Here is the perspective of Karly Wilcox, Four Winds Nature Educator in Strafford County, NH:
Rope is an amazing tool to spark creativity, imagination, and ingenuity. In four days at Barrington Nature Camp, students ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade were inspired by the possibilities of rope. Given unstructured time in the forest, students chose to work non-stop creating with rope. The rope transformed into a home, a line to follow, an obstacle course, a horse’s rein, a tightrope, a place to hang shirts, and fire.
The best part of all these ideas and creations? They were all student driven. Problems came up: rope too loose, too tight, too high, too low, how to tie it, how to untie it, how to make it stretch to the next tree? Students worked through these problems by communicating with one another and by trial and error. They beamed with pride as they accomplished their goals without adult help. As an adult looking on, it was inspiring. More rope will surely be involved in my nature based play and learning in the future!
