Collecting a Journey: Telling the Story of Your Walk
Whether you’re taking a well-worn route around your neighborhood or it’s your first time on a new-to-you forest trail, you can collect items you find along the way to tell a story about your adventure.
On your walk, collect items as you go and attach them to your object in the order you find them. You’ll then have a record of your journey!
There are lots of ways to collect the story of your journey. Here are three of our favorites!
Journey Collecting Bracelet
- Make a bracelet out of wide tape (duct or packaging tape) sticky side out. Make sure it is a bit larger than your child’s wrists so it isn’t too tight.
- Use thinner tape (like masking or scotch) or a wide piece of ribbon to protect your skin from the sticky edges.
- Wear it on your walk and stick small items you find to it.
Journey Collecting Crown
- Cut a strip of cardstock long enough to go around the circumference of your child’s head. You can cut fun shapes and points along the top to make the crown unique. Don’t have card stock? You can also use cardboard or a paper grocery bag.
- Wrap the cut-out crown around your child’s head, and adjust it until it fits snuggly. Holding the crown with your hand at its desired size, attach a staple, tape, or glue to hold the crown in place.
- On your walk, attach the items you find along the way using tape using tape.
Journey Collecting Stick
- Find a stick ahead of time and prep it before your walk. Look for a stick about 1 inch thick and about 12-15 inches long.
- Wrap and tie string or rubber bands around your stick so that you can attach items you find to your stick along the way. Alternatively, you can use strips of cardboard in place of a stick and glue or tape items on.
- Go for a hike or walk and encourage your child to look around their environment for interesting objects to attach to the stick. Examples include leaves, flowers, and feathers.
Extension Questions and Ideas:
- Use your bracelet, crown, or stick to share the story of your walk.
- Were you able to find items that helped you find your way back to where you started? What types of items gave you the most clues?
- What did you find most of?
