Activity: One Inch Tall
/Another way to engage kids (and adults!) outdoors is to observe from a different perspective. Here’s one of my favorite activities where kids pretend to be a tiny creature looking up at the natural world around them, discovering the complex worlds at ground level. I generally do this activity with 2nd graders (age 7-8), but it can work well with ages 5-10.
You will need:
Paper
Drawing materials (pencil, colored pencil, crayons, markers, etc)
Piece of yarn/string
Magnifying glass (optional)
First, read Shell Silverstein’s poem One Inch Tall. I like to have the learners listen the first time, then act it out during a second listen.
If you were only one inch tall, you'd ride a worm to school.
The teardrop of a crying ant would be your swimming pool.
A crumb of cake would be a feast
And last you seven days at least,
A flea would be a frightening beast
If you were one inch tall.
If you were only one inch tall, you'd walk beneath the door,
And it would take about a month to get down to the store.
A bit of fluff would be your bed,
You'd swing upon a spider's thread,
And wear a thimble on your head
If you were one inch tall.
You'd surf across the kitchen sink upon a stick of gum.
You couldn't hug your mama, you'd just have to hug her thumb.
You'd run from people's feet in fright,
To move a pen would take all night,
(This poem took fourteen years to write--
'Cause I'm just one inch tall).
Then, have the learner choose small creature in the garden to be - maybe a ladybug, ant, roly poly, spider, worm, whatever works! They will be drawing from the perspective of this creature.
Option 1: Outline an enclosed space with your string.
Next, find an outdoor space where that creature might live. It could a natural space in your front or back yard, in a potted plant, somewhere in the park, maybe even in the cracks of the sidewalk.
Cut a piece of string 1’-2’ long. With your string, you have a choice!
Option 1: Create a circle or other enclosed space on the ground of your natural space with the string. Choose a space that your creature might live, or might like to travel or journey to!
Option 2: Lay down a path for your creature.
Option 2: Lay your string down to make a line in your natural space - it can be straight, curvy, or anywhere in between! It can be draped over plants, soil, rocks, other structures. This will be your creature’s journey, so get creative and lay out an interesting, exciting path!
This option lends itself well to writing a story along with drawing.
Once you have your space or path designated, take some time to observe, using a magnifying glass if you have one to get closer. Try to crouch down low, getting your eye at the same level that the creature might have theirs (or as close as you can get)! A camera can help capture what it looks like to look up at the surrounding environment. Try and get a good idea of what this area looks like from the perspective of a tiny creature. Here are some questions to help you along:
What do you see? How big are the things around you? What details can you notice on them? What else do you notice that you didn’t see from standing up? Is there water? Other creatures? Trash? New plants poking up?
Then, start drawing!
Option 1: Create a detailed drawing based on what you see from the perspective of your tiny creature. This is tricky, so it might take a couple tries to get into the mindset of how it looks. Try and incorporate your observations from the questions above into the drawing.
Option 2: Pretend that your creature is following along the path of the string. Create a drawing from the perspective of your creature based on what they see during their journey. What do they see first? What do they experience next as they walk along?
Here are some examples made by youth doing this same activity. Many of them inserted some of their favorite toys or objects in with their chosen area - a great way to shift perspective with something that’s already familiar!
https://kinderart.com/art-lessons/drawing/its-a-bugs-life/
Happy drawing!
