Activity:

Whispering Forests

Learning Purpose:

Kids will foster empathy and understand nature’s principle of connection and interdependence. This teaches kids social skills, co-operation and compassion.

Objective:
Kids will collect natural items and create a "Whispering Line" to understand how trees communicate with each other through root systems and environmental signals.

Materials Needed:

A small basket or bag for each child (for collecting natural items).

Found pieces in nature, like leaves, small sticks, pine cones, pebbles, or acorns from the garden or a natural place.

String or wool (optional, to mark the Whispering Line).

Introductory Storytime:

Begin by gathering the Kids in a circle under a large tree and telling them a simple story:

Read or listen to Grandmother Tree’s story

Grandmother Tree and the Whispering Forest

"Hello, dear little readers!

Come closer, come closer, come closer to me,

I’ll tell you a story, I’m Grandmother Tree

I’ve lived in the forest, such a long, long time.

There are so many secrets

Let me tell you one of mine.

The trees are my brothers and sisters you know

My Mother the Earth gives me soil to grow

The Sun is my father he sends me his Light

My leaves make real magic

And give shelter at night

Let me tell you a secret, we are here for you

Trees teach you kindness in all that they do

They talk to each other without any sound

They message each other

Through their roots in the ground

When our forests are hit by disease or a fire

We care for each other in ways I admire

When one of our brothers or sisters is sick

We send our tree medicine

So fast and so quick

Why is it important to care for our friends,

What we do for each other is the message we send

We help our friends, our families and the earth

We learn what respect is

What each other is worth

Let me tell you a story that happened in my forest

One bright morning, a little forest bush named Daisy was feeling the warm sun on her leaves and enjoying a gentle breeze. Suddenly, she noticed something strange. There was a group of tiny insects nibbling on her leaves! Daisy knew that if they kept munching, they might hurt her leaves and branches.

But Daisy wasn’t alone. She knew exactly what to do. With a deep breath, she sent a message down, down, down into the soil, through her roots. The message travelled like a whisper through the earth to all of her tree friends nearby.

One by one, the other trees began to pass the message along. Beech whispered to Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle whispered to Pine, and Pine whispered to Paperbark until the whole forest knew: “Insects are coming!”

The trees quickly prepared themselves. They made their leaves taste bitter so the insects wouldn’t want to eat them. And soon enough, the little bugs decided to move along.

Because Daisy warned her friends, they all stayed safe! And they do the same for her whenever danger comes close. Whether it’s a hungry animal, a dry spell, or even strong winds, we trees look out for each other.

So remember, little ones, just like you help your friends and family, we trees help each other too. The forest is one big family, all connected under the ground, whispering secrets to keep each other safe.

And now… you know our secret too. Grandmother Tree rustles her leaves with a gentle smile. "Thank you for listening, little readers. I hope you’ll visit again to hear more forest stories."

Steps

2 - Nature Collection:

Encourage each child to collect three to five small items from the ground that "speak to them" – this could be a beautiful leaf, a smooth stone, or an interesting twig. Remind them to look for things on the ground and not pick anything still growing.

3 - Creating the Whispering Line:

Find a clear area and lay down a long piece of string to mark the "Whispering Line." This will be the line where messages will travel. Ask each child to place their items on the line, making sure their items touch the next child’s, creating an unbroken line of natural treasures.

4 - Message Passing Activity:

Explain that each item in the line will "whisper" a message to the next item. Invite the Kids to stand in a line next to their items. Starting from one end of the line, tell a simple message like "The rain is coming" to the first child. They will then “pass” the message by whispering it to the next child. This continues down the line.

Once it reaches the last child, let them announce the message aloud to see if it stayed the same!

5 - Reflection & Discussion:

Once the message reaches the end, gather the Kids around the line.
Ask:

"How did it feel to pass a message like the trees do?"
"How do you think that we help each other the same way the trees help each other?"
"How do you think trees help each other by sharing messages?"

6 - Closing Thought:

Conclude by explaining how the trees really do communicate through roots and soil to protect each other and share resources, just like friends sharing messages and helping each other.

This activity not only helps Kids understand tree communication but also encourages empathy, teamwork, and respect for nature. The Kids will experience first-hand how even in nature, connection and cooperation are important!