WildTime

Spending time outdoors is fun. We all appreciate a little bit of sunshine, a warm breeze, hearing birdsong or a refreshing summer rain. But learning a little about nature also helps to connect us to our surroundings and to feel a part of our wider world.

Research is also revealing to us the health benefits of being out in nature through things like a simple walk, forest bathing or quiet moments of mindfulness.

Whatever your motivation for spending time outdoors there are plenty of places to find encouragement and ideas.

Here is the first organisation and links to their materials to help you along your way.

The Wild Network website has many ideas including a weekly set of challenges which can be done either in or outdoors. I particularly like their animal clothes challenge. What animal can you make your clothes into? Here's an idea:-

Click here to see some more.

They also have walking bingo cards, a different one each week and a free film which introduces how the wild network was started.

The challenge I've taken is to build an obstacle course for a wild animal.

Over time quite a few creatures have visited our garden, i'll share them in future posts, but a the moment we have a couple of squirrels that come each morning.

Now these squirrels aren't very bright. To stop them taking the bird food I put up a nut feeder just for them with a lid. 

What did they do? They ate it! Don't believe me? Here's the evidence or what's left of it.

So without any high hopes I decided to build a squirrel run. The plan was for them to run along the top of the fence, along a rope to the first tray of nuts. Then along the rope and onto the arch to a basket with more nuts suspended from the arch.

Needless to say it didn't work out like this so the run was adapted and here is a short video to show you how it all went.

An adaptation of the run is under construction. The magpie ate all the nuts in the tray and then the squirrel discovered running up the stick. 

If you feel inspired it would be great to hear how you got on. Have fun😃

30 Days Wild

Children and nature go together—or should. Recent studies document the importance of introducing children to the natural world, beginning in the early years. Their social, emotional, and physical health depends on this exposure to develop. Humans are hardwired to need nature—because we are part of it. In some communities, children lack access to nature and the freedom to explore local flora and fauna. How can children care about nature if they haven’t experienced it firsthand? Adults must do what they can to ensure that children have those opportunities. 1

This morning in assembly we introduced The Wildlife Trust's 30 Days Wild.
Every session in Forest School will include a fun activity linked to the Random Acts of Wildness.

We are also encouraging children to contribute their own activities on a diary page available from the office or via the eSchools learning platform.

Children can get involved in any way they want from their back garden, local park but some may want to get more involved and can sign up here (with parental permission)

Every child will also receive a link to a Survey Monkey questionnaire via eSchools to find out how wild we are as a school.

But most of all we just want to to enjoy being outdoors.

Follow us on Twitter to find out what we are getting up to and more ideas of what you can do.

1 http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/connecting-young-children-with-nature