Connect to nature, let ourselves be still, let ourselves feel alive’ ‘Tūhono ki te taiao, e tau ai te mauri, e ora ai te mauri’
To celebrate Conservation Week, Department of Conservation have developed five easy activities for young people to do outside – one for each day of the week.
- Sensory sound map – to encourage students to listen to nature
- Spring bookworm challenge – to encourage students to read in nature
- Curious kea scavenger hunt – to encourage students to discover nature
- Outdoor art projects – to encourage students to create in nature
- Outdoor nature moves – to encourage movement and mindfulness in nature
Research tells us learning in nature:
- is good for our wellbeing and health
- keeps tamariki active
- increases attention and academic outcomes
- improves social skills.
With a wellbeing focus, these activities are designed as pick-up-and-go tools to support teaching time outside. See here: Teach Outside
Remember that these complement our Enviroschools activities in Me in My Environment and all theme areas and can help build a Map and Pool of Knowledge/ Puna Mātauranga of your local places.
Banner image: kahukōwhai/ yellow admiral/ Vanessa itea observed in a Waikato herb garden