1. art and entertainment
2. visual art and design
3. sculpture

Wee
Wellie
Wander
Facilitators Pack
Early
Years
Outdoor activities are a great way to explore, engage and have fun in your natural
environment. This pack aims to highlight how the outdoors can provide a rich and
meaningful context for learning across the curriculum by stimulating the senses to create a
memorable experience and to inspire questioning, critical thinking, creativity and
expression.
Welcome
Welcome! I hope that you enjoy using some of the creative activities in this pack. It has been great fun
creating them and I hope that you and your pupils have a terrific time investigating the outdoors with them.
Please use this pack creatively to suit your needs, perhaps as a starting point or to further develop learning
ideas. I am always inspired by being outside and I hope that you are too! I would like to thank Astrid Leeson,
the AAIS mentees and the Ranger Service at Crombie Country Park for partnering me with this work.
Louise Kirby, Project Artist in Residence at EDS, Angus Council
Crombie Country Park is a wonderful place for children to enjoy, explore and engage with the natural
environment. An outdoor Wee Wellie Wander learning experience will be one that is remembered for all
the right reasons! Learning outdoors can be enjoyable, creative, challenging and adventurous. Crombie
has a vibrant mosaic of habitats brimming with wildlife such as woodpeckers, deer and squirrels. Its
dynamic woodlands change with the seasons to provide a rich resource which will energise and provoke
the natural curiosity of even the oldest members of a community, regardless of the weather! It is the ideal
location to interest and engage children in their learning.
Suggested dialogue for children ‘We are going to Crombie Country Park to see what we can discover. We are going on an artist’s walk,
where we will have to look up, down, inside, under, so that we can find lots of things to use creatively.
On our journey we’re going to collect things to peg on our Memory String so that we can take it back
and think and talk about what we found out and what we want to learn some more about.’
Ranger Centre &
Bus Parking and
toilets
STARTING POINT
Magic Spot
Car Park and
toilets
Tree Time
Wheelchair Accessible Path
Route of the Wee Wellie Wander at Crombie Country Park
Magic Spot
Tree Time
Woodland Weaving
Woodland Story Time
Land Shapes
Creative Creatures
Memory String (throughout)
Ground Graffiti
You’ve been framed
Funky Specs
Legwarmer Trees
Bumpy Barks
Stacked Leaves
Nature’s Palette
Ground Graffiti
Mirror, Mirror
Funky Specs
Memory String (throughout)
Leaf Trail
You’ve been framed
Memory String
Memory String
Create a visual journey of your outdoor adventure.
Idea:
Instructions
A
MemoryasString
is aholding
creative
for children to
•Working
a team
theway
string.
remember their journey/experience by pegging
•You’ll find interesting spots where you see, hear
on reminders. Photos can be added later and
or smell
something.
You to
may
find information
leaves, pineand
the
Memory
String used
recall
cones, old crisp bag, helicopter seeds…..Stop at
discoveries.
appropriate places, ask the pupils what could
Working
team,
hold the
string
and
they addas
to athe
stringchildren
to remember
this
place.
stop
appropriate
spots
where
(Keepatthe
string taught
to peg
on interesting
the reminder.)
smells, sounds and sights have been detected.
•Photograph the area for future reference.
This might include such items as leaves, pine
•cones,
Chat about
the bag
objects
is it, what
is to
it
old crisp
and- what
helicopter
seeds
madeonto
from,
where
it come
peg
the
string.did
(Keep
thefrom?
string taut to peg
•Move
on the journey and discover what
on
the along
reminder)
other reminders you can find.
Discuss
the items
- what
is it?discuss
what isthe
it made
•At the end
of your
journey
objects
from? where did it come from?
and recall what you saw, heard, smelt and made.
Resources:
String (2 metres per group of 6)
Pegs (12 per group of 6)
Further Ideas:
Display the Memory String as a physical map
back at your setting and add photographs
and artworks to it.
Watch how the Memory String changes as
the natural materials decay over time.
Photograph the area for future reference.
Move along on the journey to discover what
other natural treasures exist in the outdoors.
At the end of your travels, discuss and recall
what you saw, heard, smelled and made.
This activity can be used throughout the outdoor
journey.
Encourage literacy with descriptive words to
describe the objects collected, e.g. rough,
smooth, worn, natural, manmade, organic,
stem, veins.
Legwarmer Trees
Legwarmer Trees
Create a colourful stripy legwarmer for the tree.
Idea:
Creating a tree legwarmer is a fun way to get
up close and personal to trees in order to learn
more about them.
Resources:
Range of balls of wool (approx. 1 ball per pair
- bright colours stand out well)
Pair of scissors
Work in pairs or individually to wool wrap
different types of tree.
Secure the coloured ball of wool wither by
wrapping it round once and tying a knot or tuck
the wool into the bark and start wrapping. Do
this with each, separate colour.
Investigate the texture and patterns of the
bark… Look up to see the shape of the
branches… Look down to discover any roots…
Discover who might live in the bark, roots and
branches while walking round the tree,
wrapping the wool, nice and tight.
Further Ideas:
Look at the stripes with a mirror to see the
them multiply.
Try looking at the tree wrapping colours with
your Funky Spec
Look online to find examples of different
forms of ‘Yarn Bombing’.
Compare and contrast different tree
discoveries and make further enquiries about
the differences detected.
Negotiate the direction of wrapping with each
other. Try it clockwise and anti-clockwise just for
fun! Or sing a song as you go round.
Take photos of the tree and all its stripy lines as a
reminder.
Unwrap the tree or cut the wool and remove
before you move on! Use the wool scraps back
in school..
Encourage literacy, e.g. line, horizontal, thick,
thin, fuzzy, wide, wiggly, delicate, stripy,
pattern, textiles, bark, rough, bumpy,
corrugated, scratchy, wavy.
Funky Specs
Funky Specs
Look through the cellophane glasses to see the world quite differently.
Idea:
Instructions
Viewing
the surroundings
in different
•Look through
the cellophane
glasses colours
using the Funky Specs can help to focus
•What has changed?
attention on things that might normally have
•Look unnoticed!
at the sky.
gone
•How has the sky changed?
•Lookthrough
at the leaves;
does it make
themand
lighter or
Look
the cellophane
glasses
prompt
lots
of
thinking/questions,
e.g.
darker?
Look
How
hashappens?
the sky changed?
•Lookat
atthe
yoursky.
hand
what
Look
at the
leaves.
Does
it make
lighter or
•Try the
other
coloured
glasses
andthem
see what
darker?
happens.
Look at your hand what happens?
Try the other coloured glasses and see what
happens.
Resources
Cellophane Glasses (Looking Tool)
Further Ideas:
Create coloured cellophane shapes and
tape to a window like stained glass to see life
outside the classroom in a different light.
Layer up different colours of cellophane and
see what happens.
Create your own glasses with cellophane or
recycled sweet wrappers, lay out in between
laminate sheets then laminate.
Encourage literacy with descriptive words to
describe the colour and changes,
e.g. transparent, clear, change, lighter,
darker, shade, tint, glow, bright, dull, warm.
Autumn Activity
Stacked Leaves
Stacked Leafy Sculptures
Create a mini sculpture with leaves.
Idea:
Find a stick and place into the ground then
Instructions
gather fallen leaves to create Stacked Leafy
•Find
a stick and place into the ground.
Sculptures.
Sculptures
•Gather fallen leaves.
Lay
group into
into colours
colours.
•Layout
outthe
theleaves
leaves and
and group
•Stack the leaves by gently piercing through the
Stack
the leaves
gently between
piercing through
twig. (Varying
theby
distance
leaves.) the
twig varying the distance between them. Make
•Photograph your leafy sculpture.
aware of any risk of hurting self.
•What will happen to the sculpture over time?
•Make lots toyour
create
a group
of leafy
stack
stacked
leafy
sculpture.
Photograph
sculpture
sculptures.
Make lots to create a group of stacked leafy
sculptures.
sculptures
Discuss what will happen to the sculptures over
time.
Prompt an enquiry into why the leaves change
colour and how this happens.
Autumn Activity
Resources:
Found objects on location - leaves and a
stick
Further Ideas:
Pierce coloured papers onto pencils and
stand with Blu tac.
Sort leaves into colour, shape and size.
Take rubbings of the leaves with a thin paper
and soft pencil or crayon.
Take an imprint of the leaf in plasticine.
Look at the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy
for further ideas about creative use of natural
materials.
Take a print of the leaves by lightly covering
with paint and printing onto paper.
Place the leaves on a light box or overhead
projector to see the detail in the lines on a
big scale. Follow line with finger or drawing
materials.
Encourage literacy with descriptive words,
e.g. shape, organic, natural, pierce, stacked,
layer, fragile, land art, sculptural.
Bumpy Bark
Bumpy Bark
Create your own imprint of the texture of the tree.
Idea:
Recording the texture and pattern of a bumpy
bark for further discussion.
Squish a ball of plasticine in your hands to warm
up then pat flat and smooth out.
Press onto interesting texture on a tree bark then
peel off gently.
Look closely and see the texture, lines and
patterns of the bark.
Take a photo as a memory jogger.
Squish it up again and try another tree.
Resources:
Plasticine
Camera
Further Ideas:
Try a rubbing different bark textures with thin
paper and soft pencil or crayon.
Photograph close ups of the tree bark
texture.
Create mixed media texture with a variety of
materials such as scrunched up tissue, cotton
wool, shavings, mixed with paint and PVA
glue to replicate bark texture.
Take imprints of other textures – leaves, walls,
manhole cover to investigate.
Compare and contrast different tree textures,
inviting further enquiry questions.
Ask what it feels like?
Encourage literacy with descriptive words to
describe the various textures, e.g. rough,
smooth, soft, hard, bobbly spiky, spongy,
fluffy, bumpy, scratchy, furry, prickly, crumbly,
waxy, sticky.
Nature’s Palette
Nature
’s Palette
Nature’s
Find nature’s natural colour palette in your surroundings.
Idea:
Find an area and place the colour spots on the
ground as your canvas.
Resources
Colour Spots (See Teachers’ Pack)
Cellophane Glasses (Funky
Funky Specs)
Specs (Looking
Tool)
Arrange the spots into a giant colour palette.
Find something small of that colour and bring
back to the palette, only picking things that
have naturally fallen.
Place next to the colour palette then discuss the
colour match, e.g. is the colour the same?
Different? lighter? darker? brighter? duller?
Further Ideas:
With paint, mix light colours and dark colours
to get a range of shades and tints.
Sort a box of buttons to create a giant colour
palette.
Decide which object is the closest in colour.
Take a photo as a reminder.
Look at the colour through the Funky Specs and
see how the colours change.
Scatter objects back to the land and pick up
the colour spots.
Encourage literacy with descriptive words to
describe the colour, e.g. dull, bright, subtle,
contrasting, lighter, darker, brighter, vibrant,
pale, muted.
Mirror Mirror
Mirror Mirror
Use mirrors to see the world double and from a different perspective.
Idea:
Instructions
•Place a mirror at the bottom of the trunk of the
Place a mirror at the bottom of the trunk of the
tree.
tree. Can you see all the way to the top?
•Can you see all the way to the top?
•Place
a mirror
justunder
underaabush
bushto
todiscover
discover
Place a
mirror just
branches, nests
what’s inside – creatures, trunk,
trunk, branches,
or spiders.
spiders.
•Place a mirror under your chin and see if it takes
Place
mirror
your chin
and
seeit ifmake
it takes
you toathe
top under
of the trees.
How
does
you to the top of the trees. How does it make
you
you feel?
feel?
•Place a mirror beside an object or artwork to see
the symmetry/mirror
Place
a mirror beside image.
an object or artwork to see
the symmetry/mirror image.
As you you go on the journey in the park see if
you can see other natural mirrors that have
reflections – puddles, ponds and reservoirs!
Resources:
Mirrors (Looking Tool)
Further Ideas:
Place mirrors around your building and see
the patterns near the walls, gates or climbing
frames.
Place mirrors beside your artworks and see
them double into a pattern.
Look for nature mirrors such as ponds,
puddles, lochs and reservoirs. Can you see
the sky? Can you see the symmetry? Why are
the trees upside down?
Create a painted artwork and while wet take
a print of it to view the symmetry.
Encourage literacy with descriptive words,
e.g. reflection, symmetry, upside down,
underneath, dark, nest, branch, bark, bushy,
inside, outside.
You
’ve been framed
You’ve
You
’ve been framed
You’ve
Look through the frames to make your own pictures.
Idea:
Instructions
•Hold the frame out at arms length.
Hold the frame out at arms length, look through
•Look through and move around to find the best
and move around to find the best picture.
picture.
•What
shapescan
can be
What shapes
be seen
seeninside,
inside, what
whatcolours
colours
and what
and
whattextures?
textures?
•Take a photo as a reminder.
Ask probing questions – Do the trees get bigger
or smaller as they go off in the distance? How
does the colour change?
Take a photo as a reminder.
Resources
Frames (Looking Tool) or bring some real ones
Camera
Further Ideas:
Use a variety of old picture frames of all
different shapes and sizes and make pictures
looking at different landscapes.
Use a camera like a picture frame to make
the perfect picture.
Place a picture frame on the ground and
place objects inside to create artworks.
Make a postcard of your favourite picture.
Fill the frames by placing on the ground and
looking at the detail.
Encourage literacy with descriptive words,
e.g. focus, object, shape, texture, pattern,
smooth, furry, edges, frame, perspective,
scale, composition, oval, rectangle, square.
Autumn Activity
Leaf Trail
Leaf Trail
Create a path of leaves.
Idea:
Instructions
•Gather fallen leaves.
Gather fallen leaves then sort into categories,
•Sort into categories – shape, colour, texture or
e.g. shape, colour, texture or size.
size.
•Working
togetheras
asaa team,
team to
createwhere
the trail.
Working together
decide
the
•Decide
the create
trail is to
start.
trail
is to where
start then
the
trail, making
decisions
about
direction
as
a
•Taking turns, laying out one at group
a time on the
throughout.
ground.
•Pupils take the direction of the trail.
The trail should be constructed systematically,
•Capture
the trail
on the
camera.
children taking
turns
to lay
out one at a time on
•Look
at the interesting shape it has made and
the ground.
how the line moves.
Capture the trail on the camera.
Look at the interesting shape that it has made
and how the line moves.
Autumn Activity
Resources:
Bag to collect leaves
Further Ideas:
Try with lego, buttons or shells back at your
setting.
Draw pictures and shapes with objects.
Take leaves back and take a print to see all
the pattern and lines within the veins.
Look through a magnifying glass to see the
detail in the leaves.
Draw round the different leaf shapes, overlap
them in different positions to create a design.
Make a twig frame and create a picture.
Ground Graffiti
Ground Graffiti
Create your own patterns and images with stencils using the ground as
your canvas – as well as feeding the birds!
Idea:
Place stencil on the ground, holding with one
hand.
Resources:
Stencils (in Teachers’ Pack)
Large tub of bird seeds, nuts or bread crumbs
Camera
Take a small handful of seeds and gently sprinkle
over the stencil.
Fill the shape so that the stencil area is full of
seeds then gently lift up the stencil.
Look at the artwork you have created.
Repeat the process to create patterns, pictures
and designs.
Flip the stencil over to create symmetry.
Hide quietly and see which birds visit and eat the
seeds!
Take photographs.
Look at how the pattern changes over time…
Further Ideas:
Draw and cut your own stencils or use objects
to get interesting silhouettes.
Try the activity indoors using small objects like
buttons, sand or glitter.
Photograph the artworks and use in collage
and mix media art activities.
Fill seeds into old salt cellar and draw pictures
using the salt cellar as a pencil.
Make a fat ball by smearing fat and roll into
birdseed and string up and watch to see
what birds come to eat it.
Autumn Activity
Creative Creature
Autumn Activity
Creative Creature
Create a woodland beastie from found objects.
Idea:
Gather natural objects then sort into categories.
Resources:
Natural objects gathered from the
surroundings, e.g. pine cones, leaves,
helicopter seeds, twigs, etc.
Choose a body shape, e.g. a pine cone is ideal
as its structure is good for attaching other
materials to. Leaves and helicopter seeds can
be good for wings. Twigs can be good for legs.
To attach either poke in or find ways to tie or
wrap using found materials, such as grasses.
Play with combinations to create your creative
creature.
Take a photo of the mini creative creature
sculptures.
Can you name and make characters and
interactions for your creative creatures?
Further Ideas:
Group characters and interactions together
to make a story.
Draw a background scene for the setting for
display.
Recreate with other materials in larger scale
such as papier mache or using recycled
materials.
Make an animation.
Autumn Activity
Land Shapes
Autumn Activity
Land Shapes
Create shapes with found objects using the ground as your canvas.
Idea:
This is an activity that can be tackled individually
or in small or large groups.
Resources:
Pine cones or if not pine cones use leaves
A stick to be used as a giant pencil
Gather pine cones from the forest floor.
Find a suitable space of ground as your canvas
then decide upon the shape and size of the
canvas.
Using the stick as a giant pencil, draw the shape
then define the canvas outline with pine cones.
Fill the shape with pine cones, either by ordering
them systematically or at random.
Create another shape.
Take some photos of the forest floor creations.
Try with other found objects, such as leaves and
twigs.
Will they still be there the next time you pass?
Further Ideas:
Create trails and journeys with natural
objects.
Sequence natural objects into size or colour
then take some back to add into mixed
media artwork.
Create pictures with the pine cones.
Create with other objects, like lego, bean
bags, buttons in the playground or indoors.
Use hula hoops and fill with petals, cones,
leaves or objects.
Create a stick picture frame and create a
picture with the natural objects discovered.
Woodland Story Time
Woodland Story time
Tell a story in a magical place to create a bit of ambience and drama.
Idea:
Instructions
Find
a comfy spot in the woods then make a
•Find afor
comfy
spot inorthe
woods.
space
a blanket
find
the natural seats
created
by chopped
logs inor
the
landscape
in
•Make a space
for a blanket
find
natural seats
the
Magic
Spot
(see
map).
in the landscape.
•Bring the story to life by adding noises you hear
Read the story book to the children, bringing it
from
environment.
to
lifethe
by adding
noises that can be heard in the
•You
can
use
a
prop
fromadding
nature noises,
such ase.g.
a stick or
environment or children
leaf andleaves,
use it to
add drama
– dependant
the
rustling
whistling,
clapping,
rustlingon
bags,
using
story!a stick as a drumstick.
A prop from the natural surroundings, e.g. a stick
or leaf can be used to add drama if appropriate
to the storyline.
*Story Box Workshops and training courses are
available through EDS, please contact
[email protected]
Resources:
Picnic blanket
Story book (not provided but suggestions in
Notes Prior to Visit)
Natural object suitable for a props.
Further Ideas:
Tell stories in other unusual places such as
tents, in the garden.
Retell today’s journey discussing the sights,
smells, sounds and artworks created.
Make a den with some old fabric to create
your own special story place.
Collect a prop on your journey so the
children feel part of the story.
Add a bit of drama by involving children in
acting out bits of the story, e.g. the character
is cold and shivering so the children make
corresponding actions/movements.
Make up your own story on the journey by
picking up a leaf and asking who might this
belong to? What might his/her name be?
What might he/she do here?
Woodland Weaving
Woodland Weaving
Create your own natural fabric.
Idea:
The Weaving Loom is in the Magic Spot (see
map).
Find natural colours and textures from the forest
floor (long grasses, twigs) and gather together.
Resources:
Natural objects on the woodland floor –
grasses, thin twigs, leaves.
Weaving Loom (permanent one in the Magic
Spot)
One by one each person adds a small strip of
colour or texture to the weaving loom.
NB The weaving loom strings are the warp and
what you add in is the weft.
To weave move the object over and under the
strings with your weft then push the strip down to
the edge of the loom.
Next person takes a turn by moving the object
over and under the opposite strings.
Take a photo as a reminder of your woodland
fabric.
See what happens to the woodland fabric over
time. Come back and see the fabric has grown!
Further Ideas:
Make your own loom with sticks and wrap
with wool or grasses.
Weave ribbons, string, wool or willow or raffia
on your gates back at your setting.
Wee Wellie Wander
This Pack was produced by Louise Kirby, Artist in Residence with Angus Council EDS Arts and
Cultural Education Team, with help from artist Astrid Leeson and Angus Artists in Schools
Mentees and Lisa King, Angus Council Rangers Service. Development funding was provided
by Angus Council Education Service and Creative Scotland Creative Learning Networks Fund.
Angus Artists in Schools
Astrid Leeson
www.astridleeson.wordpress.com
www.louisekirby.com