Be Great, Migrate!

Michael picked up a stick and waved it in the air.  He walked around the frame of the child-sized bird nest and promptly tossed it in.  He then ran back to the pile of sticks, struggled to lift one that was over twice his height, and began swinging it in the air.  When asked what he was doing, Michael didn't respond verbally, but instead looked around and pointed to something using the stick he was carrying.  He was entranced by the natural beauty surrounding him and, even though he wasn't more than a year old, found a way to communicate his interest in the natural world around him without verbalizing his thoughts.

Building a bird's nest in the Be Great, Migrate! play habitat

Just prior to his interest in nest building, Michael had crawled under nets, leaped over string "power lines", and acted like a bird with his two older brothers.  He was able to interact with and investigate the play habitat freely.  It was amazing to see how quickly he and the other children became interested in the bird themed play area and actually played the role of birds on a migratory journey toward warmer weather in the south.  Michael, in particular, proved that age is no obstacle when playing in and connecting with nature.

Assir Abushouk, Stephanie Rustem, and Debi Sabo

Picture This!

Children entering our pocket found picture frames scattered about the forest floor and on trees.  Some were small enough to hold, and some were large enough to get inside!

A view of some discovering frames , through a suspended frame.  

A cool moment of meditation.

Observation through the window provided by the frames led to discovery of some interesting things, like this rotten log!

 Children were also given disposable cameras to use to document their observations through the frames.  Here are some of the photos that developed out of those cameras:

Molly, Kara, Britani

I Spy: Through Animal Eyes!

The final week of our Nature Play Corps adventure brought Amelea, Kaitlyn, and Terry together and allowed them to see through animal eyes.  This actually means that they decided to create a play habitat for children to observe wildlife, interact within wildlife habitats, and build their own creations with natural materials.

Learning to observe wildlife from the tree house

In "I Spy Through Animal Eyes", the children were given free range within a network of trails that connected to five different experiences.  These included:  a pine straw nest, vine-lashed tunnel, small loose parts habitat creation, large loose parts lean-to construction, and a wildlife observation tree house.  It's important to note that our series of paths/play pockets included a central island with seating for parents to congregate while their children engaged in free play from pocket to pocket. 

I spy... a blue snake!

Our play habitat generated many many many fun memories, one of which we'll share here: Jimmy came trundling down the main trail with the force of a thousand rhinoceroses and decided to turn left at the first fork, following a secret path leading to a 4 foot high tree fort, constructed of fallen timbers, rope and disguised with foliage camouflage.  He was happy to be the first one up, where he immediately grabbed a pair of binoculars and peered over the railing, anxious to spot some "wildlife". [Prior to the program, representational images of local wildlife were placed in and amongst the surrounding trees.]

Coming through the tunnel

Instantly, he exclaimed that he saw a slithering "cobra" snake on the ground.  Soon, Jimmy hopped down and rambled back down the path to discover something new.  The trail took him to a tunnel in the underbrush where he felt inspired to slither and Ssssssssssss like a snake until he reached the end.  The exit led him directly to a smaller pocket, which had appropriate loose parts for digging and building miniature habitats.  As he was vigorously digging a snake hole, he overheard some other children crowing like birds in a nearby 3x3 foot nest.  This piqued his interest, and he quickly joined the jubilant baby bird congregation.

It was awesome to see a child take a continued hold of his imagination with minimal prompting in this foreign wooded environment.  The trail system afforded children the opportunity to freely explore their environment through self-directed play.  Success through animal eyes.  

Habitat Manor (Week 3)

Cooking mac & cheese in the homestead

It was bittersweet for all of us today as our last day together in Manteo. We were challenged throughout the week and the overall product ended spectacularly!

In the Habitat Manor the children first explored an open home complete with a table set, books, and windows through makeshift wallpaper from tablecloths. Carly (later named "Mom") welcomed them in followed by Will who came upon them exclaiming, "I see you have found my home!" The kids jumped into exploration of the rest of the path just a few minutes into the half hour slot. They crossed the path to a half dome beaver dam with a seashell entrance. In front of them pointing to the right read a sign that warned, "Danger!" Some were hesitant, others dared onward. Not far down the path they came across Courtney, a worried and lost bird watcher who claimed she had been lost for 2 days after being frightened from a mysterious growl. The children immediately guided her back to their home, where spaghetti (pine needles and leaves) and water (an empty mug) were provided for her care.

Some remained to take care of the lost birder, while Carly and Will helped them search for the unknown creature, later to be determined a bear. The second group was especially creative and excited, continuously racing up and down the trail running from bears and seeking refuge in the homestead. We all made loud noises to ward off the bear (played by the 4-H caretaker ). When the bear threatened to attack again some children hid the birder under a tarp and others bravely went to fight. The play continued with massive amounts of energy and it was hard to move the children on to the next pocket.

HONEY BEARS ATTACK!

One of our final prototypes for the pilot program was a trail system of bear tracks leading up to a bear den. It was fascinating to see the different approaches each group of children took when arriving at our site. Upon their arrival, the children were asked if they wanted to become "real bears" and received paw prints on their hands to make it so.

Bear paws

The children then were given free range of the "play habitat," which allowed for 1-5 kids to occupy the den space, and afforded the other children to discover various bones, and sticks, to forage for food, or to become bears themselves.

Ferocious bears in their den

It's about ten minutes into our third play session, and a little girl is staring me down.
"Honey Bears are vicious. They are mean to all the other bears," she says. "I'm a Honey Bear, and you are the other bears." Her glare melts the log between us, giving me a hint of what is about to unfold.
"Uh-oh, what does that mean for me?" I ask.
"RAAAAAAAWWRR!"
Suddenly, I'm being clawed and hit. I collapse over the log, clearly dead. No matter, a magical bumble bee helmet brings me back to life, so that I can properly enjoy being bound. Ahead lies being a bench, a log, and a horse. It's a good day.

Captive Benji makes an excellent bench for honey bears.

Katie Johnson, Benji Palmer, and Sarah Safley

Turtle Island Extravaganza

It’s dark. And damp. The pine needles are poking my forehead, getting caught in my hair. The hemp string is not staying attached to my arms, making it more comfortable to sit in child’s pose than any other position. Nobody seems to have noticed the massive box in the corner, distracted by the glitter and glue and mom’s instructions for how to apply both. Ah, it’s my time. I poke my head out, here come the arms… voila, I am a box turtle. Mom laughs. And keeps laughing.

Getting to know Mr. Box Turtle

The first group of children entered Turtle Island timidly and were greeted by three turtles of differing species. The girls ranged in age from about 4 to 7 and, after a brief moment of hesitation, were excited to begin their transformation from children into turtles. They each tried on a shell for size and proceeded to slather paint, glue, and glitter over the cardboard pieces in various designs. As they began to finish their shells, the girls were led into the woods by Mr. Box Turtle toward the Enchanted Forest.

A turtle parade through the woods

Britani Lolley, Benji Palmer, and Stephanie Rustem

Sky Island

Coming in for a landing to report success for mission "First Flight" on Sky Island.

We taught many a baby bird to fly in our suspended trawl net fastened 5 feet high with rope and webbing to surrounding trees. After the baby birds learned to fly in the sky net they were then free to explore the island via branches (logs on the forest floor setup to act as balance beams) and help build a person-sized nest. Children of all ages (2-10) quickly took on the role of becoming birds and allowed the net to challenge them at their own personal level. Some were content sitting in a low area whereas others flew to the highest points and slid down for landings, both bumpy and smooth.

Baby birds trying out different "landing" techniques

It was important to assess the risk of the net, how it was suspended, and minimizing the possibilities for toppling over the edge. Phil Waters of the Eden Project is experienced with rigging up nets for similar play purposes, and was an inspiration as well as a key risk assessor in the construction of the net. After several adults tested the net (and didn't want to leave), we knew the children would have a beneficial, safe, and fun experience.

The net crew: Courtney, Amelea, Phil, and Sarah

The net afforded multiple levels of challenge in allowing the children to adapt and learn about their own mental and physical limits as well as interact with other children in an inclusive and civil manner.

  Kids of all ages learning to fly

The adults matched the children's collective enthusiasm for the net, each parent/chaperone expressed this by exclaiming that they would set one up in their backyard for the kids!

Note: No actual birds were harmed in the making of this play habitat :)

Courtney, Amelea, and Sarah

Hideaway Cove

Turtles exploring Hideaway Cove

Upon first arrival to Hideaway Cove, this particular group of girls were seemingly uninterested in the beach environment we had created for their play habitat. Lining up side by side, they stared at us, hoping for some sort of prompting regarding their actions within this strange place. Giving in, we decided to introduce them to the numerous bird nests around the island, which afforded them the opportunity to notice the brightly colored, large eggs found within each nest. This was clearly something that excited the girls, and one by one they decided to collect all the eggs found in and around the Cove. When they had collected them all, and piled them in the central area, one of the girls noted that the momma birds would not be happy to see their eggs missing! Hearing this, the girls decided that putting the baby bird eggs back in their nests would make momma bird happy, as she could then have baby birds to raise and care for when they hatched.

Collections of treasure are brought to the center of Hideaway Cove

This was a poignant moment for our play exercise, because it showed us that children already have the concepts of conservation and protection of wildlife in their imaginations. This is important because it shows us that we created an effective environment that fostered imagination as well as interaction and conservation within the setting of the coastal environment, which closely matches the goals set forth by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Terry Welles, Kara Oikarinen, Katie Johnson

The Enchanted Forest: From the Trees

Today was our second prototyping experience with children.  Our play pocket encompassed an "Enchanted Forest," containing very old talking trees!  We placed our pocket in a clearing containing several dogwoods-- the largest we've ever seen!  The space was naturally magical already, so we did little work to it besides clear low brush and thorny vines, and remove Poison Ivy.

When the visitors met Will and Assir (some of the talking trees) they interpreted the voice of  his tree stump friend: his birthday was today!  They sang happy birthday and even counted the rings to see how old he was!

Assir and our friend reading a sign pointing them down another trail.  It says HELP!

The children met Mother Tree (a HUGE 4-trunked dogwood, and Molly), who told them the little known fact that trees actually need children to play with them to live!  They also found a swing!

The talking trees: Will, Molly, and Assir

Sound Island

*Clink* *Clank* *Ring* *Tap* *Crunch* *Howl* *Growl*

Some of our "animals" that inhabited the island :)

Sounds of the forest that resonated though our play habitat, Sound Island, this week. We set our stage with a multitude of "instruments" - a harp: fishing line strung up in between two trees; Castanets: shells clapped together; Wind chimes: silverware found along the beach strung up from a tree; Drums: old containers; Maracas: Tupperware containers filled with sand, sea glass, and sticks; Drumsticks: sticks and silver ware; Guiro: carved notches into a tree branch; Ocean collage chimes: part of a crab buoy, shells, and sea glass strung up on a piece of drift wood. So many things to create our animal orchestra!!

Ocean Collage Chimes :)

But an animal orchestra needs an animal choir to accompany it! We encouraged the kids to use their voices and anythings else they could find in the woods in addition to the "instruments". They howled and growled and on occasion, we heard howls back! The kids were in awe!! To help the kids envelop their new animal persona, we painted out faces like animals!

The kids loved it! They even were inspired to become artists themselves and painted our faces too!

Then some treasure hunters discovered our island! They were searching for treasure that a note they found on the Hidden Cove said would be with the wolves (indicating our island). We had no gold, be we did have the treasure of music that we were more than happy to share with them!

Kaitlyn and Debi after face painting :)

-Kaitlyn, Debi, Carly

The Great Fire Escape

The scene was set: The fire at Alligator River has resulted in the mass movement of animals from their homes to a new area of refuge. But how would these animals survive? Sure, there is plenty of food and water available, however, the animals lacked homes in which they could thrive. It was up to our nature helpers to build new homes for the animals that had been displaced or become the animal travelers themselves.

Building new habitats

The initial group of children with whom we nature-played were between the ages of 5 and 8. They quickly took to the idea of the movement of animals and were inspired by the natural elements within the context of the play pocket. The children moved small, fallen branches in order to build forts and swung from tree limbs. They took on the roles of animals that might thrive in the environment and were willing to build new homes for the homeless animals. A few children travelled down a path within the confines of the play pocket and discovered a “pond” in which lily pads floated and “frog” children hopped. Instead of designing a new home for the animals that had been displaced, a number of children saw it fit to dig through a decomposing tree and discovered a world of insects that lived below.

Discovering what lives in the pretend "pond"

The forest was alive and the children were immersed in its beauty.

Will Ericson, Kara Oikarinen, Stephanie Rustem

Creature For A Day

Creating creature masks

Throughout the week, we have been taught and re-taught how to play and use our childlike tendencies while in the woods. Today, we got the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of children and it was inspiring to say the least. The children we engaged with today really enjoyed the opportunity to use their imagination within nature while making their animal masks. One group of children all decided if given the opportunity to be an animal they would all be different species of rabbits; jack rabbit, bunny rabbit, and a cotton tail rabbit. After they finished making their masks, they thought it would be fun to play a game and pretend to be those animals in the woods.

Creatures!

The children later suggested adding another animal to the game, a bear, where it would chase the rabbits around in the woods, much like reality. A different group with more children had a more diverse set of animal masks, ranging from a cat, dog, baboon, and a girl monkey. They let their imagination take over and created their most favorite animal.

Assir Abushouk, Katie Johnson and Britani Lolley

Wild Imagination in Bug City

Today was the first time we actually got to play with children.  We constructed a play pocket themed “Bug City,” surrounded by pre-existing magical vines, a fort made from nearby forest matter, and some structures that looked a little like bug homes.  In the pocket, we had some bug costume objects, magnifying glasses and bug boxes.  Our intention was to be as hands-off as possible, and we didn’t really know what to expect…

The third group of kids to enter was three kids: two boys and one girl, ages 6, 6, and 3.  Before we could do anything, they had started to deconstruct the path to build a life-size teepee!  Quickly, Bug City was under siege, by one of the kids and Sarah (one of our playworkers), attacking another child and Kaitlyn—the good bugs, the playworkers’ roles having been assigned by the kids.

The youngest child chose to dig in the dirt, searching for worms or anything else living under ground.  He was curious about what he might find, and began to discover some potential living space!  As he dug, he asked Molly to help him, and to also look at what he was finding.

Soon, though, the dramatic play surrounding him threw some of the warring bugs into jail (the fort), and he jumped in to free them with his special protective powers. 

However, once safe again, he returned to his digging and investigating.  The ability of this young child to pass between focused investigation and involvement in the dramatic play was incredible.  And the imaginative power of all three children, as well as the clear role they wanted us playworkers to play in their game felt so right.  

Molly, Sarah, Kaitlyn

Adventure Theater - Action!

Today was the day we had all been waiting for! We were finally able to explore and enjoy our play pocket (The Adventure Theatre) with the children from all over the Outer Banks community. We had planned the various ways in which the children would explore our pocket, but there was really no way we could have predicted their actual behavior...

 Intro to the Adventure Theatre!

Our first group of the day was clearly interested in the theatrical performance we suggested they produce, which gave extra meaning to the observational nature walk. During the walk, the children were extra observant, knowing that the skit would be a direct reflection of the things they saw and noticed during their time away from the stage. They saw all kinds of critters: daddy long-legs, sneaky lizards, flocking birds, and big black ants. They also imagined that monkeys, bears, raccoons, snakes, and bobcats were hidden in the brush along the trail, which really got their imaginations going. We also learned about the many ways plants protect themselves, such as the Devil's Walking Stick. Unfortunately, we spent so much time thinking and talking about the various critters that could be in the area, we didn't get to perform a play; I'm sure, though, that had we been able to, it would have been superb!

 Learning about the dangers of the Devil's Walking Stick!

The second group of the day featured kids that were a little bit older, and absolutely excited for heading into the woods on the trail (and into the lands of the trolls!). They were not initially sold on the idea of performing a play, but seeing the environment, and experiencing the sounds and adventuresome nature of the trail got them totally jazzed about using their imagination to become something they could freely express through action. On the trail, they were particularly concerned about trolls that may have been lurking in the thicker vegetation, and out of this concern came the idea of becoming hunters, which use bow-and-arrows to defeat their enemies. One of the group members played the part of an ant, who was laying golden eggs (pine cones), which the hunters were trying to gather, so they could become rich and wealthy! The skit was amazing, and should in fact be nominated for an Oscar or two this coming year.

The guys with their bows and arrows

Our final group of the day was composed of many younger girls, who had minimal interaction with the deep woods environment, but were particularly excited about the prospect of performing on a stage for their chaperones. Understanding their timid approach to the natural environment, we eased them into the trail environment, and let them direct their own pace and interactions. They were quite observant, and actually opened up quite a bit to the prospect of getting out of their comfort zone and exploring the natural elements of the trail experience. They decided that their skit would revolve around a queen and princess theme, and picked up things along the trail that they could then use to fashion headgear, necklaces, and staffs representative of the royal experience. The children had a lot of fun performing several different skits for their chaperones, and left our Adventure Theater with large grins and mementos for remembering the experience.

 A Princess takes the stage!

Overall, the day was one that none of the three of us will ever forget; the interactions with the children, introducing several of them to experiences that they had not had before, as well as the authentic fun of the theater and skits performed all had incredible effects on our perceptions of children and how they can interact with the natural environment. We will use this incredible experience as a base for further positive interaction with children, and hope that the children will use the experience as a springboard for further positive interaction with the natural environment.
  
Life's a Stage. Play: We prepared and we played, so where are we now and where do we take what we have learned? That is a question we may have resonating throughout our minds during the hours and days ahead. Children develop their own wild worlds that are unpredictable, and sometimes as adults it is hard for us to keep up physically and mentally with the incessant jumping from plot to plot. One moment we are deer hunters, within the same scene we evolve into pirates, and in the end we are back to hunters in the woods. It is important to jump in and play along, but we don't always have to be actively involved with our kids. We should step back and allow their imaginations to take them wherever, without fretting over keeping up. Children don't require our involvement and we should respect the room for them to grow as individuals. But if an invitation is handed out to play along, strap up your boots and go! Just let your childlike imagination take over.

Debi, Courtney, and Terry let their imaginations take over!

Thanks! Debi, Courtney, and Terry