Exploring textures in nature gets kids to experience the outdoors beyond relying on sight and sound. In most places where you would take children, there are few hazards that discourage a direct interaction with nature (don’t touch poison ivy or don’t stick your hand down a hole where an animal might live).
Mystery Sock
Introduce children to identifying natural objects with their sense of touch by making a “mystery sock.”
Slip a plastic cup into the foot of an old sock. Set an object found in nature into the cup. Show the children how to slide their hand down into the sock and feel the object.
Encourage them to avoid shouting out the identity of the object so other children can also explore the item (have a few extra objects because children find it difficult not to shout out the content of the mystery sock).
Get Acquainted with a Leaf
Have each player (adults included) collect a fallen leaf from different types of trees. Direct everyone to examine the shape and texture of his leaf, tracing his fingers around the edges.
If you are with more than two or three children, break the children into groups of three or four. Together, they pool their leaves into a pile, adding one or two extra leaves.
One child sits with her back to the other children, holding her hands behind her back. One at a time, the other children hand a leaf to the child who explores the leaf she keeps behind her back. The child uses her sense of touch to determine if she is holding her leaf. If the leaf isn’t hers, she receives another leaf to explore.
Rotate players who take on the challenge of finding their leaf by touch alone.
With older children, you can review leaf identification by having children name the type of tree the leaf came from just by using their sense of touch.
Nature Game with Rocks
Ask each child to find one rock small enough to hide in his fist. Sit everyone in a circle and ask the children to both look at and feel their rocks. Then ask the children to pass their rocks to you.
First, they will identify their rock by sight. You should pass the rocks, one at a time, around the circle. When a child thinks he has found his rock, the child sets that rock on the ground in front of him. The child continues to pass the other rocks around the circle. Make this game less obvious to the final players by including two or three extra rocks.
After everyone has identified his rock, take the rocks back. Now have the participants close their eyes. Play the game as before, this time relying on the sense of touch to claim a rock. Emphasize the importance of not looking at the stone. If the children have the coordination, have them hold the rock behind them as they feel it and then pass it around.
You may need to walk around the outside of the group to hand the rocks to the players.
Don’t limit the exploration of textures to these activities. While walking, encourage children to find the smoothest, roughest, slimiest objects they can as they learn to investigate nature.
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