Object of the game : To be the team that claims the most ‘nature experiences’ won through successive rounds of ‘spontaneous’ teammate obstacle course racing.  

This game is an adaptation of the well-known, Pip, Squeak and Wilbur game.

• Split group into relatively equal teams of 3 participants. A few teams of 4 are fine, especially if group leaders/teachers can join in to even-out numbers.  

• Using the same number of cones/beanbags as there are teams, create a circle around you – making sure the circle is large enough to ensure 1m of space between cones/beanbags. Next, call one member of each team over to stand with their toes touching a cone/beanbag of their choice, circling around you. Once the circle is created, call all other players over to form single-file lines behind their teammate. The formation should resemble the spokes on a wheel, with you at the centre (see image below)

• Introduce everyone to the game’s name – ‘nature yours’, ‘nature mine’, ‘nature ours’ as a straight-up, playful way to define eco-equity. Explain the three parts of the game’s name will also provide the identity of each of the three humans that make up each team. Animate each of the shared ‘identities’ – ‘nature yours’, ‘nature mine’ & ‘nature ours’ – with a unique ‘action’ or ‘charade’. Consider opening your arms wide to illustrate ‘nature yours’, pounding on your chest to play up ‘nature mine’, or alternating left-arm-on-top/right-arm-on-top folded arms to que ‘nature ours’. However you choose to ‘action’ the 3 shared ‘eco-equity identities’, be sure to demonstrate them several times for everyone. 

• Next, it's time to assign ‘eco-equity identities’. To keep things simple, make all participants at the start of their line the same ‘eco-equity identity’, i.e. ‘nature yours’. Remember to ‘action’ each ‘eco-equity identity’ as you bestow them, i.e. opening arms wide open for ‘nature yours’. From there, all participants second in line behind their ‘nature yours’ teammate will gain ‘nature mine’ as their own unique shared ‘eco-equity identity’. And so ‘eco-equity identity’ granting continues down each team line, until all participants are named and each team fully represents the game’s eco-equity vision.   

• Time to have each team line move 5 to 10 paces away from you, creating a larger hub, or ‘the great outdoors’, in the centre of your playing field. Collect up the cones/bean bags used to organize participants and excitedly introduce them as a collection of fun nature experiences up-for-grabs in their neighbourhood/community/Alberta. Scatter ‘nature experiences’ widely across your ‘outdoor wonderland’ playing field. Begin play with as many ‘nature experiences’ as there are teams (i.e. 6 teams, 6 cones/bean bags). And, to mitigate participant collisions, please, be sure each ‘nature experience’ has lots of space around it. In other words, please do not pile cones/bean bags one on top of other in the centre of your circle.    

• With everyone keen to start, explain how your ‘actions’--and not your voice--will invite the ‘eco-equity identity’ of one teammate to claim a ‘nature experience’ per round. Quickly review each ‘eco-equity identity’s’ ‘actions’ to be sure everyone knows their unique ‘get outside’ invitation. After recognizing their ‘action’, that team member will race around the OUTSIDE of the circle ALL THE SAME WAY (to avoid running into each other) while the remaining members of each team raise clasped hands to represent the connection of their collective community. A successful round of play will see the ‘chosen’ eco-equity identity run around the circle, through their teammate ‘community’, and into ‘the great outdoors’ to claim a ‘nature experience’. The first participant to foot-stomp a ‘nature experience’ (mitigates head bonking potential), claims it’s wonders and a point for their team.    

• At the end of the first round of play, recognize how wonderful it is to see EVERYONE, no matter the speed, claiming ‘nature experiences’ for their team. Solicit thoughts on how truthfully this outcome represents our current reality in Calgary/Alberta/Canada. Once outlined that this rosy picture of ‘outdoor access for all’ is NOT true, dive into the barriers that deny access to nature locally and beyond – from economic impairments (no $ for equipment and transport) to micro-aggressions and systemic racist attitudes. In sad recognition of this truth, announce that one less ‘nature experience’ will be available in round 2 of play, and remove one cone/popsicle stick from the playing field. Explain that the team left without a claimed ‘nature experience’ will not receive a point.   

After several rounds, survey the feelings on how it feels to miss out on claiming ‘nature experiences’ as they are removed from play. Ask them if this reality is ‘just’ or ‘right’? And if it isn’t, challenge them to come up with ways they can change it? Gather ideas of real-life actions they can take today to increase access and opportunities to ‘nature experiences’ and ‘the great outdoors’. In celebration of truly embodying the spirit of ‘nature yours, nature mine, nature ours’, replenish the amount of cones/bean bags available in ‘the great outdoors’ playing field, and play until each participant claims one and labels it with either their all-time, favourite outdoor experience OR one they are super-keen to try.   

Adapt this conversation for different grade levels.

• Question the larger system. Why did the facilitators even get to remove those nature opportunities from the group in the first place? Who gave them the right to do that in the first place? How does this reflect our reality?
• If there is something limiting our nature opportunities, how can we speak out and say, "that is not fair!"