Sharing
Nature with Children, Volume 2
Stage 1: Awaken Enthusiasm
"Nothing
is so contagious as enthusiasm....it is the genius
of
sincerity, and truth accomplishes no victories without it."
-Bulwer-Lytton
As
the name suggests, this stage is playful. Fun-filled
games
and activities create a lively flow of energy. You'll know
you've
met the goal of this stage when you realize that everyone
is
playing with joyful enthusiasm.
In
Sharing Nature with Children, I called the activities of Stage 1
"Otter" games, because the otter is the only animal
that
plays throughout its adult life. Through shared fun, the
Enthusiasm
stage gives people a feeling of closeness with one
another.
It creates a base of alertness and enthusiasm on which
you
can build subtler, more meaningful learning experiences.
When
you lead nature outings, it's extremely important to
get
off to a good start, because people generally decide within a
few
minutes whether they're going to have a good time. By
starting
with lively games, you're far more likely to get the
group's
whole-hearted participation.
Many
people resist anything new. To get them to participate
enthusiastically
in sensitive nature activities, you'll first
have
to convince them that they're going to have a good time--in
other
words, that in this case at least, "new" is going to
equal
"fun."
The first stage accomplishes this. Grownups and teenagers
are
more likely than young children to adopt a cool, wait-and-see
stance,
but I've seen the power of the Stage 1 games win over
even
very skeptical groups.
Wild
Animal Scramble and the Animal Clue Game are excellent
for
breaking the ice and encouraging passive groups to
participate
fully. Wild Animal Scramble is wonderful for creating
an
atmosphere of fun. To play, you pin a picture of an animal on
each
person's back, then you tell them to ask the other players
questions
until they find out which animal they are. Few people
can
remain coolly detached while everyone else is laughing and
hooting
at the skunk or buzzard pinned to their back. (For
complete
instructions, see Sharing Nature with Children.) The
Animal
Clue Game, described later in this book, works well too,
and
takes less time than Wild Animal Scramble.
Elementary-age
children nearly always have plenty of energy.
The
Enthusiasm stage provides a structure for their high energy.
After
you've gotten their attention with several spirited Stage 1
games,
you can refine the level of fun with subtler activities.
Once
they realize you're a person who knows how to have fun,
they'll
listen eagerly to your suggestions.
The
attention-focusing effect of these playful games
deflects
potential discipline problems before they occur. The
children
become so engrossed in having fun that they have no time
for
mischief.
The
magical power of the first-stage games never ceases to
amaze
me. I experienced this with a group in Japan, where the
games
worked their spell in spite of the awkwardness of having to
speak
through a translator. The group, all adults, stood
listening
politely to the translator with solemn faces. After a
short
introductory talk, I explained Wild Animal Scramble. Not
knowing
what to expect from this gravely courteous group, I was
relieved
and delighted when at one point during the translation
every
somber face broke into a smile of joyful expectation. I
could
almost feel the energy of the group shoot up, establishing
a
tone of lively enthusiasm that lasted throughout the day.
Later,
the adults watched while I worked with a group of
fifteen
sweet-natured second-grade girls and five ten-year-old
boys.
The boys were a little wild--pushing and boxing each other
and
making a steady patter of smart remarks.
To
establish a mood of fun and cooperation, I first had to
capture
the boys' interest. I cut short their banter by briskly
hustling
the children into a circle. With the circle formed and
the
children holding hands, I had at least the outward appearance
of
control. I introduced the game of Bat and Moth, choosing the
five
boys to play Moths while I played Bat. As I "flew"
around
the
inside of the circle blindfolded, I had only my
"sonar" to
guide
me to my prey, the Moths. Every time I called out
"Bat!",
they
had to cry "Moth!" while I tried to tag them. This
created
lots
of excitement among the Moths, and it was tremendously
entertaining
for the girls. The game took about 10 minutes, and
by
the end all the children were having a great time. They were
eager
to find out what I had to offer next. (For full details of
Bat
and Moth, see Sharing Nature with Children.)
These
experiences show how important it is to choose your
first
activities carefully, with sensitive awareness of the
group's
special needs. Wild Animal Scramble gave the adults an
amusing,
energy-raising challenge without bending their dignity.
The
adults might not have related as well to the rowdy,
child-oriented
energy of Bat and Moth. But if I had tried Wild
Animal
Scramble with the children, the boys would have had far
too
much time to get into mischief.
As
you become familiar with the games and gain experience
with
groups of varied ages, you'll find it increasingly easy to
sense
a group's needs and choose appropriate activities.
HOW TO ORDER:
All Sharing Nature Products are now available
through secure
online ordering.
Or call toll free to order through Inner Path at 866-665-7765
In the United Kingdom you can order our books from Deep
Books, ltd.
Contact: David Birkett, david@deep-books.co.uk
Joseph Cornell's books are currently available in the
following foreign languages: Chinese, Danish, French, German, Greek, Italian,
Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Slovene, Spanish, and Thai.
|
