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

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

Monday, June 13: Red Wolf Howl

The Play Corps team went on a "Wolf Howl" as night fell at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Read the blog post I wrote about it on my personal play work blog here.

Molly