Share Inspiration
Recipe for a Forest
- Share Inspiration
- Aesthetic appreciation, balance of nature
- Day / forest
- 2 or more
- 7 years and up
- 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, © 1998 by Joseph Cornell
