By Olivia Belk
LITTLE ELINA – We use maps to find things and travel, but have you ever drawn one? It can be fun to draw a map of things we see everyday. Start small, and draw a map of your room. What are the important things you put on your map? Next, draw a map of your house. What things do you use to identify where on the map you are? Which rooms are on your map? Finally, draw a map of your neighborhood. How do you symbolize houses, trees, and hills? What are the major landmarks you put on your map? Could someone find your house if you gave them your neighborhood map?
LITTLE NIS – I love adventures! It is exciting to explore, solve mysteries, and track things down. Sometimes, you have to make your own adventures. Try to make a treasure hunt for your family, and have them make one for you. Hide something small, like candy, a toy, or a drawing, in your home or backyard. Draw a map, or use a map you made in Elina’s activity, and have X mark the spot of your hidden item. Make sure you include things that can be hints to where the treasure is hidden! You also could write riddles and clues, each one leading to the next, with the final riddle leading to your treasure. Have your family try to solve your treasure hunt, then you solve theirs. Try it a few times with different types of clues. What types of clues can you come up with?
MAMA LOUMARI – Since I’ve arrived at Bernheim, I’ve been busy collecting treasures from the forest. You might have seen the unicorn horn and dragon skull I keep in my collection. I’ve also collected pinecones, cool rocks, even sticks! Anything can be a treasure if you have somewhere special to put it. Today, let’s make a space to hold any nature treasure you might find on your explorations. You could use a windowsill, a shoe box, or even a special place under a tree like I did. Once you have chosen a space for your treasure, you can arrange and rearrange the cool things you’ve collected so you can experience them again and again.