Using senses outside is a great way to really help children tune in to nature. It opens up their creativity and aids their prose. A wonderful activity I enjoyed with all ages is the senses poem. It is simple. It encourages description and good use of adjectives. It can also be completed throughout each season, creating a changing wall display and a real understanding of how seasons, and our feelings with them, change. The poem itself is simple, it can be adapted, but there is beauty in simplicity.
Activity
Encourage children to consider their senses in turn. Talk about each and how we experience them. Then ask children to take their time to compose their poem. The last section, I feel, may consider touch but may also consider feelings. Either is ok. Finish by sharing.
Poem
I see…
I hear…
I smell…
I taste…
I feel…
Younger Children
Younger children can draw a picture for each section. If they cannot write, they can still express themselves.
Older Children
Older children can be encouraged to use increasingly complex vocabulary and each start can be a verse rather than a line.
Follow Up
This can be followed up each season, to build upon the poem, create a picture of a year and help children see how they progress.