Tag: things to do

50 things to do for 30 Days Wild

Several years ago, the Wildlife Trusts launched 30 Days Wild, where in the month of June, you’re encouraged to explore and enjoy all the wildness and wonderfulness of nature. You can read more about it and order your free pack on their website. It’s something we like to dabble in, we’re a nature loving bunch and we are lucky enough to live in an area close to a river, woodlands, meadows and small patches of nature reserves. But even if you’re slap-bang in the middle of a busy city, there are always places where nature thrives.

50 things to do for 30 Days Wild

If you’re tempted to take part in 30 Days Wild, I’ve got 50 lovely ideas for exploring nature which will hopefully inspire you.

50 things to do for 30 Days Wild

  1. Plant wildflower seeds
  2. Do a beach clean
  3. Go rock-pooling 
  4. Do a bat walk 
  5. Make a bee house
  6. Do a nature scavenger hunt
  7. Camp in the garden
  8. Put out food for the birds and see what they attract
  9. Go cloud watching
  10. Play Pooh sticks
  11. Make clay faces on trees 
  12. Paint bird boxes and put them on trees
  13. Leave a patch of lawn unmowed and count the insects it attracts
  14. Plant some seeds and watch them grow 
  15. Do some leaf rubbing
  16. Make a daisy chain
  17. Do a litter pick in your local area
  18. Press some flowers and turn them into crafts 
  19. Make a flower crown
  20. Make a bug hotel 
  21. Go star gazing 
  22. Visit your local pond or river, what birds, insects or animals can you see?
  23. Learn to identify ten different kinds of tree
  24. Go pond dipping
  25. Feed the ducks (but feed them duck food)
  26. Learn how to rescue a bee 
  27. Plant sunflowers and watch them grow!
  28. Build a den
  29. Go crabbing 
  30. Go on a seaside scavenger hunt
  31. Make grass whistles
  32. Watch a spider spin a web
  33. Walk barefoot on the grass
  34. Listen to the nature sounds, what birds can you hear?
  35. Scatter seed bombs
  36. Find a dandelion clock and make a wish
  37. Recycle as much as you can 
  38. Climb a tree
  39. Go for a nature walk and identify some wild flowers 
  40. Count the birds visiting your garden for an hour
  41. Watch a sunset
  42. Or a sunrise
  43. Find out the collective nouns for groups of animals or birds
  44. Keep your eyes peeled for a murmuration of starlings
  45. Do some bark rubbings
  46. Toast marshmallows over a campfire
  47. Go foraging with a grown up who knows what to look for 
  48. Do some leaf crafts 
  49. Paint some rocks 
  50. Think about how you can attract more birds and insects to your garden, what can you plant or do to encourage them?

50 things to do for 30 Days Wild

Have you got any ideas to add to the list? Comment below what you’re doing for 30 Days Wild this year.

50 things to do for 30 Days Wild

30 Screen-free ways to entertain kids at home

With the prospect of the schools potentially closing for any number of weeks, and the thought of trying to keep my lively son entertained for the duration weighing heavily on my mind, I thought it was a good idea to get a list together of ideas to keep him busy, things which are screen-free and reasonably wholesome.

As tempting as it is to arrange a heap of play-dates and days out to local attractions, that defeats the object. If the schools have closed to help slow the spread of the virus, then it makes sense for us to stay at home for much of that period. My healthy, strapping son would likely be hardly touched by the effects of the virus, but older family members which complex heath needs could be hit very hard.

I’m not wild about him spending hours watching the TV or playing computer games all the time. I won’t ban them completely, but limiting his time in front of a screen is a good thing for us. With the prospect of so many days at home to fill, I’ve made a list of 30 screen-free ways I can fill his days.

30 Screen-free ways to entertain kids at home

30 screen-free ways to entertain kids

1. Baking, learn how to bake bread or cakes.

2. Set a Lego challenge.

3. If they’re in Cubs, Brownies, Beavers or Rainbows, have a look on their website and pick some badges to work towards.

4. Play some board games, or create your own.

5. Crafting, why not make some Easter crafts or something for Mother’s Day?

6. Print off some worksheets and work through them.

7. Find out what topics they are doing in school and do some work around that, we like history subjects like Vikings.

8. Create a cosy reading corner and get a stack of books for them to work through.

9. Put up a tent in the garden and make a camp.

10. Learn to knit, crochet or sew.

11. Paint portraits of the family.

12. Make clay hand prints and paint them, or try these clay faces.

13. Do some junk modelling.

14. Make your own ice cream from scratch.

15. Have a room tidying competition, the tidiest room wins a prize!

30 Screen-free ways to entertain kids at home

16. Make a den in the living room.

17. Create an indoor treasure hunt.

18. Make your own pizzas or these pizza hot dogs.

19. Play shopkeepers, get them to set up a shop and they can learn more about money.

20. Create some sensory fun.

21. Have a disco party and a dance off.

22. Learn to meditate, there are lots of CDs and apps for kids which are great for this.

23. Kick a ball around in the garden, get a swingball set and burn off some energy outside.

24. Do a scavenger hunt in the garden.

25. Write your own story and illustrate it too if you like.

26. Do some STEM activities at home, like jelly bean architecture.

27. Get some seeds and start to grow some vegetables or flowers for the garden.

28. Have an indoor picnic, or one in the garden, get them to help make the food.

29. Learn some life skills, like tying shoelaces.

30. Give the dog a pamper day, bath her and brush her and learn about caring for her.

If all else fails, you can always ask them what they want to do. If you’ve got any great ideas for things to do, please comment below.

30 Screen-free ways to entertain kids at home