SPARKLERS / Mindfulness

Sensory Sound Map

From our friends at the Department of Conservation - this is a really simple mindfulness activity, only needing a quiet space to look and listen.
Connections with the NZ Curriculum and Mental Health Education Guide (learn more)
UNDERLYING CONCEPTS:
LEARNING AREAS:

Learning outcomes

Tamariki take part in a sensory experience and connect with nature.

He aha ai? – Why we love it

This activity provides a neat opportunity for tamariki to tune into the nature that surrounds them, and build their mindfulness skills.

Kōrero

Share with your tamariki that this will involve some careful listening - encourage them to only focus on what they can hear.. Let them know that they might like to close their eyes and try to keep their hands and bodies still.

Hei mahi - What to do

Tamariki will need:

  • A piece of paper (or a blank Seesaw activity)
  • A pen or pencil or felts/coloured pencils.

Ask tamariki to head outside and sit somewhere they can be comfy. Ask them to add to an X in the middle of their paper and let them know that the X represents (or is) them.

Encourage tamariki to sit or lie quietly and listen to all of the sounds they can hear around them. They can try closing their eyes if they'd like.

Ask them to map the sounds they can hear around them onto their paper - What can they hear in front? Behind? To the sides and even above?

Tamariki can use words/drawings/symbols/shapes to represent and describe the sounds.

See if tamariki can try this again in a different location. What can you hear now? Do the sounds around you change depending on where you are and how carefully you are listening?

This activity is part of the Conservation Week Bookmark collection.

What next?

Tamariki might choose to use their paper to create a piece of art, or a Sensory Poem.

Ngā mihi nui

We love the Department of Conservation and their movement to #teachoutsideNZ They have created some beautiful resources that support learning outside and tuning into our surroundings. We think that these Conservation Week activities are awesome and love that they've allowed us celebrate their ideas on Sparklers!

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