Summerfield Stables Workshop 1

E is for Explorer

Find different things- different types of bugs, different materials- things you wouldn’t usually see or take notice of. Bring them object back and discuss why you picked up these items.

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The kid's responses

At first, the kids were a little apprehensive of going out into the fields and picking up anything they found. It was almost as if they didn't quite understand that there was no catch- that was really what we wanted them to do! After a few seconds, however, it became clear that a few of the kids took on the role of group leaders and quickly began showing some of the new kids (as well as Shannon and I!) around, pointing out the different animals and all of the unique things in their spaces.

As we walked around the kids began to point out natural things that they thought could be used to build houses, such as sticks, logs, hay, and horsehair. They also began to use their imagination and creativity to think about how man-made materials could be used alongside natural materials to build houses and shelters that would be safe and secure for animals.

It was also interesting to see the dynamics of the kids; some chose to go off alone, some chose to go off in pairs, and some in groups. This allowed Shannon and I to observe how the kids reacted in a natural environment without any input from teachers or authority figures. Some of the most exciting things to see were how thoughtful and considered the kids were when picking up the items that they thought they could use. We were almost expecting the kids to run around and grab whatever they found but they were really careful and deliberate, discussing amongst themselves what purpose each item could serve.

Once we had collected a few bags full of items, we brought them all back to the tables and decided to look through them as a group. We asked the kids to tell us why they picked up the items that they did and what they thought they could be used for. They told us that the sticks and the rope could be used to build the walls of the houses, the hay could be used as the floor, and the the plank of wood could be used as a door. We also asked them what kind of creatures they had been thinking of when considering the houses/shelters, and got answers like bunnies, hamsters, ponies, fairies, and dinosaurs.