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Resources
Enough blindfolds for half the group
Where
Skinny Woods, Hunters Hall Park,
Tall Trees, Hawkhill
Wood, Innocent Walkway, Craigmillar
Castle Park.
Why
This activity links the two senses of touch and sight together,
relating what we can touch to what that looks like. This
encourages us to use more than just our eyes in making sense of our
surroundings. It also makes the point that woodlands are made up of a
collection of separate, unique trees. This is a game of trust and
responsibility.
How
Children are matched up into pairs. Each pair is given a blindfold. One
child should be blindfolded, the other is the guide. The guide should
lead their partner to any tree that they think looks interesting, making
sure to guide them round any obstacles on the way (including brambles
and nettles). They
should then help the blindfold child to explore their tree and to feel
its individuality. Children can be encouraged to do this by suggestions
such as ‘Try feeling the bark with your cheek’, ‘Can you put your arms
around your tree?’, 'Is there only one trunk?', ‘Are there other plants growing on it?’
etc. When
the blindfolded child has finished exploring, they should be led back to
where they started by taking an indirect route. Now the blindfold is
removed and they have to try to find their tree with their eyes
open. Once they have found their tree, the partners swap roles. |
