Meet My Friend

Name and Purpose

Meet My Friend invites players to slow down and notice the natural world around them.
Through imagination and gentle storytelling, players practise empathy, observation, and care for living things.

a.k.a.

Age / Group / Time / Space

Ages 8-16 | 8-30 players | 30-45 minutes | Wooded or natural outdoor area with a flat gathering space

Materials

No materials required
Optional: small flat pieces of bark or trays for displaying homes
Optional: pencils and index cards for players who want to write a label for their friend

Quick-Run Card

Pre-brief the group: collect only things found lying on the ground, nothing broken off a living plant or animal.
Take a 10-15 minute gentle hike; each player finds one object.
Return to the gathering space; spend 10 minutes building a small home for the object using only ground-found materials.
Each player gives their friend a name and shares one way they could care for it in its natural environment.
Tour the homes together and greet each friend.

Setup and Boundaries

How to Play

Staff pre-brief the group: ‘We are going for a short walk. Along the way, look for one special object lying on the ground. Do not break anything off a living plant or pick up any living creature.’
Walk together for 10-15 minutes. Players collect one object each.
Return to the gathering space. Give players 10 minutes to arrange a small home for their object using leaves, sticks, or other ground-found materials nearby.
Each player names their friend and shares: the name, where they found it, how they built the home, and one way they could care for it if it were still in nature.
The group walks slowly past each home, pausing to greet each friend. Staff narrate positively: ‘Look at this home. What care went into this.’
After the tour, players gently return their objects to a natural spot nearby.

I-OPt Options

A (Active): Walk the full hike and build an elaborate home
S (Support): Help a partner search or build; act as the group’s ‘nature guide’ on the walk
Q (Quiet): Choose a simple object and create a quiet, careful display
O (Observer): Walk alongside the group; join the tour and share observations without presenting a friend

Inclusion Adaptations

Players who use mobility aids can collect their object near the gathering space while others hike; staff pre-select a rich area close by
Players who prefer not to touch objects can sketch or describe their ‘friend’ in words or drawings instead

Stewardship Moment

All objects are returned to a natural spot after the activity. This is built into the final step.
Reflection: ‘Why did we return our friends? What does it mean to care for something without keeping it?’

Consent

Pre-brief: ‘This activity involves picking up small objects from the ground. For those not comfortable touching certain materials, drawing or describing your friend is another option.’
Mid-game check: After the hike, pause. ‘Give a thumbs up, sideways, or down. How are you feeling? We have plenty of time.’
Opt-out/re-entry: Any player can sit at the gathering space during the hike and choose an object from there. Call out at any point to let a staff member know.

Risks and Mitigation

Uneven terrain on hike: staff scout route beforehand; remind players to watch their feet
Players picking up insects or living creatures: clarify in pre-brief that only non-living, ground-found items are collected
A player feels embarrassed sharing: normalise quiet sharing (‘You can say as much or as little as you like about your friend’)

Warm-Up Suggestions

‘Senses Walk’: walk 30 seconds in silence and count how many different sounds you can hear
‘Two Truths, One Wonder’: each player shares two things they notice and one question they have about the outdoor space

Debrief Questions

What? ‘What did you find? What did you name your friend?’
So What? ‘What did it feel like to care for something small and easy to overlook?’
Now What? ‘What is one thing in your daily life you could pay more attention to, the way you noticed your friend today?’

Cleanup and Reset