The Nature Challenge
Since beginning my forest school training, I have become very interested in the role that nature has to well-being. In fact, I have probably become a bit obsessed over it, I completely utterly fascinated by all of the benefits of nature and some of the research that is being produced and discussed. I am currently reading ‘the nature fix by Florence Williams’ which I highly recommend to anyone that is interested.
Also, whilst experiencing the current pandemic of Covid-19 I am sure that we are all feeling in different ways the impact on our well-being. So now more then ever I think is the time to explore the link between nature and our well-being.
So, let’s just look at one example, in Japan people regularly participate in something that is called Shinrin-yoku (which is the Japanese way of forest bathing). Studies by Professor Yoshifumi Miyazaki have shown some interesting finds and things to consider. Such as in their laboratory studies they found that people that came into direct contact with wood, touching the tree trunk, smell and so on, meant that participants brains and bodies became more relaxed. This also includes natural untreated wooden items in our home or settings. (Yoshifumi Miyazaki 2018)
Furthermore, an experiment across 63 forests in Japan and 756 participants found the effect of forest bathing or being outside in nature was the following:
A decrease in sympathetic nerve activity (known to increase during times of stress).
A decrease in blood pressure.
A decrease in pulse rate.
A decrease in concentration of the stress hormone cortisol.
(Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2018 page 146) If this was not enough reasons to head for outside participants also reported after joining in forest therapy a sense of difference to their well-being through feeling physiologically relaxed, as well as feeling calm, refreshed, less anxious and experiencing a better emotional state (Yoshifumi Miyazaki 2018)!
So, here is our nature challenge for a week, spending just 30 minutes outside is said to improve our well-being.
Day One: I’m going on a colour hunt…
Nature is beaming with all sorts of colours. Take a little basket or container and see how many colours you can find. Can you find all the colours of the rainbow? When you get home, make a rainbow and display it in your window for everyone to see.
Day Two: Dandelion playdough:
Go for a walk and collect a generous handful of dandelions on your way. When you get home work together to make some lovely smelling Dandelion playdough.
Ingredients:
A generous handful of dandelions
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of boiling water
1 tbsp of oil
1 tsp of cream of tartar
Step one:
Put the dandelions in the water and blend together with a hand blender.
Step Two:
Mix the flour, salt, oil and cream of tartar in a bowl.
Step Three:
Slowly add the dandelion water mix, stirring as you go.
Step Four:
Knead it together into a dough.
Day Three: Hapa Zome (Hammer Art)
This is a great activity for not only being creative and connecting with nature, but also supporting children’s hand-eye coordination. Their ability to use tools safely and with control. To be able to look closely, develop curiosity about details such as veins and lines, too begin to notice symmetry and patterns in nature. All you need to do is find some different leaves or petals. You need a piece of white cotton or linen that you fold in half to pop your finds in. Make sure that you lay them flat and on a flat surface, use a hammer and bang the cotton. Gently pull the cotton apart and voila you have a lovely nature print.
Day Four: Colourful Crowns
Go for a walk or into the garden and see what lovely colours you can collect to make a beautiful colourful crown, fit for a prince or princess. Simply cut a strip of card that will fit around the child’s head and stick your different coloured treasures that you find onto it.
Day Five: Ice Garden
Find some petals or leaves in the garden or on a walk and collect them into a little plastic pot that can go in the freezer. Arrange the items how you would like them and place a piece of looped string in. Half fill in water and make sure that some of the loop of the string is out of the water. Pop in the freezer for a few hours. Top up with some more petals/leaves and water and put back in the freezer (again making sure that some of the string is out of the ice). When it is completely frozen hand from a branch and watch them melt.
Day Six: Forest Bathing
Go to your local woods and go for a mindfulness walk, take your time do not rush use all of your senses. What can you see, smell, taste, hear and touch? Find somewhere quiet to sit, close your eyes and feel the wind or sun on your face, what does the ground below you feel like? Or the tree trunk you lean against?
Day Seven: Nature Aliens
Collect different natural items of the floor on your walk (don’t pick) such as pine cones, petals and leaves. When you have collected lots of goodies, have a challenge to see who can make the scariest alien!
