A think dive into nature
Red deer, squirrel, dormice, and harlequin ladybird for Halloween! October month is filled with fascinating animals and plants. There is plenty to see and sometimes wildlife is right on our doorstep if we know what to look for and how to look. The book Wonderland: A Year of Britain's Wildlife, Day by Day by Brett …
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Plastic is everywhere! Can you help design packing material's for a Reindeer Party to celebrate that all the Xmas gifts have been delivered around the world. Reindeer are vegetarians, so they eat only plants, During the summer months they eat grass and shrubs. Once the snow covers the tundra, they start looking for lichen. Why …
Continue reading "Reindeer Challenge – Zero Waste Ideas for a Reindeer Party"
Unstoppable hunters of the nights! A couple of weeks ago, we went for a bat walk in Sutton Park. Equipped with warm clothes and torches we searched for bats in the dark autumn evening using bat detectors. The rain was drizzling but luckily the bats still came out to feed. Bats are mammals and they are …
Use the beach to spark your imagination! What can be better than to lie in silence at the shore, listening to the waves and watching sand grains roll back and forth? Explore beaches and admire sea shells while you breathe in the sea air. A day at the beach is a wonderous adventure. A great …
"build buildings like trees and cities like forests" William McDonough Ah, the dance of the cherry trees. Few things in nature are as lovely as the pink clouds of cherry blossoms. A wonderful way to welcome Spring. The loveliness is perhaps even more lovely since it is so fleeting. And the display in our garden …
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This post contains adlinks. How would you describe a bettle? Beetles can be colossal or tiny creatures. They can be colourful or plain, friendly and helpful or harmful. Beetles can even be tasty. And telegraphic! During Spring beetles and bugs are everywhere we look outside, and it is the perfect time to explore their …
The Festive Season is perfect for exploring som magical fun! Reindeer are amazing. Wonderful inspiration for helping Father Christmas. Exploring questions, fun, silly and serious, that excite our mind and then look for ways to put an answer together. Sometimes the solution will work, sometimes, especially when exploring the world with young children, the magic …
What way does the willow grow where you live? There are some special willows that grow in the Arctic. The branches help to protect the plants from the cold wind. Can you draw a Polar Willow that grows in the Arctic? The pussy willows are out and that is a sure sign that spring is …
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What if you can use foam to protect yourself from germs? What would you look like? Foam-nesting frogs build meringue-like structures to protect their young even under the harshest of conditions. The nests look delicate but they are tough structures. These types of frogs can provide inspiration for lots of ideas. Creating a Biomimicry Journal …
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Almost too perfect to be true. Like an artist has dreamed up some geometrically perfect and correct plants or sand dunes. Nature's symmetry is a subject that has fascinated philosophers, mathematicians, artists, architects, and physicists. Photo: Pixabay Patterns can be found everywhere in nature and walking around looking for pattern is a fun, imaginary activity …
There has been plenty of chances to watch the squirrels who visit our garden more or less every day. Squirrels are quick, agile and fascinating. Also squirrels. . . have sharp claws that helps them shift direction when they are climbing trees can run headfirst down trees have light and small bodies And most importantly …
A think dive into a pile of colourful autumn leaves. The forest is going to sleep. Days are getting shorter and the animals are squirreling away for winter. Plants and flowers are capsulated and the trees start to let go of their leaves. Autumn is a wonderful season for discovering what happens when natures slows …
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How many acorns will a jay collect over a season? Squirrels are not the only animal that love to collect and bury acorns. A jay can store as many as 5, 000 acorns! They place their acorns in many different places such as natural holes, crevices in tree bark and under leaf litter. Just like …
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Children are curious about the wonders of autumn. They would ponder natures beauty of leaves changing colours and trees dropping treasures. Even if you have witnessed many autumns you many still be impressed by the beauty. Autumn in the forest is so magical. Raindrops look like jewels and the towering trees provide the perfect backdrop …
The Woodland Trust is encouraging families to celebrate the UK’s incredible trees and woods by throwing a tree party! Become a leaf expert and learn more about trees! We spent a morning walking around in a big local park looking for a suitable tree to invite. So difficult to choose. It would be lovely to …
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It is in the news every day, from climate change to disappearing species, and we need to do something to reverse these trends. But how do we encourage children to not only care but also take action? Curiosity, care and compassion for our natural world comes from early contact with nature. A sense of wonder, …
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Smell, splash and listen! Put on your wellies and dance outside! How high is an oak tree? How do you measure the height of an ant nest? How does a wet pile of autumn leaves smell? Some answer are not found inside the classroom, instead you have to walk out in nature to find the …
Continue reading "Vitamin G – The Importance of Exploring Nature"
Do trees take the shape of the voices they have heard? That was one question that popped up on a walk when we saw this magnificent old tree with gnarled trunk. A trunk filled with faces and animals. . . Trees are a precious part of our heritage and at the very beginning of our …
Continue reading "Whispering Ancient Trees – Listening to Nature"
Do you know why frogs have big eyes that bulge out? Or why frogs can walk upside down? Frog eyes are big and come in a stunning range of colors and patterns. Perhaps you have seen a frog resting in the water with only its eyes and nose above the surface. Frogs can protrude their …
Would it not be great if you could smell with your body just like a slug? Slugs are everywhere! And gooey slime is a wonderful substance that can solve many problems. Britain has ideal conditions for slugs to thrive - cool damp summers and warmish mild wet winters. Climate changes also contribute into turning our …
Nowadays even fairies need to be climate smart. So we built climate smart houses for the fairies that live in our garden. We got inspiration from studying cones. Pine cones open and close depending upon the level of moisture in the air. The scales of pine cones open in hot and dry weather and …
Ahhh, you never really know where a you might end up when you blow dandelion seeds. Watching the little parachutes dance away in the chilly spring breeze may spark all sort of ideas. Observe, listen, touch, smell and in same cases even taste. To be creative, curious and to observe the world is an exciting …
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Building sandcastles, surfing on waves, and licking the world's yummiest ice-cream! A day at the beach can be truly magical. Children can tank their bodies with warm sun rays and parents' endless love. But it can also be a day filled with wonderous and mind-boggling ideas and questions. Dream, build and invent. Invent playground shaped …
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I have big eyes. The big eyes help me to. . . Owls are most vocal in Autumn and you can twit-twhoo-ing when you make this craft inspired by owls' big eyes. The big eyes help owls to see in the dark. We made an Autumn Owl robo with several eyes so that it can …
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"The evenings were darkening and the leaves were turning gold. It was the time when hedgehogs should be settling for their winter sleep. But Isaac the hedge was not feeling sleepy. Isaac wanted to play But who would play with Isaac?" Wide-Awake Hedgehog by Rosie Wellesley is a perfect book to snuggle up under a …
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I hope I have inspired you all to include Biomimicry into your life, whether it is in the classroom or at home. Below is a list of great book to use when observing plants and animals and to spark an interest in asking big questions. The focus when using biomimicry is on observing animals and …
