			Home Flow Learning ™ Nature Activities Programs Calendar of Events Sharing Nature Worldwide Country Coordinators Joseph Cornell Books and Resources Connections and More Information

	Nature Activities
	Awaken Enthusiasm Focus Attention Direct Experience Share Inspiration

	Recipe for a Forest A. Share Inspiration B. Aesthetic appreciation, balance of nature C. Day / forest D. 2 or more E. 7 years and up F. Pencils and index cards


	Give each child an imaginary deed to one square mile of land. On this virgin plot he will be free to create his own dream-forest, complete with as many trees, animals, mountains and rivers as he desires. Let their imaginations run wild. To encourage creativity you can give the children some suggestions: "To make your forest beautiful and radiant, you might want to add things like waterfalls and windstorms, or perpetual rainbows..." Have them list the ingredients of their forest, then have them draw a picture of it. End by discussing with them whether their individual forests are able to maintain themselves year after year. For instance, see if they have chosen representatives of the food cycle: plant-eaters, plants, and decomposers (example: ants, mushrooms, bacteria). Don't let them forget subtle factors like soil and climate. * from Sharing Nature with Children, (c) 1998 by Joseph Cornell
	Folding Poem A. Share Inspiration B. Fellowship, reflection C. Day and night/anywhere D. Three or more E. 10 years and up F. Pencils & paper
	After a group shares a deeply moving nature experience, I like to use the Folding Poem activity because it helps everyone express the inspiration they're feeling. It's a great way to end a week at camp, a memorable hike, or Silent Sharing Walk. This activity was originally created by the North Carolina Outward Bound School. To begin, tell everyone that they'll be dividing up into teams of three, and each team is going to write a poem on the theme you've selected (some shared experience). Each person will have only partial knowledge of what else has been written. Here's how to play: The first person for each team writes the first line of the poem then passes it to the second person. This person writes one line that responds to the first writer's line, then writes another; then folds the poem so the third person sees only the last line written. The third person writes a line responding to the second person's last line, then writes another; then folds the poem so that the first writer sees only the last line. The first person writes the last line of the stanza. Below is a diagram of how it works. LINES 1 First Person Writes a Line 2 Second Person Responds (Second player folds here before giving it to the third player) 3 Second person New Line 4 Third person Responds (Third player folds here before giving it to the first player) 5 Third Person New Line 6 First Person Responds Now divide up into teams and pass out a pencil and paper to each team. Then tell the teams they have 10 to 15 minutes to write their poems. Teams can write more than six lines if they finish early. After all the teams have written their poems, have each team read theirs to the group. You'll be amazed at the beautiful continuity of thought that runs through the poems. You can also create poems that are written by everyone in the group by extending the same format above. Below is an example of a Folding Poem by Ashleigh, Keith, and Paul written at the Aigas Field Centre in Scotland after doing some forest activities.
	Anchored deep within the earth Reaching high towards the clouds Spreading green wings to catch the winds Tiny seeds float away to settle in the deep moist earth Reaching down and up and out The forest clothes the hills
	* from Sharing Nature with Children, (c) 1998 by Joseph Cornell
	\| Flow Learning™ \| Nature Activities \| Programs \| Calendar of Events \| \| Sharing Nature Worldwide \| Country Coordinators \| Joseph Cornell \| \| Books and Resources \| Connections and More Information \| Mailing List \| Sharing Nature Foundation 14618 Tyler Foote Rd. Nevada City, CA 95959 530-478-7650 e-mail: info@sharingnature.com