Tag: Resources

OH-COP week with Tong School P4-7

On the 25th September 2024, as part of the OH-COP week, Tong primary school were visited by Fraser. He organised a introduction session to orienteering, map reading and supported the young people to create maps of their local environment.

“We’re standing here, in the playground”, “That’s the playpark over there”

The young people were each given a map, shown how to use the local landmarks and map key to locate their position on the map. They were divided into groups, taking turns hiding items in the school grounds and plotting the location on their maps, and locating the items hidden by other groups. The young people engaged fully with the task, worked well as a team and enjoyed finding increasingly difficult hiding places to increase the competition.

“Let’s go, I know where to hide the bag!”, “Mark it on the map”.

“We’ve got one more bag to get”, “The boys hid it there”

The young people were then asked to use natural resources to create a map of their local environment. Some created detailed pictures of their street, displaying their houses and the neighbouring homes, including distinguishing local landmarks.

“That’s my house, and there’s the road”

“I used the leaves for the trees, and the pine cones are cars”
With support, the children added a map key to their picture. They creatively used the resources to depict their local environment.
Once the activity was finished, some children enjoyed creating other pieces of transient art using the natural resources.
If you would like to arrange a session or help to run a session like this, please contact the Outdoor Learning Team.

OH-COP week with Tong School Nursery

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”.

If you would like to arrange a similar session or help or resources to run it yourself for your school, please contact the Outdoor Learning Team.

Mud kitchen and music wall

Tim heard about the new mud kitchen and music wall Uig Sgoil Araich have had built for them. Made from pallets and other scavenged materials it gives the young people a great new place to experiment and take part in imaginative play. They were built by Phill who lives in Uig and look fantastic.

Uig Sgoil Araich Music Wall Uig Sgoil Araich Mud Kitchen Uig Sgoil Araich Mud Kitchen

Tim is now looking forwards to going over to play.

If you have any great things you would like to share please contact either Tim or Isi.

A Planntadh Biotas le Daoine Beaga

Tha biotas furast gu lèor fhàs anns an gàrradh, agus ‘s e fear dha na glasraich as fhèarr leinn a th’ ann. Tha do 5-gach-latha cudrothmach agus biotas blasta agus math dhut.  ‘S urrainn dhuibh an cleachdadh ann am brot, cèicichean, an ròstadh neo fiù ‘s ann an salad. Tha e còrdadh riumsa biatas a chur air forc agus an ithe mar ‘lollipop’. 

‘S e glasrach sgoinneil a th’ann airson fàs le clann, oir tha sìol aige mòr agus furast gu leòr a chuir sgàth ‘s nach eil è ro dhuilich airson corragan beaga an togail. Tha e a’ fàs as fhèarr ann am talamh le beagan stuth-mathachaidh troimhe, ach fàsaidh e ceart gu leòr ann an diofar seòrsan de pholl le beagan cuideachadh. Mar eisempleir, ma tha ur talamh ro shearbh, cuiridh beagan aol sin ceart dhuibh. Fàsaidh biotas as fhèarr nuair nach eil e faisg air planntaichean eile, dèan cinnteach gu bheil rùm gu leòr timcheall air gus am fàs e. Chan fheum thu fiù ‘s a chuir dhan an talamh ann an gàrradh, tha e comasach fàs ann an soitheach a choireigin!

Ma tha sibh airson misneachd a thoirt don òigridh a’ tha sibh a cuideachadh sa gharradh, ‘s e biotas deagh thaghadh airson seo a’ dhèanamh. Tha e furast’ gu leòr a’ phlanntadh, agus fàsaidh e a mhòr chuid dhan an tìd’. Bheir e beagan ùine gus am faic sibh e briseadh tron an talamh, ach na gabh dragh oir tha e fhathast a’ fàs ged nach faic sibh e!

Chleachd sinne bucais-uighean. Thagh sinn iad seo gus am b’ urrainn dhuinn am planntadh dhan talamh as deidh druiseag bheag fàs, ach mar nach eil rùm agaibh airson sin a’ dheanamh ni soitheach meadhanach mòr an aon rud. An toiseach feumaidh sibh beagan poll anns gach pìos dhan am bucas. Cuidichidh làmhan beag leis an seo co-dhiù!

Mar a chì thu an seo, tha mìol biotas mòr gu leòr ‘s gun tog nan làmhan beaga iad an airde cuideachd. Feumaidh sibh aon phìos mìol anns gach roinn den bhucas. Cuir gach pìos mìol am meadhan am poll agus brùth sios air le ur chorrag mus cuir sibh poll air a mhullach. Tha sin furast’ gu leòr airson làmhan beaga ur cuideachadh.

Bu chòir don bhiotas ginideachadh ann an ceithir latha deug, agus chì thu duilleagan beag as deigh timcheall air trì latha aig a ‘char as tràithe. Chan fheum thu ach bùrn a chuir air turas neo dhà gach seachdain gus nach fàs iad tioram. Nuair a tha nam biotas a briseadh tron am poll chì thu duilleagan beag purpaidh. 

Timcheall air an àm seo, ‘s e dèagh smuain a th’ ann nam biotas a ghluasad gu àite anns a bheil beagan a bharrachd rùm. Mar eisempleir, ma tha beagan gàrradh agaibh, geàrr an airde na bucais-uighean agud cuir iad dhan an talamh ann am plota beag. Mar nach eil comas gàrradh agaibh, nì bucas mor le poll a chùis cuideachd! Brisidh nam bucais-uighean sìos oir tha iad bith-chnàmhach co-dhiù.

Leis an seo deànt, chan fheum sibh ach air burn a chuir air ur biotas bho àm gu àm, agus cumail sùil air mar a tha iad a fàs thairis air ùine. 

 

Top Tips on being outside in Hebridean weather

Juliet Robertson makes some great recommendations for being outside with early years and primary school pupils in this video.

The comment we like is ‘weather is an adult’s perception not child’s perception’ (8’50”). From the comfort of your desk it looks like a terrible day but when you are out it is rarely wet all day. Preparing to be outside is the important thing.

Hopefully you find her comments as useful as we did. For more information on Juliet her web site is Creative Star

Environmental Studies with Breasclete School

Tim went to Breasclete School to explore the croft land next to the school, there were plenty of invertebrates including a spider who was ‘snacking’ on a fly. The young people used the Field Studies Council fold out charts to identify the species and plants they found and collated the information using cameras and drawing.

Questions about Ticks and Lymes Disease

We are in the middle of the busy season, with the team out and about working with schools and young people in the outdoors. There are often questions about ticks and Lymes disease, we thought it would be useful to post some information about what to do if you are bitten by a tick and things you can do to prevent being bitten.

It is important ticks should not stop you going outside but to take a few sensible precautions to prevent being bitten and if you are, what to do about it.

See the source image

Lymes disease if carried by ticks which latch on and then take a blood meal. The Comhairle have produced a leaflet with information on the disease (CnES Tick leaflet). More information can be found on the Lymes Disease Action web site.

There is an excellent YouTube video produced by NHS highland on how to remove a tick with Dr James Douglas

There is also good advice from the NHS Scotland web site:

Be tick aware

Ticks in Scotland can carry the germ that causes Lyme disease

Ticks are small spider-like creatures that can be found on bushes and undergrowth in Scotland’s countryside, parks and gardens from spring through summer and well into autumn. Most ticks that bite people are unlikely to be carrying the germ that causes Lyme disease, but there’s no way of knowing at the time. So, it is best to:

  1. Try to avoid being bitten by ticks
  2. Remove any ticks that do bite as quickly as possible

How to prevent tick bites

You can reduce your chances of being bitten by ticks by:

  • covering skin which may come into contact with plants
  • wearing long trousers tucked into boots and long sleeves
  • using an insect repellent containing DEET
  • trying to stick to paths and avoid dense undergrowth
Hopefully this helps and if you have any questions contact your GP or if you need more information contact the Outdoor Team.

 

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