Trees are vertical, overhanging and solid, somewhat like adults. But a child is not only small in the forest: he can also see himself as a giant, discovering the microscopic abundance all around.
- Ariane Voineau and Josué Beaucage
GREAT EXPLORERS
Activities based on the show Sous la feuille and its companion guide.
For children ages 3+, accompanied by older children.
Activity #1 – Nature Walk
Observation exercise
Materials: Your nose, your ears … and your legs!
Spring is here, and we can see nature slowly waking up. Go for a walk (in your neighbourhood, in a park, in the woods) and observe your surroundings. What do you see, hear, smell?
Observation Mission A – Bigger or Smaller? (Ages 3+)
Materials: A sheet of paper, coloured pencils
During your walk, have fun identifying objects, from smallest to largest. Make comparisons: are you bigger or smaller than a rock, a tree? And if you were the size of an ant, how would that tree look to you? And if you flew over your neighbourhood like a bird, what would it look like?
Back at home, draw your world from the viewpoint of the ant (near) or the bird (far). Grab your coloured pencils!
Observation Mission B – Naming Trees (Ages 6+)
Materials: Notebook, pencil, camera
Focus your attention on the trees, and note the features that make them distinctive. Try to find their names by looking for clues such as the shape of their leaves or thorns and the texture of their bark. (You’ll find some helpful identification keys here and here.) Take pictures and write down a few details to help you.
Activity#2 – My First Herbarium
Creative exercise
Materials: Small natural treasures, glue, paper
How would you like to create your own herbarium? You can also do a craft project with the things you find on your nature walk (pine cones, leaves, fir needles …).
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CAMPING AT HOME
Activity #3 – The Tent
Adventure training | Requirements: Do-it-yourself attitude and resourcefulness
Have you ever been camping? In your living room or on your balcony, let your imagination run wild and set up your tent. Use a sheet, a blanket and pillows, and gather everything you'll need for camping (a sleeping bag, a flashlight, a book ...).
Activity #4 – Night Sounds
Auditory dream | Requirements: Listening skill and ingenuity
What nocturnal sounds can you hear when you go camping? The wind blowing? Branches creaking? Crickets? Owls? Little mice? ... Bears?! With your family, imitate the sounds of the forest at night. Close your eyes and you’ll feel as if you were there …
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Sous la feuille
A show under the stars
Created, designed and performed by
Ariane Voineau et Josué Beaucage
Learn more about the artists and the show here
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Follow the journey of this project in a text by Josianne Desloges in NAC French Theatre's Cahier Seize (In French)
