Welcome to the Activity Zone

So for children of all ages, no matter who you are, where you are or what you have – have a look through, we’re sure that you can find something to do. If you’re facing this challenge for the first time, there are many online resources that you can turn to during this uncertain period of self-isolation, social distancing and quarantine.

We will be posting regular updates on our social media and here on the website, with new activities that you can do indoors and outdoors. We will also be sharing photos and videos of wildlife on our site at Chatham Green.

Why not share your thoughts with us and ideas we can add to the collection by contacting us on our social media
@wildernessfoundationuk or @chathamgreenproject email us on info@wildernessfoundation.org.uk.

Natural Navigation

Natural navigation is using nature to find your way.
Natural navigators use the sun, moon, stars, weather, land, sea, plants and animals.

Would you like to give it a go?

Tristan Gooley has written several books covering natural navigation and has lots of information on his website click below.

Natural Navigator

Badger Cam

Badger Cam brings you all kinds of wildlife, not just badgers. Tune in every week to see new footage from our badger sets.

We have a night vision camera which is set up by our badgers sets and each week we check it and see what footage we have got.
We love seeing what wildlife is on site while we are not around.

New Episodes:(WILDLIFE DEPENDENT)

Badger Cam Playlist

Nature things to do…

Top 10 things to do outdoors, in the garden in the woods or in a field or with outdoor items!

Wherever you are try and give one of these a go!

1. Nature Art

Create a masterpiece, using what you can find that is natural. Write your name, create a dragon, a spider, a unicorn or even a portrait of someone and send them a photo.
Need inspiration click here!

2. Miniature Village

Make your own miniature village, see what creatures wander into your village or maybe leave it for fairies to visit. Using natural items, for example sticks, bark or leaves. Create houses and pathways, shops, eating places, let your imagination go wild. You could even bring nature inside, play items in a shoe box.

3. Signs of Spring

Look out for different plants and animals during this time of year. Frogspawn is now hatching into tadpoles. Birds are nesting and chicks are hatching. Trees are growing their leaves and cherry, blackthorn and apple trees are full of blossom. Butterflies are beginning to appear. Take this opportunity to improve your wildlife identification skills. Here are some helpful links for identifying wildlife.

For Bird identification click here, for Butterflies click here and for Mammals click here.

4. Nature Journal

Start a journal and record your wildlife sightings. Draw pictures of the plants and animals you see, label them with information that you gather. Write about when and where you find them and if it is a bird or animal talk about its behaviour.

For inspiration on Nature Journals click here.

5. Journey Stick

While out for a walk, find a stick and then collect natural items like feather, blossom, leaves, you could stick them on with glue or take some string and tie them on. You could also use wool and wrap it around the stick creating colourful patterns. The stick and decoration could represent parts of the walk or this could be turned into a more mindful activity. Decorations and colours could represent moments in life, the stick represents a life journey. For inspiration click here.

6. Bark or Leaf Rubbing

Grab some crayons and some paper. Place the paper on the tree or place the paper over a leaf on a hard surface, rub the crayon across (top tip crayon on its side) and the pattern will start to appear. This could also be included in a nature journal.

For inspiration click here and for tree identification click here.

7. Rock Painting

You may have come across this one already, but it goes without saying it is a fabulous idea. The possibilities are endless, grab some pens or some paint and find a few rocks or pebbles. If they are going to be put outside you may need to invest in some varnish to protect the paint/pen.
Click here for inspiration and information about the technical parts join @loveontherocksuk.

8. Senses

If you have the opportunity to go outside and listen to the bird song or can walk to a near by outdoor space, woodland or near a hedgerow we encourage you to do this. Focus on your senses, start by closing your eyes what can you hear, what can you smell, what can you taste, open your eyes, what can you see around you and what colours can you see. If you are doing this activity with children, get them to draw or write what they see, hear, smell and taste and if you are outdoors in a safe natural space what can they feel.

9. Word walking games

Play I spy/alphabet game as you go for your walk, go through the alphabet saying things you can see, A for Ant, B for Bench. See if you can get to the end of the alphabet by the end of your walk. Make a story about what you find along the way.
You could also make a story from the wildlife and nature you see along the way. Describe what you see… a branch might be a squirrel highway, create synonyms for the things.

10. Find that Tree

Ideal family activity if you are in the woods or have a few trees around.
1. Blindfold someone and spin them around.
2. Take them to a tree.
3. Let them feel the tree, its trunk, the bark (careful of spikes or thorns).
4. Take them away from the tree and spin them again.
5. Take off the blindfold and see if they can guess which tree they felt.

Creating your very own Wildlife Documentaries

Get Inspired

We know that distance learning can be challenging for parents and children so here is a idea that can help support children’s learning in a fun and engaging way. You can make this as long or as short as you like. It could even be a project that your children spend the week (or a few days) working on.

How to Start

Watch a documentary with your children and talk to them about designing, creating, featuring or even being the star of their own. Get them to practice their own Sir David Attenborough impressions.

Plan your documentary

Discuss what animals they would like to include, real life animals outside or toys that they can take outside and create a habitat for. Get them to research their animals or talk to them about the animals they choose.

Get Creative

Get your children to draw a comic strip, write a script or draw pictures and get them to explain to you what is happening in the picture. Find some books or watch some more videos. Take them outside and see if they can see their own documentary unfold in front of their very eyes. Watch birds on feeders, insects hiding in the leaves or under logs. Who knows what you might discover on your doorstep.

Get filming

Once prepared, decide if you want to film in real life or pretend film. Get the children to set up the camera angles, the lighting, sound effects, micro phones and of course dress appropriately for being on TV!

Have fun

This is most important, let your children’s imagination run wild just like your documentary.

Share with us on social media what you get up to #WFWildtime

Geocaching

Catch some of our Tribe as they took the Blue Peter presenters on a geocaching hunt out in Hylands Park. With the great outdoors still accessible during lockdown this is a great way to get out and about on a mini treasure hunt adventure. See what you can find whilst out in nature and share some of your finds with us if you can. #WFnature

Click here to find out more about geocaching!

Make your garden a wildlife paradise!

Tips on Gardening for Biodiversity that the whole family can get involved in!

Wildlife needs help!

Scientist expect we are at the 6th Mass extinction and species are disappearing at an alarming rate. We are seeing declines globally, in plant, insect, bird, fish, mammal and amphibian populations. We are losing species due to the impacts of chemical usage, climate change, invasive species, habitat loss and fragmentation.
Y
ou can do your bit to help!

Can I really make a difference?

No matter the location or how big or small there are lots of ways to help nature. If you do not have a garden or wild space and want to get involved. Why not offer to help someone that has got a garden or join a community allotment, help a school or hospital with their garden. Make the smallest of wild spaces become the best biodiversity friendly. Of course, these wild spaces will not just help the planet it will help you to.

Make your garden a wildlife haven!

Click the icon to watch a short video from Springwatch by Kate Bradbury and her top tips on gardening for wildlife.

Helping the birds in your Garden

Tips to help your Garden reach 5 Stars on Tweet Adviser!

The Restaurant

Put feeders where you can see them – to remind you to fill them up and so you can enjoy the birds.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner – Stick to mealtimes, birds may become dependant on your foo source more so in winter, make sure they don’t turn up to an empty garden if you are feeding regularly.

Fresh food and clean plates – No one wants mouldy food and keep feeders and baths clean to avoid transferring diseases or causing illness.

A Paws distance – keep feeders out of reach of cats and away from hiding places if you have cats regularly visiting your garden. 1.5 meters above ground is considered a decent height.

The Menu

Different food in your garden will attract different birds species. You may already have birds visiting your garden so maybe try and target them, by inviting them with the food they would like the most.
Take a look here at some bird feeding advice to make sure you give the birds in the garden a 5 star meal.

Grow your own

Offering food in bird feeders is one step but what about growing plants in your garden the provide natural food. Click here for the top 10 plants for birds to feed from. Birds may also make use of the plants in your garden to nest in so click here is some information about the best plants for nesting birds.

The Accommodation

Of course you could always provide nesting opportunities in the form of bird boxes in your garden. Take note of birds you see in your area, it might be blue tits, sparrows or maybe swifts. Take a look here for advice on bird boxes. Have you seen some of the nesting birds on springwatch?

Helping Hedgehogs

Hedgehog awareness week has finished but that doesn’t mean hedgehogs don’t need your help.
British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS).

Become Hedgehog Champion

  • Keep your garden tidy and remove litter and netting.

  • Create a log pile for shelter and food.

  • Build a hedgehog home.

  • Reduce or stop using pesticides and poison i.e slug pellets

  • If you have a pond make sure it has a way of hedgehogs to get in and out.

  • Check areas of your garden before you mow, move compost heaps, dig deep holes or block holes in fencing.

  • Never leave bread or milk out in the garden for hedgehogs if you want to feed them leave meaty pet food and shallow dish of fresh water.

  • Link your garden with Hedgehog Highways.

  • Create a wild corner.
Click here to find out about Hedgehog Highways

Attracting Amphibians to your garden

You could help the frogs, toads and newts in your neighbourhood by providing habitat for them.

The most beneficial activity for any garden is to create a wildlife pond. Ponds provide habitat, food, water, a place to bathe. If you already have seen amphibians in your garden, consider building something near to where you have seen them before.

Watch the video or follow the link the RSPB have created on how to create your very own mini pond which we think is a fantastic idea. Mini ponds will attract other creatures like pond skaters, mayfly nymphs or maybe even damselflies. Birds may also use the water for a bath or a drink. If you do not feel you could create a pond and would still like to help amphibians here is a few more ideas.

Create compost heap (open heaps are more beneficial than enclosed bins) provides habitat for amphibians and invertebrate prey.

Create a log pile – piling up logs, wood, sticks, is fantastic as when wood decomposes it contains moisture. Amphibians prefer to shelter in moist places as their skin can dry out, they also prefer small spaces. When building your log pile add loose soil or wood chippings to fill in larger cavities.

Create a wild corner – Allow some grass in the garden to grow tall, lawns that are cut short are not great for amphibians or their prey. During the winter this can be cut, and the cuttings put on the compost pile. Native plants in your garden will help to attract pollinators which amphibians will prey on.

A video made by the RSPB on how to make a wildlife pond and give nature a home. Let us know if you make a your very own wildlife pond and a share a photo with us on social media. #wfwildtime

All about the creepy crawlies!

How to build

During this time you may feel the need to do something valuable for the invertebrates in your outdoor space. If you do feel this way, we have worked on some information to help you build an invertebrate loving kingdom.

Get everyone in your household involved and see what you can come up with and do not forget to share your work with us on social media.

Location, Location...

Firstly you need to decide where is the bug hotel going to go. Chose a place that combines sun and shade. If you want to attract Bees make sure the south-facing side is in full sun.

The position of your Bug building will ultimately help you decide how big or small it is going to be. You may already have materials that will help you decide on where it is going to go.

The design

You will need to design your bug hotel, this will depend on the materials that you can gather. If you have a pallet this is great place to start. Or if you get some one that is handy with wood, nails and a hammer they could build a purpose built hotel design.

Interior design

You could use any of the following, or anything natural you can find.

  • Wood - this could come in many forms to e.g
  • Sticks, chippings, bark, logs with holes drilled in to them of different sizes.
  • Moss
  • Dry Leaves
  • Old terracotta pots
  • Old roof tiles
  • Straw
  • Hay
  • Pine cones
  • Hollow bamboo canes
  • Dead hollow stems cut from shrubs
  • Pallets
  • Bricks with holes in

A Bugs Life!

Need more information about the invertebrates you want to attract?

Click the icon it will take you to the Bug Life website where there is lots of information

Climate Change

Want to get the children learning about climate change?
Click the here for WWF resources.

How big is your environmental footprint?

Click the globe to find out!

Climate Change Activities

Nasa Climate Kids Activities

Tackling a complicated and sometimes

scary topic with your children.

Talking about climate change

Time for a Scavenger Hunt or 2

Scavenger Hunts brought to you by Primary Playground see more here and follow on Pinterest here.