I was at a conference called "If you go down to the woods today..." jointly hosted by Play England, Yorkshire Play and the Forestry Commission. It was an environmentally friendly event where all delegates were able to fully engage in nature play. Holding the whole conference outside reinforced the messages we are hearing from educationalist and play professionals alike, that being outside enhances children's development.
One of the workshops was delivered by Creeping Toad. As a voluntary helper on the day I was unable to attend the whole session, but one activity I saw is great for playful, nature-loving people of all ages, whether in a group setting or with the family. Apologies to Gordon MacLellan (aka Creeping Toad) for not presenting this activity in the creative, inspirational way he did but here goes:
- Sit outside and listen to nature, discuss what creatures may be around you right now
- Place a golf ball sized lump of clay or Plasticine on the end of a piece of string (approx 30cms)
- Spend 20 minutes exploring your environment gathering any natural objects you want and stick them into your clay to create your own natural creature
It was great to see all the delegates proudly walking round with their creation all day and in the well-known words of Blue Peter, here's one I made earlier... quite autumnal isn't it?!
Rebecca Johnson is Director of Play & Learning at Eureka!.
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