Activating the senses – Activity in a nearby meadow or park

  • STEAM Event Summary

    This playful STEAM event, which consists of seven stages linked to nature pedagogy. In the program the class goes on an excursion to a nearby park or meadow, where they make observations in nature. During their observations, they focus on using one sense more actively at a time. The session also includes other playful activities to make the program more colorful, allowing students to make further meaningful observations and thus connect closer to nature.

    This 7-stage STEAM event– while linked to the school curriculum see in the table – primarily aims to develop the following skills of 6-year-old (first-grade) students:

    Primary SPIRIT Skill(s): flexibility; resilience; curiosity sense of wonder and openness; valuing people and nature; creativity

    National curriculum Link and Objectives:

    • Learning about the senses and organizing perceivable properties
    • Creating artworks from natural materials
    • Rhythm games
    • Exploring movement-based games

  • Real-world STEAM Connection & Problem definition

    Average urban children have little or no connection with nature in their everyday lives, living in a built environment far from the natural world. The children spend their daily lives in artificial environments -frequently in urban settings – surrounded by limited natural stimuli. This has a negative impact on their well-being, in the medium term. For them, it is especially important to connect with nature through direct personal experiences. Even for those who live closer to nature, it is valuable to reflect on and organize their spontaneous experiences for deeper understanding. Through discovering and learning about nature
    Through being in nature and exploring and learning about nature, they experience that the conscious use of their senses is the basis for learning. Observation, measurement, and experimentation all build on this, which can both stimulate and satisfy their curiosity. At this age, children typically view the world from an egocentric perspective, but such activities help them realize that others may see the same thing differently. This shift in perspective helps develop flexibility, resilience, valuing the nature and people – the key competencies for the future.
    Direct experiences with nature and building connections with living things are essential in today’s world. Only through these can sustainable and environmentally conscious attitudes and mindsets take root. During the event, they will experience the importance of nature and its impact on their well-being, the lack of which is a fundamental problem for the current generation.

  • Materials at a Glance

    In a small backpack:

    • 1 water bottle (filled with water or tea)
    • Raincoat (even if the weather doesn’t call for it—it can be used to sit on and will be part of the activities)
    • Tissues
    • (Any necessary documents or tickets)

  • Indoor/Outdoor and Classroom layout

    These activities are designed for outdoor settings, with the layout determined by the specific location(s). Therefore, it is recommended that the teacher visit the site(s) in advance to conduct a walkthrough. This allows them to adapt the tasks—or their sequence—to the local characteristics of the environment.

  • Notes on Research-based approach & integration

    During the activity, children are encouraged to independently observe nature—its sounds, colors, and scents. They carry out collecting tasks in the natural environment, where they can explore the diversity of living organisms. This collection is done in groups (or individually), and each group is likely to discover different things. A key part of the activity is sharing these discoveries with one another and learning from each other.

  • Lesson Flow Overview (linked to details below)

    • 1st stage: Going to the park

      Duration: This depends on the possibilities of the given community (10 to 30 minutes).

      Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus: flexibility

      The activities can already be done during the travel. During the journey, children could have tasks.

      If traveling on foot:

      • Say when you see something that starts with the letter R.
      • Word chain (with possible restrictions, e.g., only animals, only names)
      • Which traffic signs do you know? Do you see any that you don’t understand?

      If using public transport:

      • Count how many stops the vehicle has.
      • Is there a stop named after a famous person?
      • Does anyone know who they are? (It’s helpful if the teacher prepares in advance.)
      • “How many fingers am I holding, and how many not?” game.

      If possible, the program can be combined with a hike, during which stops can be made and tasks assigned to the students. For example:

      • During a rest break, observe 1 minute of silence. During this time, listen carefully and list the sounds you hear. Were any of the sounds coming from the built environment?
      • During the break, observe how many different shades of a single color you can see, for example, green. First, everyone quietly collects observations, then together, by pointing and naming, identify the different shades.
      • During the hike, count the trail markers (touch them if possible). With older students, you can also ask them to estimate beforehand how many markers they will see on a given section of the trail. During the hike, count how many birds you hear rustling in the leaves or singing in the trees. (Extra task: try to identify the species.)
      1st stage full description
      All stages
    • 2nd stage: Observing the weather

      Duraton: 10 minutes

      Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:

      Upon arriving at the location, the children sit down in a pile (on their raincoats).

      • Close your eyes! What do you feel? What is the weather like now? (Temperature, sunshine, wind, freshness of the air)
      • How did you know what the weather was like with your eyes closed?
      • How (with what) did you sense it? It is currently _ °C. Who feels cold? Who doesn’t feel cold?
      • How is it possible that we felt differently even though we are in the same place and the temperature is the same? What does this depend on?
      • Can people perceive different things? Can people feel differently?
      • How do we actually know what the temperature is? Does it depend on who observes it?

      We can measure and observe certain properties of the things around us.

      All stages
    • 3rd stage: Run, touch and find!

      Duration: 5 minutes

      Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:

      In this stage, we make the children move. The task is to find something in nature that has a feature that the teacher “suddenly” asks for. The children do not know in advance what the teacher will ask for. Children should find different materials in nature by touching.

      Stand up! Run and touch something that is…

      • made of wood!
      • made of metal!
      • rough to the touch!
      • soft to the touch!
      • wet/dry!
      • cool/warm!
      All stages
    • 4th stage: Rhythm game

      Duration: 10 minutes

      Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:

      The children look for natural objects they can use to “make music” with. Examples include snapping dry sticks, rustling dry leaves, blowing on grass, clinking stones, hitting sticks together, or tapping sticks on the ground. The children search on their own, but the teacher can also offer suggestions. The children are divided into three groups. The teacher demonstrates the rhythm each group should follow:

      • Group 1: TA-TA-TA-TA
      • Group 2: TI-TI-TA-TI-TI-TA
      • Group 3: TI-TI-TI-TI-TI-TI-TI-TI

      First, each group practices separately. Then the teacher gradually adds groups one by one until all three groups play together. Once they manage this, the groups switch rhythms. If background noises are heard (e.g., a singing bird or construction sounds), incorporate those rhythms into the activity as well.

      All stages
    • 5th stage: Art from Natural Materials

      Duration: 20 + 10 minutes

      Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:

      The children create a picture using natural materials found in the area (nothing should be picked up or torn). It is best to work in teams (you can divide the previous task’s groups further). The children have 20 minutes to work, after which everyone walks around to look at each other’s creations.
The composition can be made freely, but a common theme can also be given to guide the artwork, such as nest, human figure, or ant playground.

      All stages
    • 6th stage: Living Camera

      Duration: 20-30 minutes

      Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:

      The children pair up. One will be the “camera”, and the other will be the photographer. The “camera” must keep their eyes closed. The photographer can position the camera by gently guiding their partner to the spot where they want to take a picture. The photo is taken as follows: the photographer lightly taps the camera’s right shoulder, and the camera can open their eyes until the photographer taps again, signaling to close their eyes once more.

      Draw the children’s attention to the following points:

      • The “shutter speed – exposition time” (the time between the two shoulder taps) can be short or long. It shouldn’t be too short, or the photo won’t well and rich in details enough.
      • Zooming is possible — if the camera is guided close to something, it takes a close-up picture; if positioned farther away, more will be included in the picture.
      • The camera can be carefully kneeled down, or their head moved gently.
      • The photographer should plan in advance, what should be in the picture.
      • 3 to 4 pictures should be taken by a photographer and make sure they are varied!

      After the photographer finishes, they switch roles.

      If possible, the children can draw their favorite pictures on-site (bring drawing boards, paper, and pencil cases), or back in the classroom, they can “make” the photos. (It’s useful to first recall the pictures with eyes closed in a “darkroom” setting.)
      Please decorate the classroom with the pictures.

      All stages
    • 7th stage: Take Cover! (Closing Game)

      Duration: 20-30 minutes

      Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:

      In this closing activity, one child is chosen (to be a “HUNYÓ” – a seeker). She/he stands in the middle of the play area with closed eyes, extend their arms sideways at shoulder height, shout “TAKE COVER!”, and counts down from 19. During this time, the other players must quickly run up, touch the HUNYÓ’s hand (while saying their own name), and then hide somewhere in the play area.

      When the HUNYÓ finishes counting, opens her/his eyes and try to spot the players without leaving their spot. They can move slightly, but one foot must remain in place at all times. If the HUNYÓ sees someone, calls out the player’s name, and that person must come out of hiding.

      If the HUNYÓ no longer sees anyone, they close their eyes again, extend their arms, shout “TAKE COVER!” once more, and counts down again—but this time starting only from 17. With each new round, the countdown begins from a number 2 less than the previous round, giving players less and less time to hide. This increases the challenge and encourages players to hide closer to the seeker. A key rule is that players cannot hide in the same spot twice in a row.
      Game variation: To make the game more dynamic, the HUNYÓ may take up to three steps while searching the players. If they still don’t see anyone after the third step, they shout “TAKE COVER!” again from their new position. This keeps the hiding spots changing and adds excitement to the game.

      All stages

  • Further Tips & Tricks for dealing with challenges (for the whole STEAM program):

    The time frame can vary significantly between groups. This is partly because first graders have different levels of endurance, and partly because some groups may become more deeply engaged in certain activities. In the first case, it’s perfectly fine to split the sessions into multiple parts and go outside more frequently or plan the program from the start with longer breaks between activities (free play, meals, changing locations, etc.).

    If the children want to immerse themselves more deeply in a particular activity, we should allow them enough time and definitely avoid rushing them.

    Ideally, these sessions can be part of a whole-morning or even full-day program, such as a field trip. Reflection and summarizing can take place on site, but feedback can also be postponed to the following day in the classroom setting, where there is an opportunity for discussion and drawing the experiences or “photos.”

  • Difficulty level tailoring notes:

    If there is an opportunity to spend more time in nature, the activity can be expanded with additional tasks.


    1) Checklist
    The children receive a sheet with pictures (pictograms) of various items. They mark on the sheet what they have seen and what they haven’t.

    Recommended checklist:

    2.) Taste and Smell
    Experiencing this is more difficult, but here are a few ideas that should be tried with proper expertise:

    • Drinkable spring water
    • Tasting well-identified (medicinal) plants (e.g., lemon balm, wild garlic – not lily of the valley! –, nettle [after being folded])
    • The scent of forest soil
    • The smell of leaves (by rubbing them)

    Identifying scents carried by the wind (e.g., smoke, a nearby animal farm, exhaust fumes from vehicles on a nearby road, etc.)

  • STEAM Program Debriefing & Reflection Questions:

    Based on the experiences gained, knowledge related to the senses can later be made conscious and organized in the classroom.
    The main focus of the day was engaging the senses, so the follow-up questions should also relate to these.

    For example:

    • Which of your senses did you have to use during the trip? Which ones were used in which activity and how?
    • How do we use each sense? We see, hear, touch, smell (taste).
    • What kinds of perception do we have? Hearing, sight, touch, smell (taste).
    • Which of your senses did you use the most?
    • Which one did you use the least?
    • Was there a sense you had to use more intentionally today, or one you paid more attention to while using it?

    You can also ask questions related to the nature walk itself:

    • What living things did you encounter? (Encourage children to think not only of animals but also of plants and fungi!)
    • What kinds of habitats did we visit?

    In terms of competence development, you might also ask:

    • Was there a moment today when you had to try something again? What helped you not give up?
      (To support perseverance and intrinsic motivation.)
    • What was the biggest surprise for you today? How did you react?
      (To reflect on adaptation to unexpected situations.)
    • Was there a time when you had to cooperate with others to solve something? How did you manage it?
      (To develop social skills and collaborative problem-solving.)

    Was there something you didn’t understand at first but figured out later? What helped you understand it?
    (To strengthen the awareness of learning and personal growth.)

  • Pilot implementation (detailed example with lesson/activity plan) – attachments

Back to the gamified STEAM programs
Back to the Grade 1.
Download PDF

Back to Toolboxes