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Earth Scouts Festival Activities for Children and Youth
Theme: "We're All Interconnected"
Sue Carter

Earth Scouts Festival planners each have different themes and locations, so most of the activities shown below fit the overall Earth Charter’s Core Value, "We're All Interconnected."

You can use some of the activities from the Earth Scouts Facilitator's Handbook for levels K-2 and 3-5. Some of these have been selected and are described below.

The Institute for Earth Education has developed an outstanding educational program described in a book entitled, Earthkeepers. Although the program is intended for children in upper elementary, you could use it for both older and younger children. This program requires materials and advance planning, but is well worth considering for your Earth Scouts Festival next time.

The Earthkeepers program would also be an excellent follow-up to the Festival both in schools and in Earth Scouts programs. Read the book and/or Steve Van Matre's excellent book, Earth Education: A New Beginning, for inspiration and sound ideas about guiding children in practicing the principles of the Earth Charter

Activities from Earth Scouts Facilitator's Handbooks
by Sue Carter

Activity 1: Park Visit and Scrapbook Art -- Our Magic Place.

Materials: Natural setting; scrapbook, "summit journal," or paper and markers/crayons, or colored pencils. Plain canvas bags with newspaper cushioning to use as sit-upons. Words to song on poster.

Procedure: Play the song from Rosie Emery's CD, Rainbow Land. (You can listen to this song here.) Ask the children to think about what "Rainbow Land," that "magic place" in your heart might look like. Visit a park and have each child find a "magic place" to experience. Invite them to sit quietly looking, listening, smelling, and feeling everything around them. Tell them they'll draw a picture of this "magic place" when they returning, including any imaginary details they'd like to add to the real scene. Each child might choose to add his drawing to the group mural (below) or simply put it in his scrapbook or summit journal.

Things to Remember: Children will take care of the earth if they feel their connection with it. This activity gives them time to experience the peace and joy of sitting quietly in a natural setting. Their drawing will remind them of their "magic place" and the peaceful feelings it inspired in them.

Activities 2: Whole Group Terrarium

Materials: A large glass container (with a lid, if possible), tools for two children for digging some earth. Get permission from the nature center or summit site to collect a few samples for the terrarium. Alternatively, bring samples of tiny plants, sticks, stones, etc. from your yard.

Procedure: Using a large glass container with a lid, invite the children to collect materials for the group terrarium -- soil, stones, small sticks (for fallen logs), tiny plants (moss, small weeds, a flower, etc.) Have the children suggest which materials go in first and let them take turns arranging the materials in the terrarium. You might make a stream and possibly place larger rocks around for boulders. What happens when people come into a natural setting? How are we connected to natural places? to air, water, soil, and the sun?

Things to Remember: Natural places and living things need our protection. In turn, we need clean air, water, and soil. We also need sunshine.

Activity 3: Our World Group Mural

Materials: Work table or solid surface children can gather around; butcher paper, colored pencils, markers, or crayons, scissors, construction paper or plain white paper for each child.

Procedure: Give each child a piece of paper with a word showing what he or she will add to the mural or let the children share in drawing the background (lakes, streams, valleys, mountains, forests, etc.) and add the picture they drew of their magic place to the mural. Talk briefly with the children about how they can work together to create their vision of the world they would like to see. What do they need to do to cooperate with one another?

Things to Remember: This art project can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish and as your group can do. In the process of creating the mural, the children should become aware of earth's key elements -- water, soil, air -- and of the sun and moon. The mural can show their vision of the world they would like to live in -- the goal toward which they will all strive in living lightly on the earth. The purpose of this activity is to engage the children in creating a visual reminder of the importance of living things and of our connection to them and to provide the children with an experience in cooperating.

Activity 4: Taking Responsibility -- Become a Plastic Detective

Materials: Picnic area or other location where children might find plastic discarded. If necessary, the facilitator may need to set this up by "seeding" the location with typical examples of plastic people tend to throw away carelessly.

Procedure: Walk around the area and see if you find plastic that has been thrown away. Have each child collect all the plastic they see. Come together after about ten minutes and put all the plastic the children found into the center of a circle. What would happen if everyone threw plastic out instead of recycling it?

Things to Remember: Ask children to collect all the plastic that comes into their home in one week and put it in a box or bag. Use your canvas bags when you go shopping and see if you can reduce the amount of plastic you use and discard. Children can make a large difference by becoming more aware of how much plastic they use.

Activity 5: Water Hike: Having Enough Water; Having Clean Water (for older children)

Materials: Several gallons of clean water, cups, detergent, oil, fertilizer, pesticide, etc.

Water Hike: Having enough water. (Combine this activity with others above.) If possible, show the children a stream or lake and investigate the wildlife around it (Activity 1). When the children are ready for a snack, give them some dry, salty food (crackers, a peanut butter sandwich, or other salty food). Look around for some water they could drink safely, which will probably not be available.

Sit by the water source or go up to it and let each child fill a cup or other small, clear container, with water. Does the water look clean? Could you drink it? (Explain about bacteria or other harmful substances that make pond/stream/river water unsuitable for drinking.) What do you think people do today who live in places where there is no running water anywhere in the community? Is there any way to make this water into water you can safely drink? (e.g. boil it).

When you think about water, what do you care about besides having enough water that you can drink? (cold water, easy to get, such as running water, enough for everyone, and, of course, clean water). Lie back, close your eyes, and imagine that you will stay here for a week, getting all the water you need from the pond/stream/river/lake. What will your life be like?

Water hike: having clean water. At this point, the children should be getting a little (not too much) thirsty. They should begin to want some clean, cold water to drink. Bring out a half gallon container of clean water. Divide the water into a number of containers, clear if possible. Now, add some chemicals to each container -- oil for one, detergent in another, a little fertilizer in another, etc. Carefully label each cup. Ask the children which cup they would prefer. When they are sufficiently impressed with the benefits of clean, cold water, take out another half-gallon container or two or clean, cold water. Give each child as much water as he or she wants.

Ask each child to keep in mind as they use water at home how fortunate we all are to have clean, cold water right at our fingertips whenever we want it. Give each a badge to wear showing that they are now certified water detectives who will work to keep our water clean and plentiful.

Activity 6: Making Gifts (Caring for people)

Materials: Paper and colored pencils, crayons, or markers; origami designs (optional)

Procedure: After lunch, you might read a story (e.g. Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge, by Mem Fox, about people caring for people (in this case, a small boy who enjoys and helps elderly people). Talk about elderly people the children already know. How do they feel about old people? What do old people have to contribute now that they no longer have jobs? What can you say to an elderly person when you visit them? Gauge your activity on the children's responses. If children in your group don't know much about elderly people, they may need help in seeing how to relate to them. If most children already enjoy older people, the group can simply have fun sharing experiences. Make a gift (a picture or origami object for an elderly person. Have the children put the gift in their canvas bag to give to someone.

Things to Remember: The Earth Charter reminds us to care for other people as well as for the earth, plants, and animals.

Activity 7: Helping Paper Chain

Materials: Colored construction paper cut in strips, stapler

Procedure: Prepare paper chain strips by cutting sheets of colored construction paper into one-inch strips. Give each child one or two strips of paper. Ask them to share ways they can help their friends -- share toys, walk to school together, ask friends to join them in games, etc. Have the children write their ideas on their paper chain strip or draw a picture showing the action. Make an Earth Charter Helping Paper Chain. Each child makes one or two links. Hang the paper chain up. Alternative: Have each child make one or two Earth Charter bracelets to remind them of the Earth Charter principles of caring for others.

Things to Remember: Everyone is important, even those you don't particularly like. We should never make fun of anyone.

Activity 8: Exercises for Kids -- Taking Care of Yourself!

Materials: Look for a book or video with good, easy exercises to do with the children. Choose three or four all children can do.

Procedure: Pantomime a tired, worn out person watching TV, snacking on junk food, dropping candy wrappers on the floor. Have another person (e.g. the Plastic Detective) come in and suggest different behavior. Have the "couch potato" complain that it's just too much trouble to take care of the earth. Then ask the kids how to solve this problem. If they don't come up with a solution, have the plastic detective suggest staying in shape to have the motivation and energy to take care of the earth and others. Demonstrate and involve the children. Start slowly with some mild warming up motions, swinging arms back and forth, marching to a tempo, reaching to the ceiling, touching the floor, etc. Children could choose an action activity they can do indoors, such as jumping rope, or they could play some running games outdoors. Any game should involve everyone moving rather than having one child jump or run at a time.

Ask each child to choose one healthy exercise habit to practice every day -- walking to school, biking or swimming, playing an active game, or doing ten minutes of action exercises every day. If they already do lots of exercise, they might choose instead a healthy eating habit to adopt -- more vegetables, fruits, less sugar, etc.

Things to Remember: Taking care of the earth means taking care of ourselves, too.

Activity 9: Taking Charge

Materials: Canvas bag (see previous activities), fabric markers.

Procedure: Ask each child to tell one thing he or she will do to care for the earth and other living things -- recycle, reduce plastic, water plants, walk to school, exercise, eat healthy food, etc. If possible, list their suggestions on poster board or dry erase board so all of the children can see them. Then, hand out fabric markers and have them decorate their canvas bags with the words "Earth Charter Summit 2004" and actions they will take.

Things to Remember: Every time you use your bag instead of plastic bags for shopping, you're helping the earth. Every time you think about ways to help, you're helping others and setting an example for those around you.

Activity 10: Plant a Flower

Materials: Small flower seedlings, tools for digging a hole, small pots, potting soil, a watering can and some water.

Procedure: Ask the children if they've ever taken care of a plant. Ask them why they think people have plants (for pleasure, shade, health, food, in some cases,) and what plants need to grow. Get pots, small plants, potting soil, and a watering can from your own collection or from a plant nursery. Show the children how to plant a flower and help each one plant his or her own flower. Talk about how they can take care of their flower and help it grow. Children who wish may take the flowers home to plant in a garden.

Things to Remember: The Earth Charter reminds us of our connection with the earth and living things, but we must also remember our responsibility to take care of our earth home.

Closing Circle Activity

What is a closing circle?
A closing circle takes place at the end of the Earth Scouts’ Festival. Children and adults gather together, hold hands, and form a circle. You or one of the children may choose a question or two to ask. Your questions should encourage reflection and reflect the focus of the summit or Earth Scouts lesson. Give the children a minute or so of quiet to think about the question before they respond briefly one by one, going around the circle.

Earth Scouts Festival Questions: What have we learned today about how we're connected to the earth and other living things? What will you do to protect the earth and living things in your community?

Why include a closing circle in the summit or in each Earth Scouts Activity?
In Earth Scouts, the closing circle provides time for the children to reflect upon what they have heard, discussed, seen, and done. Through the closing circle, children learn to reflect on their lives and on the world around them. They learn to commit both hearts and minds to building a just, peaceful, and sustainable life for all on Earth.

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