Not a Stick! Explorations with sticks in nature

One of the most abundant natural resources on our school grounds is the ever versatile stick.

Oh the shapes!  Oh the sizes!  Oh the possibilities.  I find that children have varied experiences with sticks.  Some have been taught that sticks are dangerous and should not be handled, others go straight to sword fighting.  Using sticks as a source of imaginative exploration and using sticks as tools are important parts of being a nature kid.  However, being responsible for kids that have different levels of spacial awareness does require teaching and a class meeting about safety.  I like to start with Not A Stick by Antoinette Portis.  This give the kids a bunch of ideas about what a stick could be.

Next we talk about and practice how to look around us and make sure there is no one in the "zone of possible accidents" that could be hurt if we swing the stick.  As the teacher, you will need to decide if stick sword fighting is allowed and how you feel about sticks being used as pretend guns.  I have seen sticks used in wonderfully creative ways like: fort building, walking sticks, fishing poles, magic wands, wizards staffs, skis and so much more.  Using sticks also helps students notice details.  Stick explorations led one child to discover different types of bark on the ground and explore the sounds the barks make when shaken.

Sticks can even be used to create letters and kid can be challenged to make their name with sticks.  Sticks are free, compostable and abundant.  They make excellent learning materials.  What's brown and sticky?  A stick!