This game empowers sensory integration, learning by using different senses, and raises awareness of the natural environment. It can be a great inspiration for many activities that get people interested in nature and promote their creativity.
Goal of the exercise
Empowering sensory integration; learning by using different senses; raising awareness; inspiration; developing an interest in nature; promoting creativity.
Participants
Number of participants:
5 to 30
Target group:
Children, young people, adults
Age of participants:
Aged 7 or above
Duration of the method
30 to 60 min (can be more depending on the way you play or number of participants)
Materials / Location
Different small natural objects found near the location, one for each participant.
A green space (garden, park, forest).
Preparation
Collect a variety of small natural objects near the location.
Step by step
Ask participants to gather in a circle.
Briefly introduce the method by explaining to the participants how we sometimes ignore details in the natural environment in our daily life, although these details are important parts of the entire natural ecosystem, each with its own place and crucial role.
Tell participants to close their eyes (unless they feel uncomfortable with this) and move their hands behind their back.
Put one of the small objects collected in each participant’s hands. Ask them to focus on it without opening their eyes and to silently explore its characteristics (size, weight, shape, surface, temperature, etc.) rather than to identify it.
After a little while, once participants have an idea of what they are holding in their hands, ask them to reflect on what they associate with the object or what memories they have of it. This task should be accomplished in a quiet and calm atmosphere that empowers their experience.
Once some time has passed, ask participants to open their eyes and to describe in turn the object they are holding to the group without identifying it. The other participants then have to guess what the object might be. After it has been correctly identified, it is shown to the group. If a participant has difficulties describing the object, help him with questions such as “What shape does it have?” and “How does it feel to the touch?”
Alternative use
Ask participants to find themselves a small natural object that is important to them, because they associate it with pleasant childhood memories or it has caught their attention. When describing the object to the group they are also asked to explain the reasons for which they have chosen it.
Participants can work in pairs, thus sharing their sensory experience and support each other when describing the object.
Participants can explore the object by using other senses than only touch (e.g. smell, taste, sound).
Use natural objects from a different climate zone for the discussion.
Use only a specific part of the plants chosen (leaf, seed, flower, etc.) for this method and discuss the differences between them (e.g. to accompany a lesson on dendrology).
Feedback
The method can be easily adapted for different topics and for specific target groups.
Experiences
The game and its variants raise the participants’ awareness of nature and let them discover many elements hidden in nature, which are then used for a more general discussion.