Outdoor Experiential Education
The HEART tools are partly based on outdoor and experiential education, combining authentic adventure in nature with a consciously facilitated learning process.
Participants engage in physically, mentally, emotionally and socially challenging activities that encourage self-reliance, cooperation and personal growth. Our learning model includes preparation, the outdoor experience itself, reflection and the transfer of learning into everyday life.
Nature becomes an active part of the process, offering real challenge, uncertainty and discovery. Through shared experiences and skilled facilitation, participants strengthen resilience, communication and self-awareness while building meaningful connections with others.
01
Following and Leading
This activity is used for leadership skills and the aim is to explore its shapes and forms, and to boost the creativity of the team.
02
Giant Skipping Rope
This activity is suitable to frame a course, especially the start and the end, thus you can use it as a symbol for entering into something new, a journey, and also to finish this learning journey together.
03
Group Contract
During outdoor programs, a new group is usually formed in a different setting and these new circumstances bring a different dynamic of the participants. To discuss how to deal with the challenges together, it is useful to create a group contract.
04
Vehicle Building
This is an activity for the group to work on communication and problem solving skills. The participants imagine the small groups will be departments of an international company, working on a pilot project, a prototype of a vehicle with the given materials.
05
Mirror
The aim of the activity is to experience how you interpret the posture and mimics in someone else’s behavior.
06
Positive Gossip
This activity is meant to be used after remarkable group experiences or at the end of training courses. It can be also used with groups who have already known each other for a time so they have enough information about each other to be able to gossip on resources.
07
3 Level Electric Fence
This activity is a challenge for the participants but also a lot of fun, they need to cross an imaginary electric fence with creative body liftings.
08
Advanced Tree Challenge
This activity is about communication and dealing with uncertainity in the woods - finding your tree.
09
Blind Square
This activity is a problem solving task, which requires good communication and decision making from the group.
10
City Bound
Citybound is about sending participants out to meet the local people to make inspiring connections with them - they receive small tasks they need to complete with the inclusion of local people. These small tasks vary from volunteering, storytelling to having fun together. It is more about how they can create rapport and be together with local people in an intimate but playful way.
11
Flower
This is an ice-breaker, a getting-to-know-each-other activity, which explores common interests and unique features of the participants. It is ideal for starting a program in a team where participants fairly know each other or are complete strangers.
12
My Blindfolded Walk
The path participants have to follow blindfolded is a path of memories. While sensing the materials and items of the path, they have to recall memories of their life (can be also used as evaluation of a training, or a shorter lifespan).
13
Body Sculptures
We all have an image in our mind when speaking about
feelings, but others might have totally different images
about the same feeling. The artists in this activity shape their sculptures based on their internal images of certain feelings. Working with the body and expressing feelings led by other people can be a challenge. Ask participants to be careful with each other and respect each other’s body.
14
Catch the Vibe
Everything circulates, pulses, surges on the nature
of vibe — the frequency and rhythm of connection;
the vibration works at the center of holism and
sensuality. Vibe = place - You go somewhere, and it feels right, the sensations are good. Vibe = person - You meet someone, and instantly, there is comfort, recognition, right warmth, balance. Vibe = rightfulness - You start a project, a process, and it all seems to be linking up in your mind. Finding a vibe is about finding the right way to tell a story in a manner that a guest, audience, recipient, visitor, and experiencer syncs with the moment.
15
Interview with a Tree
Changing perspective is an interesting way to learn new things. Imagining the life and the challenges of a tree can develop a sense of empathy and the imagination.
16
Letter to Nature
A silent walk alone in nature can bring a lot of new ideas
and impressions. Nature is a great teacher. By watching
plants and animals we can discover a lot of learning
opportunities.
17
Personal Shield
The shield protected and helped progress during difficult situations. By rethinking your strengths, challenges, expectations and goals for a certain training, it can help you on your path of development.
It is preferable that this activity takes place indoors or at least in a secure and peaceful environment to allow participants to open up.
18
Sunset
The sunset usually brings magical colors. The quiet viewer can observe many fascinating changes and events during this period. The group has to arrive at least 15-20 minutes before sunset to the chosen spot and each individual has to find his/her own place to sit down and quietly observe the event.
19
Walking the Line
We walk a fine line in our life, we can do a lot of things on our own,but in a lot of cases we need to work together with others and trust them. This activity can be a nice metaphor of doing your task, but depending on the others as well. Communicating your needs is also a very important part of this activity.
20
Connect with Nature
Looking for details, small, repetitive patterns in nature can be a very calming activity and can bring a lot of interesting ideas.
