Everyone should meet in a location where there is outside space.
This could be at your meeting place or somewhere local to you, like a park.
Essentials
- Duration: 15 minutes
- Location: Outdoors
- Cost: Free
- Suitable for: Groups
- You will need: Access to outdoor space
How to run this activity
Listen carefully
- Everyone should sit or stand quietly in a circle. Everyone should hold their closed fists out in front of them, close their eyes, and listen to what is around them.
- When anyone hears noise, they should put up one finger. Keep putting up one finger at a time when you hear different sounds.
- Everyone can open their eyes and look at how many fingers everyone is holding up. How many different noises did everyone hear? Talk about what you heard.
- Can anyone recreate a noise they heard? Use your voice, or items you can find nearby.
Reflection
This activity was all about valuing the outdoors by connecting with nature. Nature has a thousand different voices if you stop using yours and take the time to listen for them. What sounds did you hear? Was it something natural or was it manmade? Did you enjoy the sound that you heard – why or why not?
There might be lots of sounds that we miss every day because we don’t take the time to stop and really listen. Next time you’re out and about take the time to stop, listen, and think about what is around you. You might be surprised at what you find.
Activity outcomes
Value the outdoors - enjoy being outside, feel comfortable in nature, and feel connected to the natural environment.
Safety guidance
All activities must be safely managed. Do a risk assessment and include hazards such as roads, woodland, bodies of water (for example, rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas), plants, and animals. Take appropriate steps to reduce risk.
You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.
You’ll probably need more adult helpers than usual. Your risk assessment should include how many adults you need. The young people to adult ratios are a minimum requirement; when you do your risk assessment, you might decide that you need more adults than the ratio specifies.
Think about extra equipment that you may need to take with you, for example, a first aid kit, water, and waterproofs.
Throughout the activity, watch out for changes in the weather and do regular headcounts.
Level up
Step it up by asking everyone to identify what made the noises they heard. Make it easier by just counting the noises without recreating them.
Take it further
You could focus on the different animal noises that you can hear around you and think about different endangered animals.
Access guidance
Make sure the area you choose is suitable for everyone in the group.
Consider using signs, mimes, or action to describe the sounds or the things that made them. This would make the game quieter, too.
Other activities
Finding an emotional bond with, and love for, nature is one of five things that can help people build a better relationship with nature.
Explore our free resources for more activity ideas.
