Activities - How will we care?
1. Nature artwork
List some ways that you experience nature and the outdoors. Do you go to the beach? Go for bush walks? Watch the sun set? Create an artwork of your favourite activity to do outside in nature. You could draw, paint, collage or build. Be creative!
2. Bird's-eye map
Draw a map of your neighbourhood from above, the way a bird flying over and looking down would see it. How do you care for your place? Include this in your map. Here is a map of The Ian Potter Children's WILD PLAY Garden from a bird’s-eye-view to help you.
3. Sensory meditation
- Choose a grassy spot to lie down and close your eyes.
- Listen to all the sounds around you. How many different sounds can you hear? What is the farthest away sound you can hear? What is the closest? What is the loudest? What is the quietest?
- Take a deep breath through your nose to smell the place you are in. What do you smell? Take another deep breath. Do you smell something different?
- Can you feel the sunshine on your face? Is the wind blowing across your cheeks? Are there any raindrops falling?
- Open your eyes and look at the place you are in. Without moving your head, can you see any birds flying over you? Are there beautiful clouds? Are the branches swaying in the wind? Are there any bees about? You are part of nature too.
4. Get involved!
Come up with some ways that you can help care for the environment around you: your school, home, parks, bushlands, rivers and oceans. You could organise a rubbish pickup at school, start a school or home garden, or build a native bee hotel. Get involved in Citizen Science programs such as observing and counting birds; or help the environment through planting trees; and cleaning up rubbish in your local area.