Sound Map

How long it’ll take:

20-30 minutes

What the goal is:

Encourage campers to practice mindfulness and develop more awareness of their senses.

What the objectives are:

Campers should listen to different sounds around them to focus on the present moment.

What you’ll need:

Blank paper and a writing utensil (or, if available, campers can draw in the dirt with a stick)

What you’ll do:

• Before or during the hike, hand out a piece of blank paper and a writing utensil to each camper.

• Identify an appropriate spot to have campers relatively spaced out and seated.

• Tell each camper to mark an X in the middle of their paper. This will represent them in reference to their environment. Each side of the paper will represent front, back, left, and right.

• Explain that they will now have a chance to sit quietly and identify the sounds around them. Once they notice a sound, they will draw a symbol for it in the direction from which they heard it come from. For example, if they heard dog bark to the left of the them, they will draw a simple doodle of a dog in the correct space on the paper. For a visual example, click here.

• Start the silent listening portion of the activity. Start with 3-5 minutes (or, about half the average age of the group. A group of mostly 8 year olds=4 minutes, etc.)

• Give campers 5-10 minutes to complete their maps. Then, have them share their sound maps with the group. Debrief with a conversation about mindfulness and using hearing to be more present.

Optional Extension: play the Silent Bandits game!

*If drawing materials are not available, no problem! Have your campers sit with their eyes closed and explain to one another what they heard and where they think the sound came from.