Building a 'natural' shelter

Of course it may be the case that you don't have a tarpaulin or ropes! How then do you go about building a simple shelter (or 'den') so that that have, at least, some protection from the elements? This activity is one which children of most ages enjoy, and includes some foraging in the woods for materials, and then working together to create some kind of shelter. The videos below demonstrate a few styles of den that can be built in this way.
Basically, any den building activity is a fun activity for children. With time, and when working with older children, your dens can become really elaborate and can provide real protection from the elements, but it's important to remember that the end result is not what is important. What's important is the team-working and problem solving that is an inherent aspect of the activity.
This video demonstrates a simple den being built by a dad and his son.
This video demonstrates a range of shelters being built by a small group of children

Points to ponder ...

While carrying out this activity with children, and once the shelter is built, what safety concerns might you need to take into account ?
What specific dangers or risks might you need to take into consideration when developing the session plan for this activity and will therefore need to include in a risk assessment ?
And once you have identified those risks, what steps can be taken to minimise the risks as much as is reasonably practicable ?
Remember ... we don't want to introduce so many safety measures that we prevent the activity from providing the learning opportunities that it does, but we need to make sure we reduce risks so that the activity can take place as safely as possible.

How does this activity relate to S.T.E.M ?

Science.
  • The changing of the seasons & weather.
  • The life cycle of trees - living wood and dead wood.
  • The animals/insects that live in and around trees, perhaps including a bug hunt.
  • Trees and the carbon cycle.
Engineering.
  • The properties of the sticks and logs - bendy, brittle, long, short, thick, thin, strong weak, etc.
  • Balance.
  • Height.
  • Width.
  • Weight.