Woodland TrustPage 3

Woodland Trust

Butterfly Idial

Make an iDial to identify butterflies you spot on your travels. Keep your eyes peeled while you’re out in your garden or the woods. Spot butterflies basking in the sunshine Which flowers are their favourites? Try following a butterfly as it flutters. Where’s it going? Did you know? Some butterflies hibernate during autumn and winter, emerging again in spring.

Butterfly Supper Sheet

Rustle up a sugary slap-up supper for visiting butterflies. Tempt butterflies and other insects to visit your garden serve up supper! Do they prefer brown or white sugar? Try golden syrup and treacle what to the butterflies like best? Which other creatures stop by for supper? Make sure you put the sugary supper among the flowers.

Butterfly Symmetry

Make beautiful butterfly wings using the magic of symmetry! We’ve spotted a new butterfly in the garden but where are its pretty wings? Can you help it to fly by creating them? How many colours can you see? Where does your butterfly live? Find a real butterfly for inspiration Make sure you give your new butterfly a name. And don’t forget to show your friends and family all the pretty colours.

Campfire Bread Twists

Bake this scrummy snack over your campfire! This recipe is super simple and tasty and what’s not to love when you’re cooking over a campfire? All you need is flour, sugar, salt and water. And a campfire, of course! Don’t forget jam, honey or chocolate spread yum! Ask your grown-up to help you Always ask the landowner’s permission before starting a campfire, and remember to put it out properly before you leave.

Caterpillar Hunt

Head off on a caterpillar hunt and see how many different types you can find. Look carefully under leaves and on plant stems to spot caterpillars. Caterpillars are the larvae (young) of butterflies and moths They can eat up to 27,000 times their own weight to get enough energy to transform into a butterfly The hairs and markings on caterpillars are designed to warn predators that they don’t taste very nice Make sure you don’t pick up or touch any caterpillars. They can be very delicate, and they can also make your skin itch.

Cheesy Pine Cones

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!

Christmas Hunt

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?

Christmas Scavenger Hunt

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?

Christmas Tree Colouring Page

Make a festive picture or turn it into a Christmas card! Get creative and decorate this fir tree ready for Christmas. You could… Choose your favourite colours for the baubles Use real pine needles that have fallen off your own tree Recycle old cards or sweet wrappers and stick them on to create decorations When you’re finished, why not turn it into a Christmas card for a special friend? Eco-friendly tree decorations Many Christmas decorations are made from plastic – tinsel, garlands and glittery baubles – so they’re not kind to the planet. Have a go at making your own plastic-free Christmas decorations instead using natural objects, paper and wool!

Colour Bingo

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.

Comma Butterfly Colouring In

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?

Conker Colouring In Sheet

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?

Conker Maths

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

Conker Modelling Sheet

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.

Cookie Cutter Bird Feeders

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 Dark Art

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!

Creepy Crawley IDial

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!

Creepy Crawlies ID

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.

Cute Critters ID Sheet

Help your little one spot these creatures while you’re in the woods. What will you discover when you go down to the woods today? How many different birds will your little one spy? Count the animals together Help your child look for animals in the trees and on the ground what can they see? Keep your eyes peeled and help your mini Nature Detective spot woodland animals when you’re out and about.

Dandelion Secrets Ink

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.

Day Flying Moths ID

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!

Den Building Sheet

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.

Dormouse Colouring Sheet

Create a colourful nest for this snuggly dormouse. Dormice spend their summers hiding in trees, then feast on hazelnuts and fruit ready for their winter hibernation. Colour in this dormouse and his nest. Create a collage using natural materials you find on the woodland floor Add felt or fake fur to your dormouse to make him super fluffy Did you know? Dormice are nocturnal

Dormouse Mask

Transform into a dozy dormouse! Do you love naps and lazy lie-ins? Are your PJs your favourite clothes? Do you love snuggling under a cosy blanket with a yummy snack? If so, you’re like a dormouse! Print out and make up this marvellous mask to complete your transformation. Then strike a pose, snap a selfie and share your pics with us using #NatureDetectives

Dragonflies and Damselflies Sheet

Hunt for and ID dragonflies and damselflies. Look out for dragonflies and damselflies, and spot the difference between them. There are three main differences: eyes, shape and wings These bugs zip through the air, so you’ll need to be quick to spot them! You might find one or two resting on leaves Watch for them hunting by water.