Observation Nature Walk

Here is a fun way for students (or campers, or scouts, or whatever you have) to test their powers of observation while enjoying nature. It is also a great way to introduce the concept of camouflage. To do this activity, you will need a short stretch of trail in the woods, ideally one that is not used a great deal - a couple hundred feet is fine.

First, collect 10 to 12 small, everyday objects that are not found in nature, such as a pencil, a toy car, a Lego, a shoelace etc.

Before the activity, distribute the objects along the trail that you have picked out. The objects should all be in plain site from the trail, but not necessarily easy to see. Some can be on the ground, but consider trees, bushes and rocks as well.

Tell your students about the objects, and how many you have hidden. Their job will be to quietly and slowly walk along the trail to see how many they can spot. No talking and no  pointing. There are several ways to do this:

• The easiest is just to have them count the objects as they spot them (silently)
• Another possibility is to distribute clipboards and have them write down the objects as they see them.
• If you are willing to do a little extra prep, you could distribute a check list of the items and have students check them off as they see them. Make sure they are not in order!

After you students have walked the path, have a discussion about what they saw. 

• Which objects were easy to spot? Why?
• Which ones were difficult? Why?
• What strategies did students use for spotting the items?
• How did it feel to concentrate so hard on looking for the objects?

Students can gather up the objects when you are done. If you have extra time, you could try it again with the same objects in different places, perhaps letting a pair of students place the objects.