Day 8: Writing nature haiku and a nature riddle
Outdoor activity ideas and inspiration
From mid-March to the end of May 2020, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) posted a simple outdoor activity idea and nature riddle for kids every weekday. Some days we also posted other resources, like downloadable chapters of the Junior Ranger Activity Book.
Created to support parents who found themselves homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic, these activity ideas are a great jumping off point for any outdoor adventure. Click here for a list with links to all 50 activity ideas.
Nature riddle
This animal travels long distances to large, communal dens used for hibernation. These “hibernacula” may contain hundreds or thousands of individuals. You might cringe when you find out what kind of animal this is. Click here for the answer and to read more about this interesting creature.
Writing nature haiku
on a bare branch
a crow lands
autumn dusk
By Jane Reichhold
Haiku is a form of short Japanese poetry that often captures a moment in time in nature. These poems are fun to write and they encourage us to slow down and observe the world around us.
Often haiku is written in three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables in the third line. But don’t let counting syllables get in the way of your creativity.
For kids, I encourage you to read a few samples and encourage them to observe nature and write about what they see. Here are a few that my eight-year-old daughter wrote today.
branches grabbing
grabbing the clouds
stretching
sprouting
covered in a winter blanket
blossoming
beautiful trees
growing and falling
trees
(And this one about our dog)
mouse
I’m going to get it
must dig
In Jane Reichhold’s excellent book, Writing and Enjoying Haiku, she lists 24 techniques for writing haiku. I’ve listed a few of them below to get your ideas flowing.
- Comparison
- Riddle
- Narrowing focus
- Metaphor
- Sketch (paint a picture)
- Pun
- Nostalgia
- Mystery
- Improbable world
- Humor
Why not give haiku a try?
