Perfect places
You’ll need
- Photos of the local area
Before you begin
- You’ll need images of people, shops, and landmarks from your local area. Print out enough copies, or decide on a different way to display them so everyone can see.
- Think about how you’ll describe what a community is if anyone’s unsure. Most definitions talk about people who live in the same place or have something special in common. Think of some examples of communities in your local area to help everyone understand.
Story time
- Everyone should sit in a circle.
- Someone should read Marco's Photographs by Jess Connett. Make sure you pick up a copy of the story before the session.
- After reading the story, everyone should take some time to reflect on it as a group. We’ve included some questions to help you reflect in the pink box below.
Marco’s favourite game was to pretend he was a secret spy.
He and his nan would always go for a walk after school. They always tried to go down a road they had never been down before, or to notice something they had never noticed before.
‘It’s because we’re secret spies and we need to keep our neighbourhood safe,’ said Marco.
A good spy always has lots of gadgets. These are things that help them to do even more secret spying. Marco liked to dream up new gadgets and tell Nan about them.
One day, they were walking beside a tall hedge. The leaves were so thick, you couldn’t see through.
‘It’s OK, because I’ve got a spying gadget that gives me x-ray vision,’ said Marco. ‘I just put on these glasses and now I can see all the way through the hedge like it wasn’t there.’
‘What can you see?’ asked Nan.
‘I can see a big house made of glass, and on the roof is a helicopter. It must be a house that belongs to a spy!’ said Marco.
‘Will you take a picture with your gadget so I can see it too?’ asked Nan.
CLICK! Marco pressed the button on his pretend camera and captured a picture of the spy’s house for Nan.
This became his favourite thing to do. Gadgets were fun, but Nan didn’t know how to use them. But with a picture, he could show Nan everything he could see. She could join in the game too.
CLICK! Marco took a picture of a fluffy dog who was tapping a message with her paw.
CLICK! Marco took a picture around a corner, to see if there were any bad guys. Luckily, there was only Jerry, the nice man from the shop.
CLICK! Marco took a picture of their house, which cleared away any traps the enemies had set.
Soon it was Marco’s birthday. Nan gave him a big box, tied up with a bow.
‘Here’s a real gadget for you,’ said Nan, and gave him a big hug. Marco opened the box. Inside was a real camera!
Together, they carefully got the camera out. Marco looked through it. He saw Nan smiling and pressed the button. CLICK!
Marco turned the camera around to show Nan his first real picture. It was a great photograph.
By Jess Connett
My local area
- Everyone should get into small groups. Each small group should find a space to sit together.
- The person leading the activity should give each group a selection of photos or pictures of the local area. Everyone should spread the pictures out in front of them.
- Everyone should try to figure out what each picture is showing. Do they recognise the person, shop, or landmark? What do they know about them?
My favourite things
- Everyone should take it in turns to choose their favourite three places from the pictures in front of them. They should explain the reasons for their choice to the rest of the group.
- Once everyone’s had a turn, each group should try to agree on one favourite place.
- Each group should chat about what they can do to look after the people and places in their local area.
- Each group should choose one person to tell the other groups about their thoughts and discussions.
- Everyone should join back together. Someone from each group should share the group’s favourite local place and what they said about taking care of people and places in their local area.
Reflection
This activity encouraged everyone to share ideas about their local community and work together to agree on one favourite place. Throughout the session, people thought about what it means to be a member of a local community and what people can do to take care of it.
You could chat about these reflection points throughout the session or at the end.
Marco's Photographs
- How did Marco's nan help him in the story?
- What pictures would you take around your local area?
My local area
- How did people feel when they saw the pictures?
- If people were going to choose another picture to add to this collection, what would they pick and why?
My favourite things
- How did each group communicate well with each other?
- How does someone become a caring member of a community?
- How can people look after their local community?
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.
- For an additional challenge, people could write the names of the places on the back of the pictures or try to find them on a map.
- You might want to talk a bit about the history of your area before you get stuck in. It’s up to you – you know what works for your group and what they’ll find interesting and engaging.
- Choose group sizes that work well for you – young people need to be able to chat and compare ideas, but they might find it more difficult to speak up if the groups are too big. Think about how you can support everyone to have their say.
- You could describe the pictures for anyone who might struggle to see them. How do they experience different places in the community? You could think about sounds and smells, for example.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
Everyone could explore their local area more with family and friends. They could take their own photographs or draw pictures as they travel around. You could even plan a session for everyone to share their photos and pictures.
The session is all about what’s special to people – encourage everyone to share their own ideas and be respectful and accepting when they listen to what other people have to say. Remind people that it’s OK to ask each other questions if they want to know more.