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Use A4 paper to make a small palm sizes booklet or A3 to make a larger one. Click the link above for a step by step guide you can print out.

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My love for zines is noted ( here, for instance) and there's no time like the present when it comes to learning how to make something new. I spend a lot of my time writing, both for work and fun, but when I need a break I turn to reading and writing zines. Zines are a powerhouse of individuality, underscored by the basic principle that you can do exactly as you like, exactly how you like and nobody can tell you you're wrong. As a very opinionated person, this self-publishing extravaganza is highly attractive!

If you've never seen a zine, you're about to: in this post I'm going to make one step by step, and you can follow along. It's not tricky, it doesn't need to be precise, and best of all, you can fill the pages in however you'd like. Want to write a zine about your Sylvanian Families collection? Go for it (and find me online to show me it because I love those tiny toys). Want to jot down a poem, a rhyme, a note to your family who might be too far to hug right now? Get in line, we're here to learn!

There are lots of ways of making a zine - none are right or wrong. Zine making is all about the permission we give ourselves to just create, for the sheer love of it. In this post I'll explain how to make a simple eight page zine.

How to Make a Zine

Materials

Printer paper x 1 sheet (11 x 8.5)

Scissors

Imagination

Sharpies, crayons, pencils, pen, paint - whatever you have to hand

Instructions

Let's get started!

1. Lay your sheet of paper flat and lengthways. Make sure nothing else is in the way. You'll get faster the more you do it, but for now, let's pretend we're on a fancy art show and take it nice and slow!

This art show is taking place on my living room floor, by the way. Fancy it ain't, but that's not what we're here for. I'm also doing this one-handed because I have to make and photograph at the same time, so my folding methods are going to look...unusual.

2. Fold your sheet of paper in half lengthways. Make sure the fold is really good, and reinforce it by pressing it down a few times.

3. Unfold your paper, and then fold it in half crossways. Same thing here, make sure the fold is good and defined.

4. Unfold your page again, and now fold both sides from the outside into the middle to make two creases. Unfold again.

5. Now you should have a page with eight equal sized rectangles. You've made pages! Woo!

6. This next bit is literally the only important bit. Fold the page crossways again. Use your scissors to cut halfway across the crease, which will create an opening in the middle of your page.

7. Now you have a sheet with eight sections and a cut in the middle. Fold it in half like this picture shows and then push the endings together to make a sort of cross shape.

8. Fold it all up like a small book.

Well done! You've made a zine! As a bonus, you could flip it all inside out and make a secret second zine on the back of the front one!

Take my word for it, you don't need to be anything other than yourself to make a zine. If you use this guide, please do show us your creations!

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How to Make a Zine: A Beginner's Guide | Book Riot

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My love for zines is noted ( here, for instance) and there's no time like the present when it comes to learning how to make something new. I spend a lot of my time writing, both for work and fun, but when I need a break I turn to reading and writing zines.

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This section hosts some ideas from skill share CPD sessions held locally in 2025/26. Some of which had a halloween theme but can be used at other times of the year.

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This section hosts some ideas from skill share CPD sessions held locally in 2025/26. Some of which had a halloween theme but can be used at other times of the year.

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This section provides lots of different ideas of activities you can do with your groups. 

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This section provides lots of different ideas of activities you can do with your groups. 

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If you would like to borrow any of the resources please complete the request form linked below

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If you would like to borrow any of the resources please complete the request form linked below

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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we have 10 copies of The Lost Words spell book that we can loan out

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Binoculars for older upper primary plus groups

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Binoculars for older upper primary plus groups

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This kit has 15 binoculars like those linked and also an some ID guides. It can also be used as a sensory experience looking at sight and sound - using sound mapping and apps such as bird up and merlin to play bird songs to call birds in.

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QUNSE Mini Pocket Small Binoculars, 10x25 Bird Watching Compact Folding Binoculars with Waterproof for Adults/Kids/Travelling/Sightseeing/Hunting

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QUNSE Mini Pocket Small Binoculars, 10x25 Bird Watching Compact Folding Binoculars with Waterproof for Adults/Kids/Travelling/Sightseeing/Hunting: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

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Plants and animals have evolved together through complex relationships. For example, species develop special features to help them survive in certain places and eat certain food. This is called adaptation.

On the beach, many seabirds have adapted to be excellent at diving into the sea to catch fish and wader birds have long beaks to help them dig in the sand. Similarly, their food might evolve in ways to escape being eaten, such as using camouflage to blend into their surroundings!

JARGON BUSTER! Wader birds (or shorebirds) are the species we find wading along shorelines and mudflats looking for food (such as small aquatic insects and crustaceans). They are typically long-legged and long-billed to help them dig!

Get science-y and try this activity to get thinking about bird beak adaptions. Learning about these adaptations gives a greater insight into the history of the interconnections in nature! ​

What you will need:

'Bird beaks' - items such as spoons, straws, tweezers, clothes pegs

Different size 'bird food' such as raisins, rice, pasta

Timer

Printed activity sheet and scissors (optional)

How to play:

You can adapt this activity in different ways (also depending on group size), making it more relaxed and experimental, or more of an active game...

1. Collect the different types of 'bird food' you want to use. It's good to have a range of shapes and sizes that can represent different types of food, such as fish or insects. Using the different 'bird beaks' you can experiment being different birds.

2. First, put one type of food in the middle of the group, whilst everyone has different types of beaks. Set 30 seconds on a timer and see how much food each beak can collect in that time. Swap the food in the middle and repeat.

3. Prompt the children to imagine what ways the fish and insects could change to make it harder for the birds to catch them! As you go through the different foods, are there some 'beaks' that are better than others for picking up certain foods? Which ones were the best and which ones struggled? Isn't it clever that birds' beaks are suited to their favourite foods!

4. Afterwards, you could complete the bird beak lab activity sheet (download and print below)

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Try this fun game to learn about different bird beak adaptions. Visit our Discovery Den to find out how to play.

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Binoculars - for nursery and younger primary groups

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Binoculars - for nursery and younger primary groups

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30 x binoculars in cases and 2 guides

Not the best binoculars but a lot more robust and easier to use for younger hands

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Lightweight binoculars perfect for outdoor exploration, complete with individual carry cases.

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Collection of resources for use with The Lost Words

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Collection of resources for use with The Lost Words

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The Lost Words: A Nature Spell Book for Kids and Adults

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by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris, House of Anansi Press, 2018: ISBN 9781487005382

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bird discovery bag to accompany binoculars

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bird discovery bag to accompany binoculars

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This resource looks at 6 different bird species found in the uk and has lots of ideas and resources to either study one or compare the 6 in terms of habitat use, eggs, food etc. can be used as an indoor class study or be taken outside

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for a class - 10 x large flower press to be used in groups of 3

please note it can take quite a few weeks (at least 4 weeks) to press leaves and flowers so this is definitely a longer term project in amongst other learning.

full instructions and tools to careful manipulate dried flowers etc included

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Rhykoka Large Flower Press Kit for Adults, 10 Layers 30 x 21 CM DIY Wood Flower Leaf Plant Press Kit Flower Pressing Kit, DIY Arts and Crafts Lovers (Wood)

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Rhykoka Large Flower Press Kit for Adults, 10 Layers 30 x 21 CM DIY Wood Flower Leaf Plant Press Kit Flower Pressing Kit, DIY Arts and Crafts Lovers (Wood) : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

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Creative ways to use Ivy for nature based outdoor learning activities from this website.

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Perhaps you could introduce maths and sequences using Fibonacci and fern fronds? Ideal when the new fronds are unfurling. You could take photos of the ferns, draw them and then break down the secret 'code' hidden in nature - the Fibonacci sequence! More ideas on the weblink from Creative Star.

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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Happy Fibonacci Day (November 23rd - 11 23)

Fibonacci lived from 1180-1250. He was the son of an Italian merchant. He developed a passion for numbers and discovered the following sequence that can be observed in leaf arrangements, flower segments, pine cones, etc.:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, ...

If you look closely the pattern is developed by adding the previous two numbers together.

If you look at a large pine cone you can see that the scales of the cone form regular spirals - some go to the left and some to the right. If you count the numbers of scales at each level, you will find that they follow the Fibonacci sequence. This very brief overview video of Fibonacci in Nature is a useful introduction.

Introducing Fibonacci to children

Get the children to gather some loose material - whatever is readily available in the wood, e.g. cones or sticks.

As a group, layout the material in the Fibonacci sequence on a light coloured cloth so that the children can see the pattern and write down the numbers beside this, e.g. with sticks (NB you can use tally marks, it's harder to show in a blog)
1 I
1 I
2 II
3 III
5 IIIII
8 IIIII III
13 IIIII IIIIII III
It's unlikely that the children will understand the pattern. However, you can demonstrate how it is created by moving the sticks and encouraging the children to try doing this. By manipulating the sticks, it can help children create larger numbers quickly.

It's quite nice to tell the story of Mr Fibonacci and how he used pine cones to practise counting... 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, etc. (demonstrate this with a pine cone).

This was a problem for him. For example when he went to buy food in a shop he always counted out the wrong amounts. If his lemons cost 10 lire, he couldn't count the number 10 so he always gave 13 coins. Everybody laughed at him and thought he was very silly. Over time, he grew more and more unhappy.

One day a little girl who had just learned to count realised his problem. When she saw Fibonacci using a pine cone to count, she gave him a daisy and showed him how to pull the petals off and count like everybody else. So Mr Fibonacci was very happy...but to this day we are very pleased about the way he counted because he showed the world one of the cleverest number patterns of all!

Make your own Fibonacci pattern art

Collect cones, flowers, stones, leaves or other loose material and try and arrange to create a Fibonacci pattern of your own. Which materials work best for this? Does it depend upon shape, size, weight or another factor?

Think about how this can be followed up with an art activity (indoors or out) that uses the Fibonacci pattern as an inspiration.

Fibonacci woodland poems

The beginning of the Fibonacci sequence can be used to create poetry or stories based upon syllables in each line. These are known as "Fibs" and tend to be six lines in length with a total of twenty syllables, e.g.

1 Trees
1 in
2 the woods
3 standing tall
5 waving their green leaves
8 catching and filtering sunlight

So I'm delighted that approximately 800 years ago, Fibonacci enriched our world a little more by his mathematical observations of nature that remain relevant today. If you have children in an upper primary or lower secondary class then creating simple journal entries can also help explain the relationship of this number pattern to nature through the use of the golden spiral.

. There are several useful explanations and introductions which can also be of use when planning a Fib focus. Have a look here and here. Oh and enjoy this video which is thee first of three in a series:
This blog post was originally published in May 2010.

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Happy Fibonacci Day (November 23rd - 11 23) Fibonacci lived from 1180-1250. He was the son of an Italian merchant. He developed a passion for numbers and discovered the following sequence that can be observed in leaf arrangements, flower segments, pine cones, etc.: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, ...

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This padlet has been created by West Dunbartonshire Outdoor Woodland Learning (OWL) Group 

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This padlet has been created by West Dunbartonshire Outdoor Woodland Learning (OWL) Group 

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If you have been directed to this page and want to learn more about the local OWL group and get involved please see more details through the link above.

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In 2020 the group received funding to run sessions and create a shared resource based on The Lost Words book created in 2017. www.thelostwords.org

It is a 'book of spells' (poems) that seeks to conjure back the near-lost magic and strangeness of the nature that surrounds us.

It partly came about as nature related words were being taken out of children's dictionaries and it's hard to connect with something if you don't have a name for it.

They are called 'Spells' rather than poems - designed to be spoken (or sung!) out loud in order to summon back these words and creatures into our hearts.

Due to a few different things this project hasn't happened yet but we are looking to complete the project by March 2025. The funding will be used to do the following:

- Run 5x Skill share/CPD sessions of activities

- These sessions will mainly be based around creativity, expressive art and literacy

- Create a Community resource which can be borrowed by members.

The vision for the Community resource is that it will focus on 5 of the spells

Bramble

Dandelion

Fern

Ivy

Magpie

These have been chosen as they are the most likely to be seen by children around their homes and local areas.

Each resource box will focus on a spell and have 4 activities based on Literacy, Numeracy, STEM and an aspect of the Expressive Arts.

The plan is to have the project completed by March 2025 with the community resource being a legacy which will be available to group members to borrow long in to the future.

If you are interested in helping to create this resource, have any ideas or activities that you have used previously that would link in well with this please contact the group.

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In 2020 the group received funding to run sessions and create a shared resource based on The Lost Words book created in 2017. www.thelostwords.org It is a 'book of spells' (poems) that seeks to conjure back the near-lost magic and strangeness of the nature that surrounds us.

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sessions that others have done previously - literacy

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sessions that others have done previously - literacy

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Gone on walks with class and each pick a natural item and write a shape poem about the item. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/shape-poem-explained

Acrostic poems for our items-varied success as some folk had longer words to work with than others! ( P5-7 classes).

Tried a word circle as a collaborative activity - the last letter of a word is the starting letter of the next word.

When taking classes out it has been generally a language based activity around the lost words.

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Cyanography could work well with the 4 stages of the dandelion, or any leaf/flower material. Or anthotype https://www.instructables.com/Alternative-Photography-Anthotype-Cyanotype/

ready to use cyanotype paper is available at the link above. It's advised to get a pack of 30 x A5 as it takes quite a lot to fill 1 sheet and it's tricky to cut them in half once taken out of the packaging as they need to be used quickly (within 15 mins) for best results.

The group resource includes trays to wash the paper, tongs to hold the paper, clear plastic/laminate sheets and pegs to hold things in place and a UV lamp as it's not always that sunny locally and this gives more consistent prints and can make it easier to run a session regardless of the weather.

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White, midweight paper coated with cyanotype solution. Easy to use straight out of the bag, follow the simple instructions included. Place objects or negative on this already prepared paper and expose in the sun or under UV light. Ideal for beginners as an introduction to the Photographic process or even just a creative fun project for children.

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Leaf Print Set - Class Sized | Muddy Faces

This includes 5 hammers, boards instruction sheets, waxed carboard to protect the wooden boards and potentially some calico material but you can also use paper

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Hapa Zome | Upcycle Flowers into Art (Easy Step-by-Step Guide)

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Did you know that an estimated 250 million bunches of flowers are bought globally for Valentine’s Day, with 4 million of those being bought in

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Includes - 24 magnifying glasses

https://www.tts-group.co.uk/rainbow-coloured-magnifying-glasses-in-stand-%E2%80%93-12pk/1015776.html

6x microscopes

https://www.tts-group.co.uk/tts-handheld-microscopes-6pk/1011340.html?cgid=Primary-School_Gardens-Habitats_and_Observation

White trays

ID guides

It can be used to look at anything close up - bugs or other nature aspects such as flowers and leaves

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nice easily portable kit with a range of different magnifiers

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Terms and conditions: 1. This offer is valid until 27.05.25 and applies to selected full-priced qualifying items only. 2. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers and is subject to availability. 3. This offer can only be used once per customer. 4. TTS Group reserve the right to change these terms & conditions on reasonable notice. 5. Offer is only open to customers based in the UK (inc. Channel Islands and Isle of Man). 6. Discounts are applied to the ex-VAT sub-total amount. 7. Offer is applicable online only and excludes Items included in other promotions. 8. Code: SPRING2025 must be added into the basket to activate promotion and is only valid on orders placed online. 9. Use of the code SPRING2025 will supersede any other promotions that may have been activated. 10. Excludes Selected Items due to stock position 11. Other exclusions may apply.

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Available as part of TTS's range of Science resources. Supplying Schools for Over 50 Years. Price Match Promise.

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10 minutes mainly for younger years

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Life cycle of Plants | How Does a Plant Grow? | Pollination and Fertilization in Plants

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Inspirit Learning Inc - Experience the Future of Education

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Introduction

Like all living things, plants grow, reproduce, and go through a life cycle. The life cycle of a plant explains the many stages of the plant's existence, beginning with seed and ending with a mature plant. Let's go through them together below!

The Life Cycle of a Plant

The Plant Cycle can be broadly divided into phases: the haploid phase, the gametophyte phase, and the diploid phase, also known as the sporophyte phase. The alternation of generations refers to how these stages alternate.

Plants, algae, fungus, bryophytes, and pteridophytes exhibit generational alternation. Mitosis and meiosis split both haploid and diploid cells in the life cycle of plants, resulting in haploid and diploid plant bodies.

Four Stages of Plant Life Cycle

Flowering plants are plants that produce flowers. Flowering plants go through several stages: Germination, Pollination, Fertilization, and Dispersal.
Germination

This is the stage at which the plants begin to sprout from the seed. In this case, the seed's root develops beneath the earth, while the upper body stem and leaves grow above it.
Pollination

This occurs when pollen from one bloom is transferred to another flower of the same species by the wind, a butterfly, or an insect. Through this process, the anther of one plant is transferred to the stigma of another plant.

Fertilization

Fertilization happens when pollens interact with the stigma of other flowers and go to the ovary, where they generate male and female gametes.
Dispersal

Wind, animals, and water spread or scatter the seeds at this stage. These seeds germinate and grow into a new plant.

Plant Growth

Growth is the most basic feature of all living organisms, and it is a permanent and irreversible metabolic process. Every living species, whether it is plants, animals, birds, or insects, goes through the process of growth-increasing in size. Plants have the remarkable capacity to grow indefinitely during their cycle of life.

Plant growth comprises four phases, each distinguished by unique traits and functions. Plants experience birth, development, reproduction, and death, and how the seeds are spread might alter once it has been duplicated. Here are the four phases of plant development.
1. Seed
The life cycle of a plant starts with its seed. It germinates and thrives if the conditions are favorable. For this reason, each variety of plants will have distinct methods of germinating. The embryo of the plant is contained within these seeds.
2. Germination
The germination phase occurs after the seed is at a location where the requirements for its birth are met. These essential ingredients are light, water, and heat, which vary depending on the plant. A few days after germination, the seed's first radical will appear, expanding and developing like a common root, and the seed's outer coat will peel away.
3. Seedling
When the plant begins to grow, it is in a stage known as "seedling", The cotyledons (primordial leaves) are open, and the plumule develops, allowing the plant's initial leaves to grow.
4. Increase
The plant life cycle is followed by continuous growth of the plant. The plant produces food to continue growing through a process is known as photosynthesis, and the capacity to do so is gained as the first leaves appear.

✅ Conclusion

Plants are considered living entities, and they reproduce and grow to survive.

They go through a life cycle that starts with the germination of a seed and moves to the seedling phase and finally the growth phase.

Unlike animals, plants have the capacity to grow indefinitely.

FAQs
1. What are the 5 stages of the plant life cycle?
Plantlife cycles consist of five stages: seed, seed germination, seedling, adult plant, and pollination and fertilization.
2. What is the life cycle of a plant?
The life cycle of a plant outlines the several phases of the plant's existence, beginning with seed, germination, seedling and ending with the mature plant.
3. What are the 3 life cycles of a plant?
The 3 life cycles of a plant are Haplontic, Diplontic and Haplodiplontic.

We hope you enjoyed studying this lesson and learned something cool about the Plant Life Cycle! Join our Discord community to get any questions you may have answered and to engage with other students just like you! Don't forget to download our App to experience our fun, VR classrooms - we promise, it makes studying much more fun! 😎

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Plant Life Cycle Study Guide - Inspirit Learning Inc

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IntroductionLike all living things, plants grow, reproduce, and go through a life cycle. The life cycle of a plant explains the many stages of the plant's existence, beginning with seed and ending with a mature plant.

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how do they reproduce?

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BBC Radio 4 - Natural Histories, Brambles - 8 juicy facts about blackberries and brambles

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From Satan to forensic science - read our facts about blackberries and brambles.

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How to spot it

Bramble is a rambling plant with delicate white or pink flowers which are followed later in the year by juicy blackberries. The stems have prickles and the leaves are hairy. Come autumn, its fruit is a widely recognised sight, turning from red to the near-black that gives them their name. Going 'blackberrying' is still a common practice today and one of the few acts of foraging to survive into the modern age. Bramble usually flowers in July and August, although its blossom has been known to appear in June. If it's blackberries you're after, they are usually adorning the branches in early autumn.

Where to spot it

Throughout Britain, Bramble can be found in multiple habitats, including hedge banks, scrubland, woodland and waste ground.

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Find out more about Bramble, including where to spot it and how long Britons have been snacking on its fruit

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Credit: Andrew Parkinson / Alamy Stock Photo

Bramble flowers are a food source for honey bees and bumblebees and other wild animals. Leaves are eaten by certain caterpillars as well as some grazing mammals, especially deer. Ripe berries are eaten and their seeds dispersed by several mammals such as fox and badger, and small birds. Bramble is also a habitat for some animals, including grass snakes.

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An iconic hedgerow plant. Learn all about bramble, from where it grows to how its blackberries are used.

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Learn all about the Bramble plant, its benefits, and identification with Wildflower Web. Our comprehensive guide will help you identify, learn and appreciate this amazing plant.

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Woodland for sale throughout the UK, including woods for sale in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Advice on buying a wood, as well woodland activities, flora and fauna, conservation and other woodlandy topics.

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BBC Two - The Private Life of Plants, Travelling, Bramble scramble

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Timelapse of a bramble’s relentless growth.

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Activity idea - STEM - identify a bramble

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Activity idea - STEM - identify a bramble

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what are it's features? thorns, leaves, flowers, berries? What is around at different times of the year?

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Activity Idea - STEM- what eats the berries - birds - ID

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Activity Idea - STEM- what eats the berries - birds - ID

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Creatures in the painting in the book - identify and look for them in your local space

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Activity ID - STEM -bird watch/listen and ID

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Activity ID - STEM -bird watch/listen and ID

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count what birds you see and report your records i.e. RSPB big garden bird watch or inaturalist

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magpie info - life cycle details and pic of eggs

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magpie info - life cycle details and pic of eggs

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Magpie Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between) - Binocular Base

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Magpies (Pica pica) are among the most recognised birds in the UK, not only for their striking black-and-white plumage but also for their extraordinary intelligence and adaptability. Known to be among the few bird species to pass the mirror test, which is a sign of self-awareness, magpies exhibit a broad range of behaviours that reflect […]

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what does evergreen mean? what other plants are evergreen? how does Ivy help wildlife in the winter months?

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Learn about Common Ivy and other wildflowers. Get identification tips, growth conditions and other interesting facts from WildflowerWeb.co.uk.

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This ubiquitous bird is familiar to all of us in the UK, be it through daily sightings or greeting them for luck. Magpies are, in fact, small sociable crows that can be heard chatting noisily in nearly every habitat around the UK.

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Ivy (Hedera helix) - British Wildflowers - Woodland Trust

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Get our top identification tips for ivy plants with pictures and discover its wildlife benefits. Find out the answer to the question: does ivy kill trees?

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fern cycle with videos explaining each step

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fern cycle with videos explaining each step

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The life cycle of ferns is different from other land plants as both the gametophyte and the sporophyte phases are free living. This interactive illustrates the alternation of generations in ferns.

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Learn about the fern life cycle. Get a labeled life cycle, see the steps of fern reproduction, and learn about sporophytes and gametophytes.

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Activity idea - maths - measure dandelions

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Activity idea - maths - measure dandelions

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put them in size order - how big are they compared to your finger/hand? measure with a ruler

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How does a magpie move? come up with some actions - flying, walking, sitting on nest, finding some treasure, preaning - can you put these together into a mapgie dance?

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Below you will find lots of links to digital resources already in existence to give you idea about the different things you can do with The Lost Words. 

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Below you will find lots of links to digital resources already in existence to give you idea about the different things you can do with The Lost Words. 

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All resources are designed to be used with a class/group of 30

You need to be a WD OWL member to borrow resources as we need to keep track of them and make sure they are well looked after. Find out how to become a member here West Dunbartonshire OWL Group – OWLS

There is a limited supply of some materials such as the cyanoprint paper and calico material for hapa zome and links have been provided below to buy more.

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Toilet Paper Rolls Dandelion Q-Tips Painting Techniques

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Likely better for older ones - talks about physics and air movements

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Dandelion flower to clock blowing away time lapse

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dandelion resource - inc. nice timelapse flower to seed

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dandelion resource - inc. nice timelapse flower to seed

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Dandelions are really important pollinators as they are one of the first flowers to open in spring when many bees and other insects are coming out of winter hibernation.

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Dandelions: the most undervalued wild flower

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At this time of year we are bombarded with TV adverts about how dandelions are going to destroy your lawn and driveway. What’s so wrong with an over grown lawn …

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Activity idea - literacy - Messy magpie story - then protect your environment for magpies and other birds

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Activity idea - literacy - Messy magpie story - then protect your environment for magpies and other birds

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Can also do a litter pick locally and record the different types of litter for numeracy

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The Messy Magpie | Twinkl Originals Children's Book Reading

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Activity idea - literacy - write a story about a magpie or put together a factfile

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Activity idea - literacy - write a story about a magpie or put together a factfile

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Activity idea - literacy - adjectives to describe magpie or magpie treasure

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Activity idea - literacy - adjectives to describe magpie or magpie treasure

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How to identify

With its noisy chattering, black-and-white plumage and long tail, there's nothing else quite like the Magpie in the UK. When seen close-up, its black plumage reveals a purplish-blue iridescent sheen to the wing feathers and a green gloss to the tail. Magpies seem to be jacks of all trades - scavengers, predators and pest-destroyers. Non-breeding birds will gather together in flocks.

Call

Key

1. Resident

2. Passage

3. Summer

4. Winter

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.

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From a distance, the noisy chattering magpies appears black and white, but take a closer look and you'll see a subtle blue and green sheen to their appearance

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Activity idea - clay printing with feathers or using them as a paint brush

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Activity idea - clay printing with feathers or using them as a paint brush

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Activity idea - literacy - feel fern and describe

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Activity idea - literacy - feel fern and describe

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Activity idea - maths - organise leaves into size, count number of leaflets

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Activity idea - maths - organise leaves into size, count number of leaflets

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Activity Idea - art - use fern as paint brush

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Activity Idea - art - use fern as paint brush

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Activity Idea - art - collage with natural materials using ferns or to make a fern picture

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Activity Idea - art - collage with natural materials using ferns or to make a fern picture

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Wales based - thematic plans and lesson plans

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Wales based - thematic plans and lesson plans

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Page 21 on is a section specifically about the lost words covering a spell for each age group

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LITERACY COP 26 Initial Planners ODGP (2)

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need to be careful with this as very prickly

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Once you've made your spell/poem - how about actually making a wand to help you cast them into nature. Maybe stand in front or a tree and say your poem out loud to give it back to nature.

Wands can be decorated sticks with wool, string or ribbon or even natural materials that you find like leaves or feathers. Sometimes it can work best to put some double sided sticky tape on the stick before you try and attach things.

Or if you're happy with knife skills how about whittling your own with a peeler and/or knife.

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The lost words spell songs explorer pack

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The lost words spell songs explorer pack

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The Lost Words Spell Songs Explorer Pack

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Lost words padlet - possibly from england

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Lost words padlet - possibly from england

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Art Activities

Cyanotypes -photograms using natural light

Drawing with Charcoal

Relief printing using objects from nature

Rubbing from natural objects

Collotypes - printing process similar to collage, relief and etching

Drama Activities

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Little Cooks Reading Books | Kids Theme Recipes Paired with Children's Books for Little Chef Readers in Your Life. Making Real Food Fun!

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How To Make Dandelion Paint (Easy DIY Flowers Paints)

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This how to make dandelion paint project is such a fun nature craft for kids that they’ll be begging you to make homemade paint from flowers all the time! Definitely add making natural paint from plants to your creative projects for kids, dandelion crafts, or ecofriendly kids activities for spring fun or summer ideas. You’ll love making this easy flower watercolor with children and learning how to make yellow paint from dandelions!

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Using an acorn, conker or even just some clay as your centre you can add 6 sticks and then wrap wool or string around the make a spider web. Sticks can be toothpicks or wooden BBQ skewers (cut in half works best dependent on length). You can also then weave things into your web once it's finished.

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perhaps using some of the apps available - bird up, merlin

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could work well with different leaf shapes, indoor or out after collecting

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can lead on to creating a poem/piece of written work

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this was the original idea but the plan has changed somewhat. It is still a useful template especially for dandelion or other plant exploration.

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Use a piece of paper to make a 3D nature scene - see instructions above.

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making a paper nature scene instructions

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useful id guides - we have some as part of the group for people to borrow

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useful id guides - we have some as part of the group for people to borrow

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https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publications/garden-spotters-pack/

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The Lost spells stage show resource pack

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The Lost spells stage show resource pack

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Whilst it is linked to the stage show there's lots of activities you can do without seeing in.

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Rather than bark rubbing you can preserve a leaf under foil tape on a piece of card which helps show it's shape and all the finer details of the leaf. The tape used for this can be found at the link below and then you just need some cardboard (a cardboard box or coloured card works) and to collect your leaves (preferably dry) to make your shiny leaf skeleton. CHUANGSEED Aluminium Foil Tape (75mm x 50m) Insulation and Sealing, Heat Resistant, Duct Repair, HVAC Use, 1 Roll, Silver : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

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If you would like to borrow any of the resources below please complete this request form (linked below)

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If you would like to borrow any of the resources below please complete this request form (linked below)

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collect some leaves and lay them out to make pictures - perhaps even put them on a piece of paper and draw around them. Perhaps add a googly eye or 2.

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Haldane Youth Services bramble ink creations

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How about making your own ink - grab some blackberries - off the bush or from the shop, mush them up in a bowl and grab some cotton wool and use it to rub it over a page. Let it dry and see the colour change. Then maybe use the page to write your own circle or spiral poem, maybe with charcoal!

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There's all sorts of things that can be done with natural materials to make marks and potentially write with. You can make your own 'pen' from sticks - willow is great or feathers.

Make your own 'ink' by boiling down different fruits/veg - experiment and see what works - some ideas: red cabbage, avocado skin or pip, walnut shells, red onion skin, blackberries, elderberries. When making inks once boiling and straining the liquid make sure to add something such as tea tree or clove oil to keep it from going mouldy. Coffee, spices such as turmeric or cinnamon can be mixed with warm/hot water and also provide a sensory experience. Food colouring is also a nice instant ink.

Then just dip your pen in and draw away.

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The link above from muddyfaces provides a great instruction manual for making your own charcoal to draw with or for use to make leaf or bark rubbings. A baked bean tin with some foil on the top with some holes in works perfectly. Smaller sticks and tins can take 30mins on a pre-heated fire but be warned sometimes it can take 2 hours and you need to factor in time for it to cool down before use - so perhaps 2 sessions - making the charcoal in the first one (maybe sitting watching it and doing a different mark making activity) and actually using it in a second session.

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How to make charcoal from pieces of willow.

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Linking in with both The Lost Words and The Lost Spells books. How about making your own potion making kit. The inexpensive one shown above used empty jelly pots of different sizes, some pipettes from amazon, the birds helped by eating the filling of a coconut bird feeder to make a pestle and mortar with a stick with the end whittled. Another slimmer, longer stick was used to make a stirrer and you can add measuring jugs and any other bits and bobs.

Here's an example for a potion making session Make a nature potion | Scottish Wildlife Trust

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From a session with RSPB Loch Lomond staff to look at how to engage young groups with birds - both looking for them and listening. This presentation is a good intro to get your group interested before you actually go out to find them.