Arbor Day ideas for kids?

[robinia]

I'm planning an Arbor Day talk/demo at my son's school. This will be mostly geared at the Grade 1 level, so 6 -7 year olds. I've done several demos for younger kids but I find gradeschoolers are a bit harder to keep interested.

Wondering if anyone has some experience or good ideas for engaging kids, preferably hands-on.

I will typically talk (briefly) about the benefits of trees, proper care, do a little climbing demo, set out a thick bull rope for a tug of war. I've also sometimes set up 2 ropes paralel to the ground at about 1' and 3' off the ground, pretensioned, so they can walk along a LOW rope course to get an idea of the feeling of working aloft.

I'd love to get them to aerate somehow but can't figure out how to do it while avoiding sharp objects!!

Thanks in advance, everyone!

 

[oldoakman]

Get some seedlings, pots and potting soil and have them plant their trees, and provide an instruction sheet for the parents as to proper after care. Kids that age will eat that up. Always a reason to get dirty. Maybe have them pick names for their trees etc. Anything to keep them occupied with their hands. They loose interest quickly if they have to use their ears.

 

[whiz]

I usually do a traverse while avoiding the term'zipline'. It flies every time. I don't know what you're geared like but I usually have at least 2 other people. One person outfits the kids with helmets, eye pro and harness while talking trees, one connects the kids to the traverse gear (tandem, swivel and 2 carabiners to link it all) and one to pull the kids down and back. If you're held hostage and it gets late, issue head lamps. They go nuts! Have fun!

 

[RopeShield]

Planting small shrubs and trees.
Kids love the feeling of putting life in the ground.
get the teacher to Start a gardening club so any kids that are real keen about plants, can get special time off for watering and muclhing and hopefully more planting.

Teachers love this to.

 

[Adkpk]

Show them what poison ivy looks like, save'm some scratching.

 

[nuthin_special]

Fall 60 feet to your death. That will get their absolute attention and they'll never forget the lesson.

What about showing them a chipper close up? Kids love those machines.

 

[lumberjackson]

what about planting something that the kids can watch grow during their time at that school? and of course show them the sweet machines we get to use!

 

[Toparboring]

I find that with my kids were in that grade plantings and machines where that cats a$$. Now I did a welcome to work day with a group of teens within saying hi texting they went. OOOPS bad idea kids phones a no go while at work. You would have thought I cut off their legs holy cow 36 yrs old and I still walked circles around them. I told the boss no more no way get me bunch of younger kids say hey who wants to check out a job and help out yes you going to get dirty. They would be done before I get done speaking. Hand out some plant ID info, tell them about proper mulching and say now your smarter then your parents that gets them every time. A group of us tree workers are planning a good size planting at the elementary school for the fall 1 tree for each grade then some bushes for each class.

 

[robinia]

All great ideas, except demonstrating the 60' fall...

Any others?

 

[Tr33Climb3r]

[ QUOTE ]
Now I did a welcome to work day with a group of teens within saying hi texting they went. OOOPS bad idea kids phones a no go while at work. You would have thought I cut off their legs holy cow 36 yrs old and I still walked circles around them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yea most of todays teens are to electronically connected they don't know what's around them. Plus they worry about how cool they look to their peers.

Planting is a good idea...lots of good ideas. What about a simple ID? Oak, maple, pine, fruit. That might get boring for them though.