A 'journey stick' is a fun and creative way to capture a journey you or your child has taken during the day - whether that's to the shops or around the local park or countryside.
Share this guide, created in partnership with The Wildlife Trusts, with your child or teenager to help them learn about the different natural materials in the world around them and reflect on what each item represents.
Here are the instructions for you and your child.
You will need
- A strong sturdy stick
- String, elastic bands, or double sided tape
- Scissors (for cutting the string)
- Comfy shoes for walking
Let's get started
Step 1
Go for a walk, taking your stick and lengths of string, elastic bands, or tape with you. Be careful not to drop any of the items as litter.
Step 2
Pick up things that interest you along the way, like fallen leaves, feathers, petals, bark and twigs.
There are some objects that you won't be able to take with you, either because you can't fit it onto your journey stick, or because it's a living thing important to its environment - like wildflowers. In that case, find something else that reminds you of the object and add that to the journey stick instead - for example, a white rock to remind you of the white cows you saw, or some crunchy fallen leaves to remind you of how hot the day was!
Step 3
Use the string or tape to attach them to your stick, like so…
Step 4
When you get home, use your journey stick to help remember your walk and talk about it.
Parent tip: Remember to tell your child to wash their hands after their walk, especially before eating.
The Wildlife Trusts care for 2,300 nature reserves all over the UK, providing inspiration and education about the natural world. They also work with others to manage their land with nature. Their Wildlife Watch collection has plenty more nature activities for families to try.
Illustrations by Corinne Welch
