East London pupils enjoy an immersive experience of nature
Thanks to Layla Conway at the London Legacy Development Corporation over 300 children from six schools in the boroughs around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) were able to take part in Bloom Nature Workshops for Wellbeing in March, June and July.
The sessions really did do what it says on the tin! The pupils discovered an enthusiasm for and emotional connection with nature that in many cases they had never experienced before. The key to this opening of minds and hearts were the simple but far-reaching sensory activities we did, coupled with a number of harmony team-games. The setting of the lovely Blossom Garden in the northern part of the Olympic Park played an essential part in the experience, especially as many of the trees were in blossom and a host of daffodils carpeted the slope up to the silver birch stand.
Here are a few things the pupils said:
The best thing was that that I got to feel nature and see really wonderful colours.
The best thing was when we looked the patterns. It was lovely. And hearing the birds singing.
The best thing was the blindfolded caterpillar game. I learnt about trust.
I really loved looking at nature on the top of the hill.
I’ve learnt how to really use my senses to explore nature. I think the senses are important because it enables us to know more.
I learnt that even if something is tiny, barely noticeable, it is worth so much more, like a grain of soil or a single bird.
Experiencing nature is very calming
The teachers and teaching assistants that accompanied the classes were delighted that the workshop was so beneficial for their urban pupils who rarely go to parks.
Here are some of the things they said:
Pupils came away with far more respect for nature.
They gained lots of information. And the freedom of being outside, in the open air was fantastic.
The best thing was giving the children the chance to get close up to nature – really look closely, feel and smell rather than just passing through.
Getting the children to team build was great.
The workshop gave the children the chance to pause and take time to really appreciate the natural things around them. Increasing knowledge eg what is pollen, what is a bud.
This was a calm, practical hands-on learning session.
All the teachers asked that we run more workshops for them and of course we would like to offer it to more schools in the boroughs around the Park. We are therefore hoping to continue working with the LLDC.
We can run this workshop in any green space so if you would like to provide this experience for your pupils please get in touch.