Thinking, whether it is planning what information you need to solve a problem, exploring where in your body you feel certain, or searching for new ideas, is something that should be exciting and fun. For too long, the image of a serious person sitting still and thinking about serious stuff has ruled.
A creative approach to thinking is entering a world filled with possibilities. A dance with ideas. When working with children, using a touch of magic and imagination helps to capture their attention. Thinking requires focus, but this focus should be short and concentrated, and despite the common image that you need to sit still to think, well, children think with their bodies. Every muscle in their bodies is involved, so moving around and touching, smelling, and tasting is all part of the think dive process. The word “think dive” is a metaphor for thinking that I like to use.
The idea of making Chinese boxes continues to fascinate us, and the air roots that could connect the boxes inspired by the Monkey Face orchid were filled with possibilities. We made a list of things that could be inside the boxes:
- ice-cream
- hot-chocolate
- pastries
- tarts
- bread
What if there were ice-cream roots?
The ice cream could be made inside the boxes, and then roots would grow from the boxes that you could cut off. Ice-cream roots.
The air roots keep orchids moist, and the roots absorb moisture from the air. So the ice-cream roots could be made of little bubbles that absorb coolness from the air.
Can we not wait to try ice cream roots?
What about you? What ideas do you have?
Biomimicry is so exciting. . .
Why not check out my booklets about Biomimicry on TpT. There is also a Facebook page. Welcome!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.