Activity details

  • 40 mins
  • Free
  • Outdoors / At camp
  • Whole Section
  • Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers

Activity outcomes

Feel happy, be satisfied with your life, and know the things you do are worthwhile.

Be cheerful, have fun, and love your life.

Before you begin 

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Take a look at our guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.  
  • Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers.
Planning and setting up the activity

  • Tree protectors, like those used in slacklining, will keep the ropes or suspension straps from harming those trees.
  • Always look up to check for dead branches or trees which could fall on you before pitching your hammock system 
  • The two sturdy trees should be far enough apart to allow you to pitch your hammock with the rope or straps approximately 30° to horizontal. 
  • No leaves usually indicate a dead tree, so avoid using these trees.
  • Signs of decay, such as fungus and mushrooms growing from the trunk, are a clear sign of rotting wood and should be avoided.
  • If in doubt, choose another tree.

Go forest bathing

  1. Everyone should head out to the outdoor space or meet at the chosen venue.  
  2. Gather everyone together. Ask if anyone knows what forest bathing is. Tell everyone that that forest bathing is becoming popular across the world. In Japan, they call this shinrin-yoku (or ‘forest bath’). It’s about opening yourself completely to the forest and experiencing the trees around you with all your senses.
  3. Before you begin, remind everyone how they can use the space respectfully. They should be calm and quiet, so you don’t disturb wildlife or other people, they should take litter home and they shouldn’t pick any flowers or plants. 
  4. Explain everyone where adults will be around the site and what people should do if anyone in their team needs help. This should include setting memorable spot where an adult will stay at all times.
  5. Ask everyone to find a spot to sit or stand, but within a safe distance from the volunteer team. Everyone should be quiet and still. Always explain the boundaries of the area and where the no-go zones are. If you’re in a public space, young people should be paired up so no young person is left alone and they should sit or move together.
  6. Once everyone’s found a space, ask everyone to close their eyes and listen to what’s happening around them. What can they hear and smell? 
  7. Now, ask everyone to open their eyes. Ask people to focus on what they can see or touch. People can walk slowly be­tween the trees or sit quietly with them.
  8. To help with focus, you could give people colouring pens, pencils and paper to sit and draw what they see or hear, if they’d like to. 

Reflection

This activity was all about connecting with nature and mindfulness. If you allow your mind to relax, especially in nature, you’ll feel an extraordinary sense of calm and connectedness. When your mind feels calm, it reduces the release of stress hormones in the body, which means a stronger immune system and better sleep too.  

In green spaces, away from the stresses of urban environments and technology, we’re able to connect with nature and our true selves. The forests and woods were our first homes, and there’s something deep within us that seems to remember that. A tree is a bit like a Scout: if it has its roots in good soil, it can reach to the sky; to breathe, it must be grounded; and no matter how high it reaches, it’s from its roots that it draws its strength. How did it feel to sit with your eyes closed? Did you find it relaxing? Is it something you’ll try again? 

You may have heard the birds twitching in the branches, see the sun glinting through the leaves, smell the earth after rain, taste the loamy air, and feel the spongy bark against your fingertips. What did you see, hear, feel or smell? Which was your favourite? Did you find anything that you might not have seen or heard or smelled on a normal walk? Why did sitting there give you more chance to explore the area? 

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Hiking and walking

Outdoor activities

  • You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.

Visits away from your meeting place

  • Complete a thorough risk assessment and include hazards, such as roads, woodland, plants, animals, and bodies of water (for example, rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas). You’ll probably need more adult helpers than usual. Your risk assessment should include how many adults you need. The young people to adult ratios are a minimum requirement. When you do your risk assessment, you might decide that you need more adults than the ratio specifies. Think about extra equipment that you may need to take with you, such as high visibility clothing, a first aid kit, water, and waterproofs. Throughout the activity, watch out for changes in the weather and do regular headcounts. 

Reproduced from the original post found on Scouts UK: https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/go-forest-bathing/