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A walk and talk can easily be transformed into a walk and sing! Being out in nature can provide wonderful stimulus for creating songs/soundscapes and can feel less restrictive than being indoors. Being in nature/green spaces can be very grounding and freeing and there is a lot of research about the well-being benefits of being outdoors.
Combining the outdoors with some singing/creative activity could be a worthwhile addition to a schedule. Listening to the sounds of nature can inspire song writing and instruments/percussion can be created from items found in nature (using sticks to make anything into drums for example). If you have a forest school, maybe you can consider bringing in some singing/musical activities.
Benefits
Being in nature is good for you!
Singing and being in nature is even better!
Nature and the environment can be excellent impetus for creating songs/music
Things to Consider
Not everyone will have sturdy outdoors gear, so this can make things inequitable – do ensure fairness of clothing/equipment so that children feel comfortable and happy to participate
Being outdoors can be challenging for some children and young people and they may need to be accompanied by a trusted adult in order to feel safe – the expansiveness of the outdoors can be overwhelming
Some children may not like to get dirty (which is quite likely when outside)– so again, it’s ensuring that they can participate whilst feeling safe and supported
The young people that are attending music sessions at the moment, I know are benefiting massively from it.
Lizzy Watkiss, Occupational Therapist