Dear CCS Summer Club,

Hi! I’m Teacher Katelyn, I was a teacher in the Oak Room for the last four and a half years. I use they/them pronouns, and today I’m going to be prepping for and beginning an imagination walk! Based on the age and level of cognition of your child, you can modulate how much direct support you give. This could be a totally self directed activity, or an activity that you mostly do, narrating as you walk.

Learning/Content Area: Imagination games stretch vocabulary, recalling ideas and knowledge that aren’t directly related to the surrounding area. It also asks children to build meaning as they go, which can translate into problem solving skills. In the context of the pandemic, it can also be a fun way to make a routine feel new!

Activity 1 : Prepare for a walk, bring your phone to take pictures of what you see. Prep for the walk before you go, building up the imaginary landscape with questions and wondering about what it will be like.

Activity 1 Supply list: Bring a camera/phone to take pictures. You can be the nature photographer and the child can be the scientist or explorer. For older children you can bring paper and pencils with you.

Activity 2: Drawing images of what you found, based off of photos or words you used to describe the things you found. If you brought a pencil and paper with you, use crayons or colored pencils to add color and detail to the drawing. You can write out things you know about this sea life, like what it likes to eat or when it sleeps!

Activity 2 Supply List: Pictures from the camera, either printed or on the screen. Drawing supplies and paper.

Video Link: Imagination walk 

Katelyn Bobek (they/them) katelyn@childrenscommunityschool.org