Creative activities. Sample activities in the forest:

Transcription

1 Sample in the forest: Imagination is more important than knowledge; because knowledge is limited while imagination encompasses the whole world. Albert Einstein

2 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas For the theme of Activities, we present: SUMMARY OF INFORMATION ACTIVITIES SUMMARY OF INFORMATION In this chapter you will find some ideas to enrich your guided excursion through a series of creative. They are ideas to combine crafts with games. On long excursions or in a special camp, creative can expand themes you have developed and keep your audience engaged. We include to carve and cut wood, to build musical instruments and nests, to play games, and other things that promote creativity and improve the ability to observe the colors of the forest. Many of these require a certain amount of preparation, and in some cases a wood shop or a worktable. Because a good portion of these require a lot of material, you may ask for a partial donation from the participants. 360

3 Sample in the forest: Activities No. 1 CARVING WOOD BRANCHES Contents: Carved sculptures on columns of wood. Objective: to experience wood as a raw material during the creative process of the activity Type of activity: physical, creative No. of participants: maximum 15 people Age: 10 years and older Time limit: minimum 4 hours Materials: wood carving tools chalk chisel first aid kit Preparation: prepare the wood bring in an expert (carpenter, sculptor) Weather conditions: dry season Development: Before the activity you should find a place in the forest where there are trees that have fallen from some natural phenomenon. Each participant should choose a branch approximately 1 m high or long and 60 cm in diameter. Before beginning the work, an expert should explain carving techniques using a chisel size 4 or 5. This brief lesson is important to reduce the risk of accidents and wounds. Nonetheless, a first aid kit should always be at hand. After removing the bark from the branches, each participant thinks about what he/she wants to carve and uses chalk to draw the shape on the wood. Animal figures are the easiest to begin carving. 361

4 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas During the carving process, you will again need the assistance of the expert who should move from participant to participant to help them resolve any practical problem they may have. During the work, the guide can give information about the raw material (the wood) and other important basic knowledge. Leave the carved branches in the forest for other visitors to admire. Suggestions: For the carving, the maximum number of participants should be 15. This number depends also on the availability of chisels, which can be very costly. However, some technical or vocational schools have the necessary tools and might loan them to the protected area. Because carpenters and carvers have lots of experience in woodworking, it is recommended that they participate in the preparatory phase of this activity. Variations: Once the carving is finished, the sculptures can be painted with a blowtorch. Additional information: Some species of trees that are usually used in carpentry are mahogany, teak and cedar. 362

5 Sample in the forest: Activities No. 2 CONSTRUCTION OF A WOODEN TENT Contents: Construction of a wooden tent, igloo style, using natural materials exclusively. Objective: to experience the versatility of wood Type of activity: active No. of participants: maximum 10 people per tent Age: 7 years and older Time limit: approximately 3 hours Materials: rope or cord 3 or 4 scissors or sharp knives cloth or blankets (may be branches with leaves) Preparation: choose an appropriate site Weather conditions: N. A. Development: First, straight but flexible branches must be found and prepared. These are necessary for the construction of the tent. With the help of the guide, the children learn by testing, which trees or types of wood are especially appropriate for this activity. Use a strong pair of scissors to cut the sticks, 1 to 2 cm thick, by 1.5 to 2 meters long and remove all the leaves. You will need 51 sticks to construct 17 braces, or supports, using 3 sticks for each brace. A basic simple tent frame can be constructed with 3 braces. Then, consider how many participants you have and how many braces you wish to use per tent; 17 braces will give you a number of options. To make a tent brace, or support, lash one stick first to one end of another stick. Then, lash another stick to the other end of the 'middle' stick, resulting in one long brace of about 4 meters. Once you have your braces ready, bend the braces in a similar manner, place them to form a circle and lash them together at the top with the rope or cord. (See Annex) The braces are then anchored in the ground to about 10 cm deep, to prevent the tent from collapsing. 363

6 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas Cover the structure with the prepared blankets and cloths or use branches with leaves that can be lashed with the rope or cord to the braces. The more cloths that are used, the fewer the number of braces required. Suggestions: Once the work is completed, the following is recommended: Prepare thin sticks, about the thickness of a finger, of strong, green and not too flammable wood to cook sausages or bread (see SAMPLE ACTIVITIES IN THE FOREST, Night Excursions). Spend the night in the tent (see SAMPLE ACTIVITIES IN THE FOREST, Night Excursions). 364

7 Sample in the forest: Annex to Activities No. 2 CONSTRUCTION OF A WOODEN TENT Instructions to make the braces: Join the sticks with the rope, allowing for an overlap of 50 cm Bend all the braces the same way. Place all the braces in a circle, one on top of the other, tie a knot at the appex. 365

8 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas Activities No. 3 CONSTRUCTION OF A BARK CABIN Contents: To build a bark cabin in the style used only a few decades ago by German woodcutters who were unable to return home at night when they were working deep in the forest. Objective: to construct cabins made of tree bark Type of activity: active No. of participants: maximum 10 people Age: 13 years and older Time limit: 3 to 4 days Materials: first aid kit axes, saws and hammers ruler or measuring tape knife to remove bark base (18 round wood slices, 12 to 15 cm diameter) horizontal bar (24 m long round wood, 12 cm diameter) beams (7 pieces of round wood, 4 m long, 12 to 15 cm diameter) cover (12 m 2 tar paper) bark (approx. 35 m 2 ) nails to affix the bark, 90 mm, 5 pounds nails 130 mm, approx. 5 pounds nails 180 mm, approx. 5 pounds tacks for the tar paper approx. 2 pounds Preparation: acquire material and prepare the construction site Weather conditions: avoid rainy conditions 366

9 Sample in the forest: Development: First place the corner columns that reinforce the horizontal beams or transversals. Nail the prepared unions together. The corner columns and the intermediate columns, depending on the size of the cabin, are buried in the ground to a depth of approximately 60 cm. Do not forget to leave spaces for the entrance and the windows. To construct the roof, use round beams 4 meters long. The overhang on both sides should be approximately 0.5 meters. Above the beams nail staves 20 mm thick on a total of 12 m 2. Cover it with 12 m 2 of tarpaper. Cover the entire structure, including the roof, with the tree bark. For this, you need the bark of three trees, without branches where possible (2.5 to 3 m 3 of wood mass). This is done with a knife. To remove the bark by hand and requires a lot of skill. In all, about 35 m 2 of bark is needed, which is equivalent to individual pieces of 1.5 to 2 m. If the bark is not used right away, it must be laid out in the shade and have weights placed on it to prevent it from curling. Suggestions: Experienced carpenters should do the work. If you are working with young people, you need at least one adult for every three youths. The site should not have rocks or big roots. The cabin can be constructed on slight and moderate inclines (see illustration). 367

10 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas Activities No. 4 TABLE GAME Contents: With bits of wood we build a simple African game called Mancala. Objective: creation with wood Type of activity: active No. of participants: maximum 15 people Age: 10 years and older Time limit: approximately 1 hour Materials: piece of wood (plank approx. 20 cm x 10 cm x 2 cm) files saws and sand paper seeds chisel and hammer Preparation: prepare work area Weather conditions: N. A. Development: Chisel 12 small holes in the plank (two rows of six holes for the game) and 2 larger elongated holes (holes for the winnings on the two far ends). The holes should not penetrate the plank and should be of sufficient size to hold 6 seeds each. Sketch: X = hole for the winnings = hole for the game 368

11 Sample in the forest: After carving the holes with an appropriate tool, such as a chisel, the game board should be sanded until it is smooth. Rules to play the game Mancala, a simple table game, from Africa. Mancala was played thousands of years ago in Egypt. Chiseled stone tables were found in the Keops Pyramid and in the Luxor and Karnak Temples. The Mancala table has six holes to play along the length of each side and a hole for the winnings at each end. At the beginning of the game there are three seeds in each one of the six holes of the game. The two players, A and B, each have six game holes on their respective sides of the table and a hole for the winnings located on their right. The first player, A, removes all the seeds from one of the holes on his side, for example from Hole 1, and distributes them one by one in the following holes on his side. If Player A begins his game with the first hole, the table looks like this: (Fig. 1). If he prefers to remove the seeds from the fourth hole, he can count them so that the last one falls in the winnings hole. If he achieves this, he can play another round. Figure 1. The objective of the player is to collect the greatest number of seeds possible in their winnings hole. The game ends when one player has no more seeds in his game holes. But, if he begins his game with the seeds from the fifth hole, he distributes the three seeds in the holes 6, 1 and 2; that is he begins the count in Hole 1 located at his left (Fig. 2). Figure

12 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas The opponent may intervene in the other player s game if the last seed lands in an empty hole. In this case, the seeds from the opposite hole, corresponding to the opponent, can and should be transferred to his own hole (Fig. 3). Figure 3. Player A from Figure 2 follows for example with his seeds from Hole 1 and reaches Hole 5 with his last seed, which is empty. Now he can take the three seeds from Player B s Hole 2 (Fig. 3). Now Player A has no seeds in his Hole 2. He can retrieve them if he continues playing with his three seeds from Hole 5. Suggestions: The game can be played with wood paste (see CREATIVE ACTIVITIES 8, Wood Paste). 370

13 Sample in the forest: Activities No. 5 BUILDING A BIRDHOUSE Contents: Building a birdhouse to observe birds at home. Objective: to offer the possibility of observing birds at home Type of activity: lively No. of participants: maximum 10 people Age: 8 years and older Time limit: 2 hours Materials: elements (see Annex 2) nails and hammers observation lists (see Annex 1) Preparation: prepare the work area prepare the material photocopy bird observation list Weather conditions: N. A. Development: Construct the birdhouse according to the directions in Annex 2. Take advantage of the opportunity to transfer useful knowledge about wood as raw material or the importance of birdhouses in the forest. The participants take their birdhouses home. Suggestions: Do not use paint or any kind of protection on the wood. Variations: So that the participants may learn about the different methods to document their observations of birds, you can discuss and distribute the observation list. You should also mention books to help them identify the different species. 371

14 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas Annex 1 of Activities No. 5 OBSERVATION OF BIRDS IN A BIRDHOUSE Species Date Arrival Time Departure Time Quick Visit Time (to feed the fledglings) 372

15 Sample in the forest: Annex 2 for Activities No. 5 BUILDING A BIRDHOUSE Materials: Pieces of wood according to the construction plan (thickness 20 mm) 6 nails, 30 mm 12 nails, 50 mm 2 staples and wire to hang the birdhouse Building process: (see Construction plan) a. With 2 nails respectively, (50 mm) nail the two side parts against the back. b. Place the floor and nail it with 4 nails (50 mm). c. With 2 nails (30 mm) respectively nail 2 lathes on the front part (above at the height of the oblique part, down about 1 cm). d. Nail the roof with 4 nails (50 mm). The roof must overhang on all sides. e. Nail the last lathe with 2 nails (30 mm) against the front part. f. Place the front wall on the birdhouse (collapsible system see Sketch of finished birdhouse). g. Affix the wire with staples on the two sides to hang the birdhouse. c. a. e. b. d. Sketch of finished birdhouse 373

16 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas Construction plan: scale 1:2 Copy (200%), useful to make patterns. Plan: Side (2 pieces) Back wall Front wall Roof: same as back wall but 17 cm wide (dotted line) Floor 28 cm 28 cm 17 cm 2 x side wall Back wall 12 cm 12 cm 28 cm 12 cm 20 cm Floor 12 cm Front wall 374

17 Sample in the forest: Activities No. 6 HELP FOR INSECTS Contents: Construction of nests for insects, using leftover pieces of wood. Objective: to work with wood and to learn about different methods to protect the forest Type of activity: lively, investigative No. of participants: maximum 15 people Age: 10 years and older Time limit: approximately 1 hour Materials: hard blocks of wood electric drill straw or stems rope Preparation: prepare work area prepare material Weather conditions: N. A. Development: Using a drill, perforate the blocks of wood (any size but at least the size of a brick) with holes between 2 and 10 mm in diameter. The small holes do not have to be deep, but the big ones must be at least 10 mm deep. The nests are placed against the walls of houses, posts or trees in the forest. Select shady places protected from the wind. The nests can also be distributed among the participants who can place them near their homes. Suggestions: Use a short-fiber wood, such as oak, where the perforations will not close up with the humidity. A wood shop or a carpenter s bench is necessary. 375

18 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas Sketch: Variations: Many insects use hollow tall stems to deposit their eggs. For example, thatched roofs are ideal nests for these creatures. We can also help insects by gathering and tying together a bundle of hollow straws or grasses. The bundles are then put in similar places as the blocks of wood. Additional information: Help for insects? More often than not, we think of insects as nuisances because some of them sting, bite, eat our food or make holes in our clothes. Because of this prejudice, many are persecuted without reason. The very important role of insects in the ecosystem has, in good measure, been lost. Only a tiny fraction of insects is dangerous or harmful to human beings, and their supposed danger is often exaggerated. For example, think about wasps. Actually, they are peaceful insects. Their sting is not as dangerous as that of the bees. They only sting when they feel threatened. Wasps are mostly inoffensive, often useful and some are on the endangered list. Wasps are important to the forest ecosystem and are the natural enemies of forest parasites. 376

19 Sample in the forest: Nº 7 ANIMALS MADE OF WOOD Contents: use of wood. Objective: to transmit the versatility of wood Type of activity: lively; stimulates the imagination No. of participants: maximum 10 people Age: 6 years and older Time limit: approximately 3 hours Materials: carpenter s bench thin sheets of wood wood glue or other type of glue paper clips brush and paint Preparation: prepare models prepare workplace Weather conditions: N. A. Development: Each participant selects different sized sheets of wood. They can fabricate animals or imaginary creatures using the supplied patterns or using their own ideas (see illustrations). The sheets of wood can be glued together with wood glue. The animals will be more stable if they are glued to a cardboard backing. The paint can be applied afterwards. Variations: The animals can be hidden in the forest and used for a treasure hunt (see variation in FOREST AS VITAL LIVING SPACE 15, Camouflage, Warning and Deception). 377

20 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas Other materials, such as seeds, leaves and branches can be applied to make beautiful, fantastic animals. 378

21 Sample in the forest: Activities No. 8 WOOD PASTE SCULPTURES Contents: Making sculptures with wood paste. Objective: to work creatively with moldable materials Type of activity: meditative, creative No. of participants: maximum 20 people Age: 6 years and older Time limit: 1 to 2 hours Materials: sawdust wood paste water saw file sandpaper Preparation: prepare materials Weather conditions: N. A. Development: Mix the sawdust with the wood paste and water until it forms a moldable dough. Sculptures and other works of art or practical objects, such as plates, trays or glasses can be created with the dough. The wood paste needs one or two days to dry. Then the sculptures can be finished using saws, files and sandpaper. Variations: The Mancala board game presented in CREATIVE ACTIVITIES 4, Table Game can be made with wood paste. 379

22 A Day of Adventure in the Forest: Environmental for protected areas Activities No. 9 THE COLORS OF THE FOREST Contents: Taking artistic advantage of colorful forest leaves. Objective: to perceive the beauty of the colors of the forest Type of activity: active, creative No. of participants: 5 to 15 people Age: 5 years and older Time limit: approximately 30 minutes Materials: colorful leaves thorns or pins or tacks dead branches or trunk thimbles Preparation: collect fallen leaves Weather conditions: a very sunny day Development: The participants collect and classify leaves according to pure colors and intermediate colors; for example, green with yellow or yellow with red. Then they pin the leaves to a soft, dead trunk or branch according to the color scale. The color scale can be repeated various times. Natural materials can be used, such as thorns from some plants, to affix the leaves. Variations: If affixed to dry branches, the participants may take home their work. If the participants have cameras, they may also take photographs as a fun memento. 380

23 Sample in the forest: Color circle: Each participant, or small group of 3 to 4 persons, collects one color, for example, red, yellow, brown and green. When everyone has collected a good quantity of leaves, find a clearing and have the group form a circle with the basic colors. Then ask the participants to place the leaves such that they form the color scale. The circle closes by itself. For example: light yellow dark yellow yellow brown brownish green green reddish green red orange yellow light yellow. The leaves can be affixed in the form of a tree. 381

24