Primary •
Primary
School grounds focus: • Where are we now? • Where do we want to be? • How can we get there?
Easy peasy pine cone bird feeders. Feed your feathery garden visitors with these simple homemade treats. This is a great activity for little brothers and sisters they’ll love mushing the mixture together! Hang your feeders near a window and keep your eyes peeled for visitors It’s important to keep feeding birds once you start they rely on it and may go hungry without your help This bird feeder activity is messy fun, so make sure you wash your hands afterwards!
A treasure hunt for spelling and language work
Keep your eyes peeled for holly, ivy and mistletoe! Woods are magical in winter, and there’s an extra-special sparkle at Christmas-time. Head to the forest for a festive adventure: Listen for robins singing among bare branches Spot glittering frost on evergreen leaves Look for fat red berries nestled among prickly holly leaves Can you find any other Christmassy signs?
Head to the woods and track down festive signs! Can you get a photo of each item on the list? Look for Santa’s boot prints. Can you find a tree shaped like Rudolph’s antlers? What’s red like a jolly robin’s breast? What other Christmassy signs can you find?
This is a great activity to do when children are a little tired after an energetic game.
A simple activity to write creatively
Use this spotter sheet to help you hunt out all the colours in nature. Grab your best detecting kit – it’s time to find these colours! How many will you spot? Look for colours in flowers, leaves and berries Can you find them all in the woods? What’s your favourite colour? Once you’ve ticked off all the colours, try looking for others. You could even make a picture using the colours you spot.
Grab your favourite pencils and pens and create your own comma butterfly! Rain or shine, you can colour in at any time. Use this comma colouring sheet and make a masterpiece. The comma’s Latin name is Polygonia c-album Get inspired by real life butterflies or use your imagination Use felt tips, pencils, paints or felt to make a magnificent picture What have you called your comma? Maybe you could colour in some other butterflies and create some friends for him?
Grab your favourite pens and pencils and colour in these conkers! Conkers are so much fun, but if it’s too cold or wet outside to collect them, colour in instead. Go hunting for real conkers how many can you collect? Create a conker collage using leaves, twigs and bits of conker shell Conkers are the seeds of the horse chestnut tree Look carefully at your collected conkers do they have swirly patterns on their glossy shells?
A fun way to practise counting, sorting and weighing. Autumn is conker season! Collect a bunch to use in these fun maths challenges. Sort your conkers from smallest to biggest Weigh them Learn about 2D and 3D shapes
Go conkers and make these marvellous models. Gather conkers and get creative all you need is your imagination! Make sure you choose conkers of different sizes Remember to keep the shells you can use them on your models Get inspired by nature or let your imagination run wild! Don’t forget to use other woodland items to help bring your creations to life.
A fun autumn game using conkers
Make this super easy feeder for your garden birds. This is simple and fun. All you need is lard, bird seed and a cookie cutter or two. Easy peasy! Making these feeders is messy fun, so be prepared to get your hands dirty! This is a super activity for little (and big!) Nature Detectives Hang your feeders where you can see them and wait for your feathered friends to tuck in to
Creating funny creatures from natural features
To investigate the components of the water cycle • To understand how rivers erode, transport and deposit materials to produce particular landscape features
Get creative using black paper and bright colours. Black paper is brilliant for creating dramatic nighttime art. Experiment with chalk and bright paints that really stand out Use natural materials like real leaves to make a collage Create spooky, moonlit scenes using white pen What sort of picture did you make? Don’t forget to clear a space on your fridge or wall to display your artwork!
Use this handy iDial to identify minibeasts on the ground. Print and make the iDial, then take it with you on a hunt for creepy crawlies! Search under logs, rocks and in the soil Some creatures have no legs, some have six legs, and some have lots of legs! How many different minibeasts can you spot? Did you know? Creepy crawlies are invertebrates: this means they have no backbone!
Are you ready to hunt for these creepy crawly minibeasts? Grab your best detecting kit and head out into the woods or your garden. Search for creepy crawlies among leaf litter and under logs and stones You might spot some minibeasts flying through the air, so keep your eyes peeled Some minibeasts prefer dark, damp hiding places, others prefer sunshine and lush leaves Not all creepy crawlies are insects. Some, like slugs and snails, are gastropods, some, like centipedes, are myriapods, and some, like harvestmen, are arachnids.
Think you know what a carrot looks like?
Write secret messages using dandelion sap! Dandelion sap makes super ink for penning secret notes it’s hard to see when it’s wet, but when it’s dry the message is revealed! Does it work better on white or coloured paper? Does the ink work on pebbles and leaves? Can you make ink from any other flowers or plants? Be careful dandelion sap can occasionally cause skin irritation, and it can stain your clothes.
How many day-flying moths can you identify? Lots of day-flying moths are brightly coloured and look a bit like butterflies. Use our ID sheet to help you identify them. Moths hold their wings flat when they re resting They usually have thin, comb-like or feathery antennae Moths often have fat, furry bodies Now you can tell the difference between a day-flying moth and a butterfly, get outside and ID them!
Begin making your first den
To appreciate the natural surroundings – To understand and define hibernation – To investigate environmental indicators signalling animals’ need to hibernate through exploring natural surroundings – To think creatively – To develop team work skills
Get crafty in the woods and build your very own den. Follow our top tips and create a wonderful woodland hideaway. Use branches, leaves and twigs to build a sturdy, cosy den Remember that you need a good foundation before you start Can you build a den big enough for you and your friends? Remember, never cut anything down or damage the wood to construct your den.