Ask Ollie
Thankful Five-Senses Walk
Here's one to try together!
Take a slow walk, use every sense, and collect a leaf for each thing you feel thankful for.
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- Roads and traffic: hold hands near roads and stay where a grown-up can see you
- Leaves, stones and small finds can go in little mouths: watch under 3s closely
What you need
- Paper bag, 1
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Grab one paper bag, pick a safe, slow route, and get everyone into comfy shoes.
- Grab your bag and set off slowly with your grown-up.
- First stop: look around and find something you love seeing.
- Second stop: close your eyes and listen to the sounds.
- Third stop: take a big sniff of the air.
- Fourth stop: gently touch something nearby.
- Fifth stop: notice a feeling inside you. Ask: What feeling is inside you right now, and what made it?
- Back home: lay your leaves out in a line.
- Touch each leaf and say its thankful thought again.
- Now invite someone new on your next thankful walk! Ask: Who would you love to take on a thankful walk next time?
Ideas to try
- What is the most beautiful thing you can see right now?
- What color here makes you smile, and why?
- What is the quietest sound you can hear?
- Which sound would you miss if it disappeared?
- What does the air smell like here?
- Which smell reminds you of home?
- What is the softest thing you can touch?
- What is the bumpiest or roughest thing nearby?
- Which tree or plant are you thankful for today?
- What animal or bug do you feel lucky to see?
- Who are you thankful to be walking with, and why?
- What part of your body helped you on this walk?
- What makes you feel calm right now?
- What is one thing outside that helps people or animals?
- What is something small here that is easy to miss?
- If this leaf could talk, what would it thank you for?
- What happy feeling do you want to keep for the rest of the day?
- What would you show a friend on this walk?
Play it again
- Color hunt: at each stop, find something thankful in a different color.
- Grown-up turn: kids lead the walk and choose which sense each stop uses.
- Season swap: take the same route in another season and compare your leaf lines.
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