Meet the Trees

To connect to our environment children must see what is going on. To truly see they need to use more than their eyes. Learning to use all our senses helps one to make more observations, see changes and learn patterns. It helps students become more aware of our world and appreciate its many wonders.

    Whatever we do in the first days of school sets a tone for the rest of the year. The students learn what we value and what will be important for the year. I begin each year with a series of sensory awareness activities. I begin the year with these activities because they emphasize one of the most important goals of my classroom. To be aware and to appreciate the world around them. These sensory activities have a number of purposes besides making students better observers. Being a better observer makes the students better scientists and writers. A good scientist notices the world around them. The more one sees, the more information one has, the better they can understand what is going on. Good writers pay attention to details and create a picture with words that uses all our senses.  Many of the activities help build trust and cooperation between students.  The activities also help foster empathy by limiting the students. Paying close attention and using all our senses helps one see more of the natural world. It helps find the incredible in the everyday. By involving your students the will see that learning and fun can go together.

    I start the year with many of these activities and periodically do some other throughout the year. Pick out the activities you would like to do with your class. There is no particular order. Even doing one or two is worthwhile. Participating in the activities yourself will help you become more aware of the world and serve as a wonderful model for your students. It is best to do these activities in an outdoor setting but if not a classroom will work.

    For many of these activities blindfolds are needed. Homemade blindfolds can be made from cloth strips or even t-shirts.

Trust Walks. Put the students in pairs. One student will be blindfolded and the other will be a guide. The guide leads their partner around the playground or classroom. Handing the student object or putting their partner's hands on an object. The student tries to guess what the object is. After each object the students switch roles and take turns.

    Safety is an important consideration for any blindfold activity. Be sure your students understand that there is no room for goofing around. The guide has a responsibility to keep the blindfolded person safe.

Rope Walk. Tie a rope that connects several trees to each other. Students start at one end with a blindfold on. They slowly walk along holding the rope. Put a knot or some other marker on the rope a foot in front of each tree so the students know they are approaching a tree. At each tree the student can use their other senses to form a mental picture of the tree.

Pass the Twig. Put the students in groups of six of seven. Each students comes to the group with a small twig or stone. They should feel the twig and get to know it. Next the children sit in a circle with their eyes closed. They begin to pass the twigs around the circle until the twigs are mixed up from their original owner. The object of the game is to end up with your twig back in your hands. After the twigs are mixed up tell the students to find their twigs. The students continue to pass the twigs around the circle one at a time. Before passing the twig to the next person the student holds each twig they feel for their twig. On your signal the students pass the twigs again. If the student has their own twig they pass any other twig along. Once a student finds their twig they should hang on to it and simply pass along any twig that comes their way. When everyone thinks they have their twig the students open their eyes and see if they found the right twig.

Stalking. One student is blindfolded. The other students stand in a large circle around the student. They each try to approach as silently as possible. If the center student hears someone sneaking up they point at that person. If correct that person is caught and is out of the game. The center student can’t just point randomly around. As the teacher you will have to be a judge. The rest of the class must remain silent. This game can serve as a lesson on predator-prey relationships and adaptations for survival.

Who Did That? One person stands in front of the group with back facing the students. The other students line up about 15 feet away. Point to a student in line. That student makes some sort of sound. The listener turns around and has two tries to guess who made the sound.

Mystery Tape. Make a tape of sounds heard in a forest. Some sounds to record are leaves in the wind, rocks hitting, birdsong, water or squirrels chattering. The students can try to guess the sounds.

Sense Metaphors. Students describe what the sense on a hike with statements such as the leaves were as colorful as spilled paint. The feathers are as soft cotton. 

Color Walk. Make a list of colors. Students search the schoolyard or a forest and find natural objects that match the colors on the list.

Framing Pictures. When we focus on a small area we can see more. Students can use a coat hanger, paper towel tube or cut out a 4 in by 4 in square in a piece of cardboard. Hold the frame against the ground, trees, sky, whatever and focus on what is inside. They can write, draw or discuss what they see.

Feeling Box. Put a natural object in a box. Cut out a hole large enough for a hand to fit in. The students put their hands in and try to guess what the object is in the box. Student can bring in their own boxes. Paper bags can also be used instead of boxes.

Sound List. The class can keep a list of all the interesting natural sounds they hear throughout the year.

Smell Walk. Before the class arrives mark a number of trees in the schoolyard by rubbing onion on the trees. The class walks around smelling the trees trying to figure out which one is marked. A more elaborate smell walk can be made by marking the trees in a path that leads to a prize. This activity can lead to discussion of how wolves and other animals find their prey.

Smell and Guess. Put various strong smelling materials in film canisters. Some possible materials are perfume, garlic powder, orange juice, lemon juice, mustard. The students smell the film canister and guess what is inside.

Point of View. Sometimes we see more if we look at it from a different point of view. Encourage your students to look at a tree while standing on their head. Walk backwards through the woods, Stand on a rock and look down. Lie on your back and look up. Crawl on the ground and look close.

Sensory Scavenger Hunt. Make up a scavenger hunt that requires your students to use all their senses. Some items they can search for.

something soft

something rough

something square

something beautiful

something smelly

something cold

something colorful

something slimy

something yellow

something ugly

    The items they return with will be the basis for an interesting discussion to see if they fit the criteria.

What is it? Blindfold the students or use on student as a model. Give the student an apple. Ask them if they can tell what it is just using their sense of touch. Let them smell the apple can the tell what it is yet? Give them a chance to taste it. Now do they know? Other possible foods to try would be bags of potato chips or a box of cookies.

Sound Scavenger Hike. Give the students a list of sound to listen for on an outing through the school neighborhood or on any field trip. Depending on the place you are visiting the list may include a bird songs, insect songs, leaves rustling.

Belly Touch. Compare the sense of touch of different parts of the students’ bodies. How does an object feel when touched by an arm, palm, cheek or belly. Can the student identify the object by touch without using their fingers?

Extra Sensory Techniques. We can improve our sense through practice as well as taking ideas from other animals. One method is to simply cup our hand around our ears like a deer. To dramatize the difference tell your students to rub their feet on the ground. On your signal they put up their “deer ears” and listen for the difference. Try this on a hike. Use this technique on outdoor walks. Another way to improve our senses is to moisten our upper lips. Like the wet nose of a dog the moisture collects scent particles in the air.

Longest List. Challenge the students to make the longest list of everything they can see in a given amount of time. The first part of the list is easy but by the end they will really have to look to come up with something new.

Object Memory. There are two fun activities that test how well your students pay attention. Put ten times under a blanket or sheet of paper. Lift the cover and give the students two minutes to study the times. When time is up cover the items and ask the children to remember what the items were. This can be done as a group or as individuals.

    Another version is to change something about your appearance. For example switch your ring to another finger, unbutton one button, and change hairstyles. Stand in front of the class and see if they notice.

    Cover a student with a blanket or send them out of the room. Ask the class what color shirt, pants or shoes the child is wearing. See who is paying attention. Another version is to ask questions about the school and see if anyone ever noticed. What color is the hall, how many classrooms are on the first floor, what color are the steps, what number is on the cornerstone? Take a walk through your school to come up with ideas.

Solo Silent Sit. This activity is best done in a forest, field or another natural area. It can even be done in a schoolyard. Tell the students to spread out and find a place to sit in silence and listen to the sounds they hear. Anyone that makes noise makes it harder for everyone else to concentrate. Be sure to set boundaries so no one goes off too far. Pick an area without hazards such a poison ivy. Five minutes of silence is a good start. If possible Silent Sit in different habitats and compare sounds.