Muir Activities

Muir famously undertook a 1000 mile walk. Do the same, as a group or individually. See a blog of the John Muir Trust staff team’s collective effort. If time is short, see page 6 of Mission: Explore John Muir for a 1000 steps activity.
Photo: © David Lintern

From opening your own mini national park to performing a dance to keep warm on a cold day, Mission:ExploreJohn Muir e-book presents a variety of activities that aim, in the spirit of John Muir, to challenge people of all ages to discover the world around them and encourage curiosity, enjoyment and active engagement with the natural world.

Walk, bike or run a section of one of the UK’s newest long distance routes. The path will allow everyone to explore the nature and landscapes of Central Scotland and passes through Scotland’s first National Park. The John Muir Way was developed by SNH and is managed by Central Scotland Green Network Trust. A guidebook includes background information on heritage, wildlife and John Muir’s life and an activity guide is also available.

Here is a small sample of activities from the book John Muir: My Life With Nature by Joseph Cornell, used here with kind permission from the author. Find out more about the book and buy your copy here.

You are invited to explore the theme of John Muir, 100 years of legacy, and what this might mean to young people. Working as a group, class, family or individual, possible activities include: making a short film, creating a photo collage, or producing a sound diary.

This John Muir education pack encourages learning in the outdoors, along with a deeper understanding of John Muir’s writings and thinking. It is aimed at an upper primary level and has been developed by Rural Connect Project.

Created by teachers at Graeme High School, Falkirk, these learning activities were inspired by the Scottish Book Trust’s new John Muir Earth – Planet Universe and supported an interdisciplinary project with S2 pupils working towards their John Muir Award.

An interactive activity with Q&A cards to match up and find out more about John Muir.

Use Cornell’s mini-exercises to discover and remember the physical characteristics and special quality or ‘essence of an animal, or a plant.

Print out John Muir A4 quote cards (or find your own) to stimulate discussion.
What do you think Muir meant when he said…?
Would you convey his message in a different way today?
Discuss other quotes from historical figures that have meaning today.

‘We don’t need another John Muir. We need thousands of John Muirs.’ Cameron McNeish.

Buy (or grow) your own beard to help get into the spirit of Muir.