The First Outdoor Workshop
Being Animal: Vegetation, Soil and Water

The Comenius course addressed climate change by engaging children with vegetation, soil, and water issues. Our first step was to explore, play, and read the landscape of Delftse Hout. We experienced the landscape on-site with nearly thirty kids, sparking their imagination to become animals. If you were a bunny, a cow, or a bird, which plants would you gather and eat? Can we discuss vegetation and soil? Can we collect soil and filter water? Can we experiment with soil permeability and allow water to flow back into an artwork?

Children, equipped with animal crowns, shovels, and scissors, gathered various natural materials such as leaves, twigs, flowers, and soil samples. This activity introduced them to the diverse vegetation and landscape features, fostering curiosity and a connection to nature. They learned to identify different plant species, understand the rich biodiversity of Delftse Hout, and purify water using soil samples. 

We experienced the landscape on-site with nearly thirty kids, sparking their imagination to become animals. If you were a bunny, a cow, or a bird, which plants would you gather and eat?

Children, equipped with animal crowns, shovels, and scissors, gathered various natural materials such as leaves, twigs, flowers, and soil samples.

Can we discuss vegetation and soil? Can we collect soil and filter water? Can we experiment with soil permeability and allow water to flow back into an artwork?

This activity introduced them to the diverse vegetation and landscape features, fostering curiosity and a connection to nature. They learned to identify different plant species, understand the rich biodiversity of Delftse Hout, and purify water using soil samples.