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Natural Dominoes

Resources
Natural objects, as they’re found

Where
Skinny Woods, Hawkhill Wood, Innocent Walkway.

Why
To encourage detailed observation of our natural surroundings and to build up associations between living things. [As all the items collected will be related]

How
On a walk, or between activities, stop in a clearing, choose two different objects from around you and lay them down on the ground, next to each other. Make sure that they can be associated in some way (could be because they come from the same plant, they both have a similar biological function, they are the same colour, etc.) and explain this association. Then ask one child to go and find two objects—one to match one of your objects and another, different, object that has some kind of relation to their first object.

When they have returned, ask them to lay down their objects, with the matching object next to yours. Ask them to explain why they chose the new one. Then, send another child away to look for another two objects—one to match one of either objects at the end of the increasing chain. [Two children could go looking at the same time, as there are two ends to the chain—but remember to ask each child to explain the association between their objects to the group.] Like dominoes, it could be made more complex by splitting the main chain and having off-shooting chains from this chain.

This could be used as an introduction to exploring connections in the natural world, including food webs and cycles, as the associations between objects could become more complex. 

It could also be used as an introduction to environmental art, as the objects can be laid out in any pattern on the ground. Photographs could be taken when you’ve all finished.

Back to Wild Animal Detectives!Up to Index of Games Onwards to exercise your Wild Imaginations!
 

Go explore for yourself!