Date : September 11, 2019
When the school holidays and the start of spring collide, it’s a great time to get the kids outdoors. The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and the winter leaves have fallen to the ground. It’s the perfect time to explore the great outdoors. An activity which will test your child’s scouting abilities is to create an Australian Bush Nature Hunt. All you need is an empty egg carton and a sense of adventure.
You will need:
• Empty Egg carton
• Secateurs or scissors
• Hat, sunscreen and insect repellant
• A sense of adventure
Rules
This activity requires adult supervision when exploring the surrounds. It’s important to share some ground rules for the kids before they look for their Australian bush treasures.
1. Don’t take flowers from resident’s gardens, unless you have been given permission to do so.
2. Retrieve only what has fallen on the ground.
3. Look for nature that is specific to Australian natives. This can be a great learning exercise when the treasures are brought home to be catergorised. Your child could also use their Gumnut Babies books to see if they’ve found similar items on their travels, in the books.
4. Don’t eat anything that has been picked up. Wash hands immediately after the hunt to remove any stem dew.
5. Have FUN!
Places to explore
• Backyard
• Front yard
• Local park
• Neighbours garden (seek permission first)
• Beach
• Go for a walk around your neighbourhood and look for treasures along the way
Instructions:
Step 1: Cut your empty egg carton in half. The lid of the carton can be used to collect sticks and flower stems. The indented carton can be used to collect small flower buds, leaves, feathers, gumnuts and pebbles.
Step 2: When you come home, sort like for like items. Place gumnuts together, leaves in similar shape and colour, feathers, coloured flowers and etc.
Step 3: Once complete, keep the items for craft. You could compile the items into a bush collage. They also may be needed for another nature activity we will share with you soon.
Crafty Bec is here to help stimulate little imaginations and spark a creative flame in little people. Inspired by May Gibbs’ own passion for creative writing and art, Bec helps educators and mums to embrace nature inspired creativity.
