Getting children outdoors

[FloraDora]

Wildlife trust has a big campaign going today- they have a good leaflet you can download about getting children outdoors - quite good for perhaps sending home with children who spend their life indoors.

[Dragonfly]

Thank you will have a look later:)

[mumofone]

Wildlife trust has a big campaign going today- they have a good leaflet you can download about getting children outdoors - quite good for perhaps sending home with children who spend their life indoors.

Thanks flora :-) Could you give some more info, what's the project called? Is it project wild thing?

[FloraDora]

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/files/twt_family_adventures_booklet_web_hi.pdf

Every Child | The Wildlife Trusts (http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/EveryChildWild)

All the info is here: it's just highlighting the importance of play outside in wildlife areas.....my little nature reserve is run by volunteers from the wildlife trust......if a group of childminders got together a warden might be able to run a session in a local one.

Just google and you get the info...

[mumofone]

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/files/twt_family_adventures_booklet_web_hi.pdf Every Child | The Wildlife Trusts (http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/EveryChildWild) All the info is here: it's just highlighting the importance of play outside in wildlife areas.....my little nature reserve is run by volunteers from the wildlife trust......if a group of childminders got together a warden might be able to run a session in a local one. Just google and you get the info...

Thanks flora, sorry i was looking from my phone and couldn't find it! This is lovely, I love stuff like this :-) x

[Maza]

I was just reading some of the statistics on the website. 71% of children hadn't seen a lizard in the wild in England. I played in the 'wild' a lot as a child but never ever saw a lizard. Did anyone else? 37% have also never seen a hedgehog - I did once and still remember the excitement and thrill to this day.

I am constantly worried that my daughter doesn't get as much 'wild' outdoor play that I did as a child - but I just cannot bring myself to do what so many of our parents did - which was to let our children go out all day and not see them until supper time!

[mumofone]

I was just reading some of the statistics on the website. 71% of children hadn't seen a lizard in the wild in England. I played in the 'wild' a lot as a child but never ever saw a lizard. Did anyone else? 37% have also never seen a hedgehog - I did once and still remember the excitement and thrill to this day. I am constantly worried that my daughter doesn't get as much 'wild' outdoor play that I did as a child - but I just cannot bring myself to do what so many of our parents did - which was to let our children go out all day and not see them until supper time!

I used to play and swim in the canal right next to a bl**dy weir - can you imagine???!! Something so easily could have happened. I'm sure cows used to wash themselves in there too. I also used to play around old bunkers with friends after school. I'd be scared stiff if I found out my child ever did that but hey I'm still here!

[FloraDora]

I was just reading some of the statistics on the website. 71% of children hadn't seen a lizard in the wild in England. I played in the 'wild' a lot as a child but never ever saw a lizard. Did anyone else? 37% have also never seen a hedgehog - I did once and still remember the excitement and thrill to this day.

I am constantly worried that my daughter doesn't get as much 'wild' outdoor play that I did as a child - but I just cannot bring myself to do what so many of our parents did - which was to let our children go out all day and not see them until supper time!

I read an article the other day saying that Hedgehogs are in decline...I haven't seen one for a couple of years....and I have never seen a lizard in this country! But my son in sunny Brighton has seen loads...... They are not the best examples to use for the UK!
But I have taught children in Birmingham who hadn't seen ducks! City living is tricky for wildlife sometimes...Birmingham has more canals than Venice..but most canal ways out of the revamped city centre are no go areas for families, seedy, paths not safe, not easily accessible, too quiet...so you wouldn't take your child there! The wildlife trust are suggesting planned days out ....making it special so the children see it as something special and get involved.....
I do feel lucky living close to nature ....and I try to make sure the LO's don't just take it for granted by being involved and focussing on something.....my neighbour tells me her children are bored when they walk through...it's all about how you sell it!

[Maza]

Floradora, your mention of ducks brings me to another point/bugbear. I was in the park with another mum last Summer and we were all feeding the 'ducks' - except they weren't all ducks - some were geese and coots. This mum was shocked when I told her! I have seen several pictures on FB of children feeding 'ducks'. I know the act of doing it is far more important than the technical vocabulary, so to speak, but why aren't people observant enough to see that these birds are very different to each other and not all the same type? When I first met my husband, one of the things that struck me was the random things he would notice when out and about. I just wasn't observant in my every day interactions with the world (although I did know my ducks from my geese) and I have been striving to change that about myself and am determined to make my own and other children observant. It is at the core of what I do.

Mumofone - the other day you asked about sensory playdough and I didn't get round to responding. Changing the appearance, texture and smell of playdough is just one of a zillion ways that you can awaken the senses in children and make them notice similarities and differences in the world around them. I remember once as an adult a colleague commented on how she loved the smell of outdoors after it had been raining and others agreed with her - I had never noticed I am ashamed to say. My mum is shockingly unobservant and just plods through one day to the next. I think enjoying life through all of your senses keeps your brain active and enhances your life experiences, ultimately making you more intelligent - and as you stated, Floradora, 'interested and interesting'.

[FloraDora]

Floradora, your mention of ducks brings me to another point/bugbear. I was in the park with another mum last Summer and we were all feeding the 'ducks' - except they weren't all ducks - some were geese and coots. This mum was shocked when I told her! I have seen several pictures on FB of children feeding 'ducks'. I know the act of doing it is far more important than the technical vocabulary, so to speak, but why aren't people observant enough to see that these birds are very different to each other and not all the same type? When I first met my husband, one of the things that struck me was the random things he would notice when out and about. I just wasn't observant in my every day interactions with the world (although I did know my ducks from my geese) and I have been striving to change that about myself and am determined to make my own and other children observant. It is at the core of what I do.

Mumofone - the other day you asked about sensory playdough and I didn't get round to responding. Changing the appearance, texture and smell of playdough is just one of a zillion ways that you can awaken the senses in children and make them notice similarities and differences in the world around them. I remember once as an adult a colleague commented on how she loved the smell of outdoors after it had been raining and others agreed with her - I had never noticed I am ashamed to say. My mum is shockingly unobservant and just plods through one day to the next. I think enjoying life through all of your senses keeps your brain active and enhances your life experiences, ultimately making you more intelligent - and as you stated, Floradora, 'interested and interesting'.

I stand close to some mums at our lake and get the children to tell me what they can see ...usually coots, moorhens, mallards, tarn, Canadian geese....it silences the "just ducks" talk! The children know more than a lot of locals- but we are saving to put a notice up showing which water birds live on the lake. I think this is vital too in urban wildlife areas - it gives something to focus on ' what can you see?' Type encouragement.

[Mouse]

71% of children hadn't seen a lizard in the wild in England. I played in the 'wild' a lot as a child but never ever saw a lizard. Did anyone else? 37% have also never seen a hedgehog - I did once and still remember the excitement and thrill to this day.


I've never seen a lizard in the wild and it does seem a strange choice of creature to highlight. My grandparents used to have hedgehogs living under their shed, but I haven't seen on for a long time. I'd always hoped we'd get them in our garden, but maybe the foxes put them off.

On our drive home we do often see wild rabbits sat at the side of the road - something else we don't tend to see much these days. I can remember when I was young we always used to look out for them as we drove along certain roads.

So, a question. What's the strangest or most unusual creature you have seen in the wild in this country?

[Mouse]

I used to play and swim in the canal right next to a bl**dy weir - can you imagine???!! Something so easily could have happened. I'm sure cows used to wash themselves in there too. I also used to play around old bunkers with friends after school. I'd be scared stiff if I found out my child ever did that but hey I'm still here!

I would hate to think of my children getting up to some of the things I did!!

[FloraDora]

I've never seen a lizard in the wild and it does seem a strange choice of creature to highlight. My grandparents used to have hedgehogs living under their shed, but I haven't seen on for a long time. I'd always hoped we'd get them in our garden, but maybe the foxes put them off.

On our drive home we do often see wild rabbits sat at the side of the road - something else we don't tend to see much these days. I can remember when I was young we always used to look out for them as we drove along certain roads.

So, a question. What's the strangest or most unusual creature you have seen in the wild in this country?

I saw a wallaby in the Roaches area of the Peak District in 1983. They escaped from a local collector in the WW11 and established themselves in the area...I think they are very low in numbers now.

A badger came in my tent whilst camping in Brotherswater ! It came searching for the dog food that we had foolishly left in the tent!

[AdeleMarie88]

I've never seen a lizard in the wild and it does seem a strange choice of creature to highlight. My grandparents used to have hedgehogs living under their shed, but I haven't seen on for a long time. I'd always hoped we'd get them in our garden, but maybe the foxes put them off. On our drive home we do often see wild rabbits sat at the side of the road - something else we don't tend to see much these days. I can remember when I was young we always used to look out for them as we drove along certain roads. So, a question. What's the strangest or most unusual creature you have seen in the wild in this country?



Not unusual really, but I did get chased home, yes I swear I was chased, by a badger. It was beyond scary, they are vicious creatures!!

[Mouse]

Not unusual really, but I did get chased home, yes I swear I was chased, by a badger. It was beyond scary, they are vicious creatures!!

lol! I can imagine that was quite scary!

[Mouse]

I saw a wallaby in the Roaches area of the Peak District in 1983. They escaped from a local collector in the WW11 and established themselves in the area...I think they are very low in numbers now.

A badger came in my tent whilst camping in Brotherswater ! It came searching for the dog food that we had foolishly left in the tent!

Apparently they have wallabies living wild in the Isle of Man after some escaped from the wildlife park. Must be a strange thing to see!

[AliceK]

We go to our local woods / lake quite a lot and see lots of geese and ducks but not really anything else. However in my garden I get a hedgehog (usually), toads and once a slow worm, oh and lots of foxes waking me up at 2am :mad:

xxx

[Maza]

Oooh , great question!

I saw a snake at the wetland centre, just roaming about amongst the swans on the grass. My neighbour saw a badger one night. I would love to, but from a distance. Yes, bloomin' foxes wake us up often. My MIL who is out from SA at the moment is fascinated by the squirrels in our garden. Hubby is really cross with them because they have dug holes all over his lawn which we spent a fortune on earlier this year. They have been worse than ever this year.

[loocyloo]

I've never seen a lizard wild in this country!

We get a hedgehog in the garden.

I've seen badgers, foxes, deer, owls and assorted hawks. Oh and otters.

Since I moved to North Yorkshire I have twice seen a weasel (I think! ( small red ferret type creature) run across a country lane in front of me.

I too get very cross with 'duck' feeding when it's coots, moorhens, geese, mallards etc .... I had an old mindee who used to loudly correct people who would call everything a duck!

[Maza]

I've never seen a lizard wild in this country!

We get a hedgehog in the garden.

I've seen badgers, foxes, deer, owls and assorted hawks. Oh and otters.

Since I moved to North Yorkshire I have twice seen a weasel (I think! ( small red ferret type creature) run across a country lane in front of me.

I too get very cross with 'duck' feeding when it's coots, moorhens, geese, mallards etc .... I had an old mindee who used to loudly correct people who would call everything a duck!

Glad it's not just me! It does make me wonder though what glaringly obvious mistakes I make that bug people! Oh, actually, it bugs me when people call courgettes and tomatoes vegetables. Once, we were at a really rubbish 'Boost' session at our otherwise brilliant Surestart centre and this lady had the children sorting photos of food into sets of fruit and vegetables. Everyone put a courgette into the veg pile but I couldn't do it and the lady actually laughed at me and said "well I've never heard of that before" with a total look of disbelief on her face, and left it in the veg pile. I was going to download the definition of fruit for her in the next session, but I couldn't be bothered going to it.

[Evie125]

I found a snake in my back garden... It was bright orange and hanging off the fence post! I thought my brother had put a plastic one there as a joke but after a few texts realised that was not the case... Panic! Rang the RSPCA and was told to watch it till they arrived and make sure it "stayed put" - no idea what I would have done if it moved. , they used special tongs to pick it up and I was going no where near it! Apparently it was a lost pet x

[Mouse]

We go to our local woods / lake quite a lot and see lots of geese and ducks but not really anything else. However in my garden I get a hedgehog (usually), toads and once a slow worm, oh and lots of foxes waking me up at 2am :mad:

xxx

Apparently a slow worm is a lizard, so congratulations...you're one of the 29% of people who have seen a lizard in the wild :clapping:

Lizards
We have three native lizards in England: the Sand Lizard which is mainly found in sandy heathlands in southern England (like the Smooth Snake), the Common Lizard which prefers warm places with good basking sites like the stony ballast around railway lines. The third lizard is the Slow-worm which prefers well vegetated places that give good cover from predators and a good supply of food such as slugs.

[BallyH]

Apparently a slow worm is a lizard, so congratulations...you're one of the 29% of people who have seen a lizard in the wild :clapping:

Lizards
We have three native lizards in England: the Sand Lizard which is mainly found in sandy heathlands in southern England (like the Smooth Snake), the Common Lizard which prefers warm places with good basking sites like the stony ballast around railway lines. The third lizard is the Slow-worm which prefers well vegetated places that give good cover from predators and a good supply of food such as slugs.

I've seen, an extremely fast, sand lizard up our our local heath. Plus also get frequent visits from a hedgehog in our garden.

[SYLVIA]

I was just reading some of the statistics on the website. 71% of children hadn't seen a lizard in the wild in England. I played in the 'wild' a lot as a child but never ever saw a lizard. Did anyone else? 37% have also never seen a hedgehog - I did once and still remember the excitement and thrill to this day.

I am constantly worried that my daughter doesn't get ats much 'wild' outdoor play that I did as a child - but I just cannot bring myself to do what so many of our parents did - which was to let our children go out all day and not see them until supper time!
I don't think this will count, but one mindee and I found an iguana in the woods near me. It had been dumped there. We got a box from home n took it back with us and rang the rspca. Quite an adventure for a little mindee

[Mouse]

I don't think this will count, but one mindee and I found an iguana in the woods near me. It had been dumped there. We got a box from home n took it back with us and rang the rspca. Quite an adventure for a little mindee

Oh, that definitely counts! It's not everyday you find an iguana on your travels!

[Maza]

I don't think this will count, but one mindee and I found an iguana in the woods near me. It had been dumped there. We got a box from home n took it back with us and rang the rspca. Quite an adventure for a little mindee

Oh my word! Your mindee will remember that day forever!

My daughter loves watching the animal rescue/rspca programmes on TV and so that would have been her dream come true. One day we were in the woods and she saw a butterfly with a torn wing. She immediately told me to call the rspca and I had to explain that they wouldn't come out for a butterfly (please don't tell me that they would have done...) and it was quite a sad conversation/realisation.