30 days wild

[Bluebell]

Hi - who's doing 30 days wild?? I am with my own children who are KS2 and getting out and about is fantastic - woods and farm visits, parks and sunny weather is all great - BUT I'm wondering if anyone has good ideas for older children on days when we are at home / at school /working or on wet weather days?

I've had a quick look on the website for ideas - I like the idea of me taking a tea break outside or a walk at lunchtime and my boys get plenty of opportunity to play outside on the field at their school.

I see there are watch / listen to wildlife from the window (but wouldn't have a clue how to identify anything!) and watch a webcam for wildlife. I might also send them on the rainbow scavenger hunt and maybe we could use that to do a picture or something the next day.

Loving the amazing holiday sunny and hot weather we have been having but know back to school / work next week and inevitable poorer weather will maybe sideline our plans lol!

[hulahoops]

Hi. Have a look at woodlands trust nature detectives x lots of great ideas

[FloraDora]

I was unaware of this June happening!

I think I do this daily anyway, it's easy for me as we live next door to a small nature reserve but a great motivation if nature isn't as easy to access. Good sign post.

The nature detectives site signposted below, is great for help with identification and ideas.

Some activities I do :

Have you a bird feeder? On wet days if positioned near a window you will be able to view the birds feeding.

On some of your get outside walks do lots of collecting, twigs, leaves, pine cones etc....use these as loose materials for indoor play, great for smallworld settings. I have a set of old picture frames and trays and they create loose pictures inside the frames- giant versions are good in the garden too...using buckets of stones, big sticks, leaves etc...

Watch extracts from Springwatch??

We do a 'Darwin walk' in my garden and around the nature reserve. Darwin observed his local wildlife by doing the same walk everyday and noticing differences. It's a simple focus to introduce, read a story about Darwin, walk around the garden and lead the observations, do it again in a couple of days and at this time of the year notice the taller plants, buds, flowers, fern unraveling etc, raspberries / strawberries / cherries developing etc... We threw down some meadow seed in a small patch and they are slowly emerging through now.
To start it off I tied a florists ribbon around the route with arrows, the LO's then could do I it on their own and then tell me what they had observed different. We put pegs on the ribbon at places we thought someone else would like to see something....generates lots of talk and looking closely.

Build a pile of stones/ logs/ twigs and leaves for a bug hotel.

Look in cracks in the patio and see what is there.

Notice what they are walking on....I have different photo walks in my locality and garden. One set is photos of the ground, my garden has a paved patio, shingle, slate, grass, brick....they find the photo to match where they are. Encourages observation. I have other sets too: leaves, plant spotting, looking up, what's on the walls and fences, street furniture, numbers and letters in the environment etc....easy to make, great for a focus when you are walking out.

Wellingtons and umbrellas in the rain?
I have a set of different materials that we hold over our head to protect us from the rain that prompts listening and talking, a plastic tub, a metal tray, tarpaulin, the rain makes a noise when it lands on it.

Picture frames on Windows. I have a set of small sticky reusable frames, you could just blu tack paper ones too, I put them on the patio window and the children look through the frame and talk about what they can see. They do it unprompted usually...the frame just draws them in. You can do lots with this but the one they do the most is to choose from a set of wooden painted sticks the colours they can see. They like just playing with the sticks too!

Double sided sticky tape patches on crowns - the LO's collect natural things and stick them on....and wear them, you can make bracelets like this too but they need to look for small things.

Collect different shades of green, grass, leaves etc... Then order dark to light on return, this leads naturally to mixing paint colours..green and white paint, green and brown/ black paint.

And of course...the old fashioned nature display always interests children. We set them up together from a collection either recently found or in my nature box...I put mine on a tray as I set up daily and put away - endless play, look and talk value.

[Maza]

I toyed with the idea of doing it, but I am committed to a couple of activity lists already. It is a really good one though - and manageable.

Do you have a national trust place at all near you? Ours is putting on a couple of events linked to this.

If you check the RSPB website it has some really good bird identifying stuff that could help you. Why not make it a challenge to learn a new bird each/as a family? There are also some sweet activities on there too to do with nature. We are working towards the gold level action award - so you could maybe work towards the bronze level because a lot of the activities you do will link to the 30 days wild too.

Floradora - I love the idea of holding different materials over your head in the rain. It could double up as an 'environmental sounds' activity for Letters and Sounds Level 1. I'm always looking for new ideas to enrich that area of learning. In Tiger there is a lovely drawing pad(£3 I think) and each page has a 'picture frame' around it. It really does add another dimension to their drawings - but I love the idea of cutting one out and sticking it on a window. I'm going to put some up tonight!

[FloraDora]

I toyed with the idea of doing it, but I am committed to a couple of activity lists already. It is a really good one though - and manageable.

Do you have a national trust place at all near you? Ours is putting on a couple of events linked to this.

If you check the RSPB website it has some really good bird identifying stuff that could help you. Why not make it a challenge to learn a new bird each/as a family? There are also some sweet activities on there too to do with nature. We are working towards the gold level action award - so you could maybe work towards the bronze level because a lot of the activities you do will link to the 30 days wild too.

Floradora - I love the idea of holding different materials over your head in the rain. It could double up as an 'environmental sounds' activity for Letters and Sounds Level 1. I'm always looking for new ideas to enrich that area of learning. In Tiger there is a lovely drawing pad(£3 I think) and each page has a 'picture frame' around it. It really does add another dimension to their drawings - but I love the idea of cutting one out and sticking it on a window. I'm going to put some up tonight!


Tiger- now that's a shop I love! I visited it in Brighton when visiting my oldest...now they have opened in Grand Central, Birmingham, I have to be strict on spending as everything seems good value!

RSPB a good idea - on a rainy day last year we set up a ' hide' made from cardboard boxes, with a stool and binoculars and an RSPB bird sheet - they did some birdwatching through the patio window.

[k1rstie]

Floradora - I love the idea of holding different materials over your head in the rain.

My daugtger did a school project in year 4 about the weather, and one of the tasks was thinking about different materials that could be used for protection from the rain. She took some lovely photos with her in the rain with a newspaper and a plank if wood over her head for protection. She also had great fun filming her own weather report outside in the rain wearing a trench coat, holding an umbrella and wearing glasses. She looked and sounded like Gale Force from Gigglebiz. It was really fun, and ended with a bucket of water being thrown from an upstairs window at the end of the report. It was emailed to school for her project, it was very cute and funny

[Maza]

How's it going Bluebell? Have you managed anything today?

We've signed up after all! We went to an event a our local national trust place and saw it advertised everywhere and so DD wants to do it. Today, it was the annual bio-blitz and so we did river dipping and a snail walk as well amongst other things. The challenge will be, as you say, once we are all back at work/school. I think it will be interesting as a way of monitoring just how often we 'don't' get to interact with nature. DD has said that we already need to carry it on for the first two days of July because we didn't do anything nature related for the 1st and 2nd of this month!

I'm looking forward to trying out some ideas already mentioned on here. x

[Kirstylob]

FloraDora, I love your ideas especially the photo ones and the different materials to hold over your head in the rain. Thank you. X

[Bluebell]

It's been really wierd actually as I spend time outside most days I am not working and yet doing this I realised I'm not necessarily 'connecting with nature' I've done things like sit in the garden and have a cup of tea listening to the birds singing or adding plants to my garden that I bought from the supermarket! Thats on the days I've HAD to fit something in as I haven't done it naturally lol!!

I drove to work today and was inside all day and then drove home so hard to fit something in when getting home at 6 and having to sort tea, hang out washing, clear up etc etc but I guess maybe thats the point - to get us to do something outside even if its only for 5 minutes.
But we did have an awesome few days making the most of the sunshine we have been having here - parks and woodlands walks and play and so on. My boys were at a out of school club and spent the whole day on the field playing in trees and bushes so they kind of made up for the fact I managed a 5 minute tokenistic contribution for today lol!

I know it will be easier once I am back childminding to do stuff and I think I need to reassess the just being outdoors and the whole idea of actually connecting to nature as my garden and the local park isn't really nature - its all manmade type stuff lol!

Think I might go for making a bug house, bird feeding and wild seed scattering so my 2 can get involved

[Maza]

It's been really wierd actually as I spend time outside most days I am not working and yet doing this I realised I'm not necessarily 'connecting with nature' I've done things like sit in the garden and have a cup of tea listening to the birds singing or adding plants to my garden that I bought from the supermarket! Thats on the days I've HAD to fit something in as I haven't done it naturally lol!!

I drove to work today and was inside all day and then drove home so hard to fit something in when getting home at 6 and having to sort tea, hang out washing, clear up etc etc but I guess maybe thats the point - to get us to do something outside even if its only for 5 minutes.
But we did have an awesome few days making the most of the sunshine we have been having here - parks and woodlands walks and play and so on. My boys were at a out of school club and spent the whole day on the field playing in trees and bushes so they kind of made up for the fact I managed a 5 minute tokenistic contribution for today lol!

I know it will be easier once I am back childminding to do stuff and I think I need to reassess the just being outdoors and the whole idea of actually connecting to nature as my garden and the local park isn't really nature - its all manmade type stuff lol!

Think I might go for making a bug house, bird feeding and wild seed scattering so my 2 can get involved

It really does make you think doesn't it? I also found it hard to fit in today - I was driven to work. It was inset day and so we did manage to have lunch outside - in the concrete playground! Then once I got home it was cooking etc. We did spend about half an hour watching the nest outside our window - the fledglings kept coming to the edge, flapping their wings but then going back into the nest without taking off. So amazing.

Like you said, it was easier to manage when childminding - and that's one of the things I miss the most about childminding. I remember my poor hubby (and millions of people like him) when he worked in the city - leaving for work before it was properly light, coming home in the dark, travelling on the underground, sitting in an office not near a window and spending all weekend recuperating. Thank goodness he has given that up.

Good luck for tomorrow!

[hectors house]

Last week I trekked to fantastic waterfalls, climbed mountains, watched bald eagle chicks in a nest for an hour, went whale watching, saw lots of black bears, couple of grizzlies, moose, elk, killer whales, did western style horse riding, cooked meals over an open fire - all whilst travelling in a huge RV across to the Rockies and back in beautiful Canada - not sure that watching the squirrel on the bird feeder this morning is going to really "cut" it!

[Maza]

Last week I trekked to fantastic waterfalls, climbed mountains, watched bald eagle chicks in a nest for an hour, went whale watching, saw lots of black bears, couple of grizzlies, moose, elk, killer whales, did western style horse riding, cooked meals over an open fire - all whilst travelling in a huge RV across to the Rockies and back in beautiful Canada - not sure that watching the squirrel on the bird feeder this morning is going to really "cut" it!

OMG, sounds like the trip of a lifetime! I remember ages ago when you said you had this holiday planned. I would love to see bears in the wild. Do you have an absolute favourite bit, or is it impossible to choose?

[mumofone]

Last week I trekked to fantastic waterfalls, climbed mountains, watched bald eagle chicks in a nest for an hour, went whale watching, saw lots of black bears, couple of grizzlies, moose, elk, killer whales, did western style horse riding, cooked meals over an open fire - all whilst travelling in a huge RV across to the Rockies and back in beautiful Canada - not sure that watching the squirrel on the bird feeder this morning is going to really "cut" it!

On a childminders salary, wow you're doing well! ;-)
Sounds amazing x

[loocyloo]

Last week I trekked to fantastic waterfalls, climbed mountains, watched bald eagle chicks in a nest for an hour, went whale watching, saw lots of black bears, couple of grizzlies, moose, elk, killer whales, did western style horse riding, cooked meals over an open fire - all whilst travelling in a huge RV across to the Rockies and back in beautiful Canada - not sure that watching the squirrel on the bird feeder this morning is going to really "cut" it!

:-) that just sounds so magical. So many lovely memories xxx

[hectors house]

On a childminders salary, wow you're doing well! ;-)
Sounds amazing x

Shared a big RV (Motorhome) with friends, so half the cost of hire, petrol etc - only stayed at cheap camp sites in the National Parks (basic, no elec hookup), mostly cooked BBQ over a firepit, flew with West Jet (economy airline - no meals or films) - no more expensive than 2 weeks fully inclusive in Majorca.

[hectors house]

OMG, sounds like the trip of a lifetime! I remember ages ago when you said you had this holiday planned. I would love to see bears in the wild. Do you have an absolute favourite bit, or is it impossible to choose?

All of the National Parks have beautiful lakes, waterfalls and scenery but are all very different, when we were travelling on the Icefields parkway from Banff to Jasper the temperature on the glacier was about minus 2, but just a few days later in Wells Gray National Park we were in shorts and T shirts and being munched by mozzies - I think our day travelling to Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park will be one I will remember most - we saw most of the wildlife right by the side of the road, black bears, moose (on edge of forest), elk, deer etc - we spotted bald eagles flying above Medicine Lake and managed to find the nest and watched the chicks for nearly an hour. The mother flew out of the nest and with binoculars we could see the chicks, we waited for mother to come back for half an hour then gave up and went back to RV, drove to next view point 5 mins away and the mother was back and sat waiting for her to fly off nest again for another half an hour - our friend is a keen photographer, so wanted to get an action shot.

We then drove to Maligne Lake and did the 1.5 hour long cruise to Spirit Island - one of the most iconic Canadian places, used all the time in travel brochures.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g154917-Activities-Jasper_National_Park_Alberta.html - we did most of the lakes, waterfalls, canyons, the glacier trip and the hotsprings at Miette and we were only there 2 days - it really was a taster trip as we will have to go back when we are retired and see it all at a slower pace.