Scavenger Hunt
Children are given a booklet and take part in a scavenger hunt around the site . Tasks are focused on using all their senses to experience the site. The tasks inform discussions about different features and areas. A conversation following the scavenger hunt recounts some of the questions from the booklet and the children’s thoughts on them. This conversation has proven to be more valuable than the children writing in the booklet themselves, and should be recorded to document ideas.
Scavenger Hunt
Incorporates: Imaginative Play, Presenting Thoughts, Feedback
Trip Around the World
Children are shown photos of ways that other children around the world play. For each stop around the world, they stand up if they would like to visit a place and sit down if they would not. This keeps them engaged and also helps them compare and contrast with the current site.
Trip Around the World
Incorporates: Precedent, Imaginative Play, Feedback
At the end of the workshop, children present their designs to policymakers, planners, politicians, designers and those with the ability to implement their designs. This opportunity allows them to speak directly with those “in charge” rather than having an adult group report back. This also allows all adults in the process to experience the genuine passion of the children as they present.
Design Presentations
Incorporates: Presenting Thoughts
Design Presentations
Children are given a brief introduction to the history of the site. Children are asked questions about their first impressions and their knowledge of the site. This is typically an introductory exercise that should last no more than 15 minutes before students are given the opportunity to experience the site.
Site History
Incorporates: Presenting Thoughts
Children create individual collages of the site with items that they want to keep, remove and replace. Children are usually happy to discuss their collages with the adults as they work on them. This allows the adults to ensure that ideas are collected from every student, especially those too shy to speak up in group discussions.
Collage
Incorporates: Emotional Responses, Presenting Thoughts
A scaled model of the full site is provided to the children with additional modeling supplies available. The children are put into groups to brainstorm ideas on how to improve certain areas of the site, and then given the opportunity to build these items to add to the model. Children can also be provided with a LEGO minifigure (at roughly the same scale) to help them understand how someone would interact with their designs, as well as assign a persona for them to think about during their design. This has been a very successful activity in the past, allowing children to “play” with the model, change it and design items to add to it.
Model Building
Incorporates: Imaginative Play
Collage
Site History
Model Building
