On the 30th September 2024, as part of the Outer Hebrides – Conference of Parties (OH-COP) week, Tong Nursery school were visited by Fraser. He organised a minibeast hunt in the nursery garden, encouraging the young people to learn about the world around them, and the animals which inhabit the local environment.
The young people were provided with a minibeast checklist and pen, magnifying glasses and containers, and were asked to explore ‘Muddy Town’, their outdoor environment and record the minibeasts they discovered.
“Look, a spider”, “I’ll mark it”, “Look at his web”.
The young people engaged fully with the activity, exploring nearly every inch of the environment. They eagerly shared each discovery they made, creating stories and adding an emotional context to the activity:
“That’s a baby slug, let’s find his mummy!”
The young people found so many minibeasts they decided to create a bug hotel. It was agreed the bug hotel would provide somewhere for the young people and staff to rehome minibeasts they found during outdoor play, to keep them safe. We discussed what materials we would need to build the bug hotel:
“We need leaves and grass”, “We can collect sticks”.
“These will keep them warm and safe”, “The bugs can eat these leaves”, “I’ll put the snail in”.
