I have been outside a lot with my chickens.  I have six now and they have been in their own lockdown since November. So they are sadly not allowed out around my garden anymore.

Having my chickens means I am outside often to clean them out, feed them and make sure they have fresh water. I also like to  spend time with them and give them treats and cuddles.

If you have a dog, taking them for walks would count as time outside. Maybe you take them to the park, around the streets or to the woods.

This week I have been taking my dog up to the woods (Gramps) and down to the river. We also went to Tollohill  woods to play on the tree swings. Everytime we go to the woods, we always come home with sticks. One for my daughter, one for my son and of course one for me!

A stick collection has been growing on my back door step since I had both my children. Although my own mother still has my collection sitting at her back door and when ever my children go through to visit they seem to add more to the collection.

A good stick is something special. Teach your child how to hold their stick safely. In nursery we advise all sticks be carried upright. We remove any small side shoots and try to round off the ends so they are not pointy.

If like me you find a collection of sticks at your back door then you may be interested  in the following ideas.

In the nursery garden we have lovely straight sticks of different heights.

We measured our sticks to one meter and then used them to measure things around the nursery garden. After a while we got a few one meter sticks and cut them down, so we had half a meter and 25 cm sticks too. Allowing our children to measure themselves, each other, the staff, their toys and everything else they can find.

We painted the ends so we knew what sticks matched to make a whole meter stick. Easy Maths Sticks.

What could you measure?

Having a collection of sticks is a helpful loose part to have at home.

Using big sticks and a sheet you could build a den.

You could make a wand.

Maybe you could make a shape  and weave some pretty leaves in to your dream catcher or add feathers, pinecones and  other things you find outside.

 

Maybe you could use your sticks to make a dragon cave, or a home for your fairies.

 

There are loads of ideas for what to do with those sticks. SO lets see your amazing ideas too.

Share your sticky masterpieces on the interactive learning diary (ILD) I can’t wait to see what you make.

 

Outdoor Activities: 20 Ways to Play with Sticks

10 Little Stick Activities

 

 

Brrr! It is a little cold just now.

I took a walk with my family and my dog down the river to see the painted stones.

 

 

Quite a few have been damaged, which made me so sad. I did, however, have fun throwing sticks into the river to try and break the ice.

 

 

 

 

When we play beside the river we must be safe and stay away from the edge. It is good to practice throwing. I made small holes on the ice and a big splash when throwing my sticks into the water.

 

Can you see my sticks sitting on top of the ice?

 

How far can you throw your sticks? Can you make big holes in the ice?

 

 

 

We saw some signs of spring!

Can you guess what kind of flowers these could be?

I am going to keep an eye out and watch them as they grow.

 

I also found some mushrooms.

Remember it is ok to look at mushrooms but do not touch them some can make us very ill.

 

 

 

 

It is astonishing what we can gain just from spending time outdoors in the winter. It can help us improve our bodies and our minds. So, if you are feeling restless after long days spent cooped up indoors, get outside, be safe, and have fun!

 

Things to do:

Try a science experiment,

On an icy day try blowing bubbles outside, you can see frost crystals in the bubbles form, try not to pop them straight away to watch the crystals form.

Is it cold enough to make ice? If so maybe make some ice sun catchers.

You can use absolutely anything in your frozen suncatchers, as long as it’s small enough to fit in the ice! Here’s a list of a few items we’ve included in our suncatchers from a walk around our neighbourhood.

• Leaves
• Flowers
• Pinecones
• Birdseed
• Berries
• Nuts

Once you have your ingredients collected, you’ll want to choose your containers. You can use plastic lids, pans, bowls or silicone moulds.  Fill your moulds with a shallow amount of water (boiled water makes the ice freeze clear – you can use it once the kettle has cooled). Then place your natural items in your tray/ pan/mould. Put a bit of string so you can hang it up once it is frozen and leave outside to freeze overnight.  In the morning pop it out and hang it up on a tree to watch the sun catch the ice and make it sparkle.

If you use birdseed and cereal or fruit maybe the birds will come to eat it.

What fun things have you been doing?

Please share all your adventures on your Interactive Learning Journey so we can see all the fun things you have been doing.

Kincorth is blessed with having so many amazing green local spaces right on our doorstep.

Have you been up the Gramps (Kincorth Hill) recently?

From the top, you can see snow on the hills to the west.

Maybe the pond is frozen? Can you find a trail you haven’t taken before?

 

 

 

We also have Tollohill Woods which is my families favourite.

 

We can walk to it through the new houses at the end of Deeside Brae and through the fields.  (see the path on the map below)

There is lots of wildlife, we have seen squirrels and deer on our walks there. There are some hidden dens and great trees to climb.

It has a  car park for about a dozen cars off the small road south of the B9077 South Deeside Road.

It has a few tree swings and a hidden monument with great views over the River Dee and Aberdeen.

 

It is worth the walk. We take a flask of hot cocoa for the children on cold days and a snack and hot tea for me.  For older children or those parents with bikes, the paths in the woods are great for bikes. However, you can walk on the smaller paths if you go by foot and that is when you may find Bambi and family.

 

 

Riverside walks.

Have you walked from the  Bridge of Dee garden under the bridge past the back of the Harvester and Goals? There is a beautiful collection of stones that have been painted and left there.

Adding your own is always a good idea. Maybe you could make a stone walk beside your house. Or leave a stone for a friend near their home.

Remember last year we found the houses I left around the Kincorth area.  What a great reason to go for a walk in our local streets.

If you have a favourite place to go around Kincroth let us know.

Have fun!

 

This year I am attempting to do the “1000 hours outside challenge” with my family.  The benefits of being outdoors for our children and ourselves is immense, although we don’t always have time in our busy schedules to go for a walk as a family except at the weekends.

Let us use this lockdown to change that!

“The concept at the core of this movement is simple – the amount of time kids spend outside ‘actually matters’, though you may not hear this very often. A childhood flooded with nature time benefits kids (and adults) in untold ways. However, the spirit behind it is one of encouragement – not competition. There are often questions about ‘rules’, but the good thing here is that there really aren’t any! 1000 Hours Outside is about striving for engaged time outside, and that looks different from one family to the next. That’s the beauty of nature play; it works for any age and any stage, in any outdoor environment. Remember not to get bogged down on the details. Adjust the goal if you need to. No matter what, we promise you’ll never regret committing to a year filled with making memories outside.” – Ginny (Founder of 1000 Hours Outside)

 The website has so much information on the benefits of outdoor play. https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/

Check out their promo video to be a little inspired.

 

 

Having your children outside the majority of our time at nursery has been amazing. Each child has developed some amazing skills. Looking back on our blog posts shows how much learning your children have done. The learning does not have to stop even if they are at home. 

 Official group  – 1000 Hours Outside Official Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2188417641476492

1000hours outside challenge UK 2021. – https://www.facebook.com/groups/428765798000744

 Official page -1000 hours Outside. -https://www.facebook.com/1000hoursoutside

“1000 Hours Outside is a global movement designed for any age child (or adult) and any environment. Join the journey and watch your life transform before your eyes. Nature holds tremendous power for each and every one of us at any age or stage.” – Ginny (Founder of 1000 Hours Outside)

I hope that the sites inspire you and I will continue to update the blog with local walks, hints and tips.

I may even include some pictures of my own adventures so please share yours.

Enjoy the challenge and most importantly- HAVE FUN!