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15 Seed science activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Seeds are the amazing little vessels that carry the building blocks of life. A single seed usually consists of an undeveloped embryo of a plant alongside a store of food, both of which are protected by a outer casing called the seed coat. Many species of plants have also evolved specialized seed shapes and release…
PondNet Spawn Survey – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
The Freshwater Habitats Trust are asking people to help them map sightings of any frog spawn or toad spawn you might find, so they can gather data on the locations of breeding frogs and toads across the UK. Anyone can take part and it is free, quick and easy to do. Plus by taking part…
14 Bluebell activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Did you know over half of the worlds population of bluebells can be found growing in the UK? These beautiful, spring flowers provide an important early source of food for a variety of wildlife including pollinating insects like butterflies, beetles, bees and hoverflies. Some species of bee will even bite holes through the bottoms of…
20 Gardening activity ideas + STEM – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Did you know that gardening and growing your own food is good for your physical and mental health? Many studies have also shown that spending time outdoors in nature helps lower levels of anxiety, stress and depression in both adults and children. It's especially useful for helping children to calm themselves down and regulate their…
12 Daisy activity ideas, fun facts and recipes – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Daisies are beautiful wildflowers that provide an important source of food for wildlife. Pollinating insects like bees, butterflies, beetles feed on the pollen and nectar, earwigs and other minibeasts eat the petals and snails, slugs and mammals like rabbits and deer eat the whole daisy plant. Some species of bird even feed on the seeds. Daisies…
17 Dandelion activities and recipes + fun facts – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Dandelions are beautiful wildflowers that provide an important source of food for pollinators. They flower early in the year long before any other plants. Bees, butterflies, and many other insects feed on the pollen and nectar, and caterpillars of butterflies and moths feed on the plants. Some species of bird even feed on the seeds.…
16 Frog activity ideas + fun facts – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Did you know there are over 6000 species of frog in the world? They can be found on every continent except Antarctica. It might also surprise you to know that frogs have been around longer than the dinosaurs! Frog fossils from 250 million years ago have been previously found in Madagascar and Poland. They are…
15 World book day activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
In honour of world book day here are 15 simple and fun book related activities to try. From arts, crafts, sensory and small world play to chemical reactions, spider web catchers, homemade scarecrows and edible wallpaper. 1. We're Going on a Bear Hunt sensory trail. We're Going on a Bear Hunt is a wonderful book…
17 Daffodil activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
There are over 26,000 cultivated varieties of daffodil but only one species that is truly native to the UK. You might be surprised to find that Daffodils are NOT good plants to grow for wildlife, most commercial varieties are so hybridized (cross-bred) that they are sterile, produce very little pollen or nectar or have lost…
30+ Easter activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
30 fun and easy Easter crafts, games, recipes and activity ideas, that children of all ages can explore and enjoy. From science and sensory to arts and crafts. And the best bit is that most of them are made using recycled materials you can find around the house or garden. 1. Jelly filled egg shells…
Three-cornered leek recipes – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Three-cornered leeks (or Allium triuetrum) are an edible wild plant that belongs to the Allium family of plants, which also includes onion, garlic, leek and chives. The whole of the plant is edible which means you can eat the leaves, buds, flowers roots and bulbs. Three-cornered leeks are actually an invasive species in the UK,…
13 Nettle activity ideas and recipes – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Did you know stinging nettles provide an important source of food for wildlife! The caterpillars of several species of butterfly and moth rely on the plants for food, ladybirds lay their eggs on the leaves, bees and other pollinators feed on the nectar from the flowers and some species of bird even feed on the…
17 Daffodil activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
There are over 26,000 cultivated varieties of daffodil but only one species that is truly native to the UK. You might be surprised to find that Daffodils are NOT good plants to grow for wildlife, most commercial varieties are so hybridized (cross-bred) that they are sterile, produce very little pollen or nectar or have lost…
Wild garlic recipe ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Wild garlic (or Allium ursinum) is a beautiful and edible wild plant that belongs to the Allium family. Did you know there are actually over 920 species of Allium plants which also include onion, leeks and chives? Wild garlic produces beautiful star burst white flowers that provide an important early source of food for pollinators…
29 Rainbow activity ideas (Science and sensory) – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Sunlight which appears to us mostly as white light is actually made up of a spectrum of different colours which you can see when rainbows form. Rainbows appear in the sky when sunlight shining from behind us, hits the water droplets in the air in front of us at a 42 degree angle. When sunlight…
Nature art frames – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Nature art frames are really simple to make, fun to play with and create some wonderful images. They also encourage creativity and fine motor skills in children of all ages and abilities. You just need a recycled piece of cardboard, a pen and some scissors to make these. We hate to waste anything and recycling…
40 Spring activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Spring is a wonderful time of year to enjoy, explore and learn about the natural world, from new growth, buds and blossom of plants to animals nesting and raising young. Here are 30 fun and easy spring crafts, games and activity ideas, that children of all ages can explore and enjoy. And the best bit…
14 Lichen activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
There are over 20,000 species of Lichen in the world and they are some of the slowest growing and longest living organisms on the planet. A lichen only grows from about half a millimeter up to two millimeters a year depending on the species. However with this incredibly slow growth comes great longevity with many…
16 Weather activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Weather is something we all experience on a day to basis, it shapes our lives and world bringing life giving water in the form of rain as well as helping the plants and crops we rely on for food to grow, pollinate and spread their seeds. We really on weather to drive our natural environmental…
24 Valentines activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
24 fun and simple valentines crafts and activity ideas, that children of all ages can explore and enjoy. And the best bit is that most of them are made using recycled materials. From sensory play, arts and crafts to edible wallpaper, nature play, baking, homemade wildflower paper and heart shaped bean bags. 1. Sensory Valentines…
The Big Garden Bird Watch 2025 – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
The Big Garden Bird Watch is one of the world's largest wildlife surveys. Run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds it helps to monitor any concerning or positive changes in bird populations across the UK. Anyone in the UK can take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch from Friday 24th to Sunday…
New Year Plant Hunt 2024 – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
The New Year Plant hunt is a simple fun and easy citizen science project that anyone can help with. All you have to do is explore a natural or urban area to see how many wild flowering plants (not garden plants) that you can find from Saturday 29th December 2024 to Wednesday 1st January 2025.…
Pine and fir tree whisks – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Whisks were always traditionally made from wood before the invention of metal and plastic. Handmade wooden whisks are surprisingly quick and simple to make and look and feel beautiful. You can use either a Pine tree or Fir tree branches to make your whisk (It's a great way to reuse old Christmas tree branches) as…
25 Winter activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Winter is a wonderful time of year to enjoy, explore and learn about the natural world, from the all clever tricks animals use to survive the colder months to exploring overlooked plants and organisms and learning about the science of behind weather. Here are lots of fun and easy winter crafts, games and activity ideas,…
20+ Christmas nature play activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
20+ fun and simple nature play Christmas activity ideas, games and crafts, that children of all ages can enjoy and explore The best bit is that all of them are made using found and recycled materials. 1. Christmas scavenger hunt An easy to make Christmas themed scavenger hunt that you can use in the garden…
30+ Snow Activity Ideas (Science and Sensory) – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Snow is made up of hundreds and thousands of tiny ice crystals. These ice crystals form when the water vapour in clouds becomes so cold (anywhere below 0c) that it freezes straight into ice. The microscopic pieces of ice then start sticking together to form snowflakes. When the snowflakes become too heavy under the weight…
16 Christmas ice play activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Ice is a wonderful material for sensory and exploratory play. Its so easy to make and you can easily add extra sensory elements like scented herbs, flavoured oils, textured natural materials and colours. Here are 16 fun and festive ice play ideas that children of all ages will enjoy. 1. Ice cube snowmen Ice cube snowmen…
16 Christmas ice play ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Ice is a wonderful material for sensory and exploratory play. Its so easy to make and you can easily add extra sensory elements like scented herbs, flavoured oils, textured natural materials and colours. Here are 14 fun and festive ice play ideas that children of all ages will enjoy. 1. Ice cube snowmen Ice cube snowmen…
Christmas nature art ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Nature art (also sometimes called land art) is a wonderful nature activity that encourages creativity and fine motor skills in children of all ages and abilities. All you need to create nature art is your imagination and natural found materials like leaves, sticks, stones, pine cones bark and grass ect. You could have a nature…
10+Christmas potato print ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Potato printing is a simple activity for children of ages, all you need is a potato cut in half, a bit of imagination and some paint to get started. You can find lots of easy Christmas print ideas below for inspiration. How about using the potato prints to make patterns, pictures, Christmas cards, posters, Christmas…
8 Christmas cardboard tube crafts – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
8 simple and easy Christmas crafts you can do using old wrapping paper or kitchen roll tubes. We hate to waste anything and recycling and reusing materials is one of many small things we can all do to help the environment. So instead of chucking used cardboard tubes we like to find ways to use…
32 Christmas activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
32 fun and simple Christmas crafts and activity ideas, that children of all ages can explore and enjoy. From arts, crafts and nature play to science and sensory. And the best bit is that most of them are made using recycled materials. 1. Pine cone Christmas trees These simple but sweet little Christmas trees are…
20 ways to make a home for wildlife in your garden – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
As wildlife habitats are in decline it’s more important than ever to make space for wildlife in our gardens or around our homes. You can find a whole range of simple and easy ideas for making a home for wildlife in your garden below. Even if you don't have a garden you can make use…
16 Remembrance day poppy activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
A red poppy is a symbol of remembrance of the first world war and of all the lives lost. On 11th November each year there is a Remembrance Day 'Lest we forget' the tragedies of the past and so we do not repeat them in future. Did you know that remembrance poppies were originally designed…
Reverse Advent – Giving back in December – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Reverse advent is a great way to encourage children to think about others and teach them to be kind, considerate and giving. To take part in reverse advent all you have to so if something kind or helpful for others during December. You could do one thing a day or a few things a week…
Ruby Robin Award – Songbird activity ideas – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
The Ruby Robin award is a fantastic, free initiative by Songbird survival to help birds survive in winter as well as teach children and families more about all the native birds you can find in the UK. It is free to sign up for and there are a whole host of fun and easy activities…
The Great Coastal Bird Watch 2024 – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
The Great Coastal Bird Watch 2024 runs from Saturday 19th October to Sunday the 3rd November this year with the annual arrival of migratory birds along the Solent coastline. Anyone who can visit a Solent coastline (in the UK) can take part. It only takes an hour and it's free and easy to do, plus…
Citrus peel play shapes – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Instead of chucking away the peel from citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits. You could recycle and re-use them by turning them into colourful shapes for threading, sensory and loose parts play. We hate to waste anything and recycling and reusing materials is one of many small things we can all do to…
Día de los Muertos – Mexican Day of the dead activities – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
Dia de los Muertos (which is also known as the Day of the Dead) is a colourful and vibrant celebration of life and death bringing families and communities together to celebrate and remembering dead loved ones. It is a two day holiday that originated in Mexico but is now celebrated across Latin America on the…
36 Halloween activities crafts and games – Childsplayabc ~ Nature is our playground
It’s that time of year when the evenings are getting darker, the leaves are falling and Halloween is around the corner. So we’ve put together a list of 30+ of our favourite Halloween activities from science and sensory to arts and crafts, as well as games and recipes that children of all ages can explore…