How to Take a Nature Walk With Blind Children

A nature walk can be a great thing for children of all ages. Just because you are dealing with children who are blind doesn't mean you can't enjoy a nature walk together. Whether you are taking only blind children on a nature walk, or a mixture of blind and seeing children, you can all enjoy a nature walk together.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Blind Children Only

1. For a blind child on a nature walk, you will need to be the narrator. Be sure that you talk about everything that you see on the nature walk. Explain to the children what you are seeing so that they can envision it. Encourage blind children on a nature walk to use their other senses.

2. Have the children take turns telling each other what parts of nature they are hearing at the present time. Give each one who wants to participate a chance to talk about what they hear. As children talk about what they can hear, have other children try to mimic those noises. Have all children guess what they are hearing after they have all made the noises.

3. Allow them to smell. Have the children describe what they are smelling at each stage of the walk. Talk about what they think these smells are, and tell them what they are smelling if they don't figure it out. Bring items to the blind children to smell, such as pine needles, wildflowers, fresh grass and loose bark.

4. When you can, stop for children to feel things. Pick up twigs and have them pass them around to "see" what a twig feels like. Do the same for leaves, flowers, and even bugs. Give each child a chance to feel the various things that you have found and have them guess what they are feeling. Be sure that if you see different types of trees you let them handle all of the leaves that can be found. Also include things like rocks, branches, and cotton from cottonwood trees or cattails.

For A Mixed Group

5. For a mixed group, put the children in charge. Have a child who can see be in charge of talking out loud about what they are seeing. Take turns with the children who can see, until everyone is able to talk about what they have seen.

6. Let the children who are blind talk about what they are smelling and what they are hearing. All children can participate in this, but be sure that the children who are blind are given a first opportunity to guess what the smells and sounds are before the truth is told by the children who can see.

7. Have all children participate in feeling things in nature. Have them all close their eyes and try to guess what they are feeling. Ask children who are blind and children who can see to describe what they feel and the differences between the different items. Have the seeing children choose one item to present to a blind child. The blind child should try to guess what the object is, with encouragement and help from their seeing partner.

[turtlecatpurrz]

on 9/26/2009 This is a lot more positive than the general "Taking care of a Blind person article" which makes me want to spit. Good job! I think you may have the right of it.

[frischy]

on 7/24/2009 Thank you for a positive article about blindness. My blind child loves to identify the songs of various kinds of birds. As a result, I have had to learn these. I learn as much from her as she does from me!