"As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us; to know a hundred different smells of mud and listen unself- consciously to the soughing of the trees." Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this Earth
Being from a small fishing community on the coast of Newfoundland, I have always sought solace from the sea. The quiet little bays and coves of the area provide me with many of the natural treasures that I cherish from both my hometown and newly adopted province. When I visit these places, I am overcome with childhood memories of bonding with my grandfather as we skipped beach rocks and walked the rocky shoreline. These special memories often offer me a temporary escape from the daily stresses of obligations and commitments.
It is vitally important that we preserve these little idyllic places. These natural areas provide the setting for reflection, self-discovery, and solitude. It is places such as this that unite the splendour of the environment with the emotions of the heart. - Dave Parsons
Sensory Games:
Animal family
Goal
Students need to use their sense of hearing in order to complete task. Students will learn selective hearing skills in order to focus their attention on a specific source of a sound.
Steps
-Have different names of animals written on small cards. Make sure the name of each animal is repeated more than once. (Example:7 pigs, 4 cows, 6 elephants).
- Shuffle the cards and pass one to each student. Once the student has a card, they read it silently without sharing with their peers.
-Once all the students have received an animal card, they must close their eyes and walk around the room while only making the noise of their animal.
-Once students hear others making the same noise as them, they need to make their way through the crowd towards the same noise and stay together as a group.
-Once everyone seem to be in a group, have all the students open their eyes and have each group say what kind of animal they were.
Materials/ Resources
Have names of animals written on cards beforehand.
That's my tree!
Goal
Students must use their sense of smell, taste and touch in order to relocate the tree they have found while blindfolded. Students will learn to use their senses where they would usually use their eyes.
Steps
-Students are placed into partners. One will be blindfolded, the other will be the leader.
-Have all leaders lead their blindfolded partners in a short walk in the forest.
-After a few minutes of walking in the woods, blindfolded students must tell their partner what they hear, smell and feel.
- Leaders will finally lead their partners to a tree. Blindfolded students must take the time to feel the tree in order to remember every information. They must remember the height, the width, the smell, the taste, the leaves, the texture while blindfolded.
-After a few minutes, the leaders will bring back their partner to the location of the start of the activity.
-Students are now permitted to take off their blindfold and they must go back in the forest and find their tree without the help of their leader.
-Switch roles between partners. The leader will be now blindfolded.
Materials/ Resources
If you don't want to bring blindfolds for all the students, have children bring their own such as a scarf.