It’s not just what you play, but how you play it that counts.
In this video founder Jamie Black MA, BI shares links, books and tells some fun activities including Camouflage and Fire Keeper.
Jamie also shares some findings in their research about the keys to “hooking them” and the Hummingbird Approach, a facilitation technique that ensures a higher engagement in children and youth.
Jamie is keen on helping youth find autonomy and agency, so this is the opposite of Helicopter parenting/guiding.
Welcome to a resource of outdoor activities and theories on HOW to facilitate them.
We have hunted all over for a one-stop-shop for outdoor activities and ideas. We couldn’t find it, so we are making our own.
**Feel free to share your ideas with us and we will add to our post.
This Blog Post will continue to be updated with all outdoor activities we find, so save the link.
Jamie mentions legends such as the Coyote Mentoring approach, and teachings from John Dewey and Steve Van Matre, also Jon Young et al.
In this video Jamie explains how to play:
Camouflage
&
Fire Keeper
Here are links about
Wild Craft Play
Wild Craft Role Play
two different ways of playing the same game concept… it’s all like a video game or DnD but in real life with gold coins, quests, adventures, wild crafting and danger.
Wild Craft Play is an outdoor game platform that is endless. It was created by Jamie Black in 2008 when the struggle between “Playing Outside” and “Playing on their DS” was real.
This drove Jamie to finish a Masters of Arts in Environmental Education and communication, taking a deep dive down the rabbit hole of figuring out How to Engage children and youth in taking care of the Earth, each other, and in-turn themselves.
Get Connected through these resources:
Our Private Facebook Group The First Heart Skills Talk Series Pod Cast and show notes
Jamie Black’s Thesis “The Hummingbird Approach – A Case Study of Guided Discovery Learning for Children in Nature”
Our Earth Guides Online Community
The Heart Skills Talk Series events
Recommended Activity Links by Laura Harris
[https://redsquirrelresources.co.uk/]
https://www.livingconnection1st.net/courses/tracking-connections-podcast
https://www.fishwildlife.org/projectwild
Recommended Books:
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Games_Book]
https://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Nature-Children-20th-Anniversary
https://www.amazon.com/Coyotes-Pocket-Guide-Connecting-Nature
https://www.sharingnature.com/nature-activities.html
The Money Tree Myth by Gail Vaz-Oxlade
Nature Curiosity: A Resource for Teachers
Earth Keepers by Steve Van Matre and Bruce Johnson
Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature by Jon Young Et Al
Earth Education – A new beginning by Steve Van Matre
In the video,
Jamie reads from Earth Education by Steve Van Matre. This is a list of items to consider when planning a good activity:
![[20241112_112358.jpg]]![[20241112_112407.jpg]]
Here’s a list of outdoor activities inspired by Steve Van Matre’s experiential nature-based approach and John Dewey’s experiential learning theories, focusing on direct, hands-on, reflective experiences with nature and practical engagement:
### 1. **Sensory Awareness Activities**
– **Sit Spots**: Encourage participants to find a quiet place to sit and observe nature using all their senses, focusing on sound, smell, and sight.
– **Texture Hunt**: Participants touch various natural objects (like tree bark, leaves, and rocks) to feel and describe textures, connecting with nature through tactile senses.
– **Sound Mapping**: Have participants close their eyes, listen carefully, and “map” where sounds are coming from, drawing circles on a paper to note the direction and intensity of each sound.
### 2. **Nature Observation & Phenology Activities**
– **Phenology Walks**: Track seasonal changes in plants and animals by visiting the same spot over time and noting differences.
– **Micro-Hikes**: Use a magnifying glass to observe details on a small patch of ground, encouraging deeper connection and attention to the “small worlds” in nature.
– **Nature Journaling**: Combine written observations with sketches, recording the sights, sounds, and feelings experienced in nature.
### 3. **Ecological Role-Playing and Storytelling**
– **Animal Role Play**: Participants embody animals, learning about their habits, habitats, and survival strategies.
– **Ecosystem Scenarios**: Use role-playing to explore ecosystem interactions, such as predator-prey dynamics, pollination, or nutrient cycles.
– **Nature Stories**: Participants tell stories from the perspective of natural elements, like a tree, stream, or rock, which encourages empathy with nature.
### 4. **Hands-On Conservation and Stewardship Projects**
– **Habitat Restoration**: Engage in small projects like planting native species, removing invasive plants, or creating wildlife shelters.
– **Water Testing and Stream Cleanup**: Test water quality to learn about pollution, erosion, and biodiversity, while cleaning up local streams or beaches.
– **Trail Building and Maintenance**: Learn the skills and responsibility involved in maintaining trails, emphasizing conservation ethics and care for shared spaces.
### 5. **Problem-Solving and Team-Building Challenges**
– **Orienteering and Mapping**: Participants use maps, compasses, or GPS to navigate, honing problem-solving and team collaboration.
– **Ecosystem Scavenger Hunt**: A list of ecological concepts or items to find (like decomposers, pollinators, or different leaf shapes), promoting observation skills and team coordination.
– **Survival Skills Training**: Practice building shelters, finding water, and making fire safely, connecting with ancestral knowledge and teamwork.
### 6. **Reflective and Mindful Practices in Nature**
– **Guided Nature Meditation**: Lead participants in mindful breathing or meditation focused on tuning into the natural environment.
– **Reflections on Nature Walks**: Ask participants to observe, then journal or discuss how the experience connects to broader life lessons or emotions.
– **Nature Mandalas**: Create temporary art with natural materials (sticks, rocks, leaves) as a reflective and meditative activity that focuses on impermanence and creativity.
### 7. **Creative and Expressive Activities in Nature**
– **Eco-Art Projects**: Create art from found natural objects, focusing on low-impact, leave-no-trace principles.
– **Poetry and Nature Writing**: Encourage participants to express their experience through haikus, free verse, or reflective writing inspired by their surroundings.
– **Photography in Nature**: Use photography to capture details, patterns, or moments in nature, promoting mindful observation.
These activities incorporate both Van Matre’s nature immersion concepts and Dewey’s learning-by-doing philosophy, emphasizing hands-on, sensory-rich, and reflective experiences that deepen understanding of and connection to the natural world.