Thursday

Thursday 16th July 2020

Today's Challenge: Tree Gargoyle 

 I have taken inspiration form many sorties and buildings from the past for today’s challenge. Have you ever looked up at a building and seen a gargoyle? These were designed long ago to ward off bad spirits from important buildings!

Today I would like you to have a go at making your own natural gargoyle! Find a tree in your garden or while you are walking that you like. Next, collect leaves and other natural things you can use to make a face. Carefully stick these objects to the tree using blue tack or pins. Try to construct a gargoyle face like the one below!

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see your googly gargoyles! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 9th July 2020

Today's Challenge: Build a skeleton! 

This year we have all learnt how important a skeleton is in our body. It provides structure and support and helps enable us to move. We have also learnt about the names of some of our bones (KS1 and KS2 examples below). Without looking at the examples, could you build your own skeleton out of natural materials (stones, twigs, leaves etc.). Once built, compare your model to the diagrams on this page. How close where you? Are there any parts you forgot or added by accident? 

How good was your memory?

Don’t worry if it wasn’t perfect as that’s all part of our learning!

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see your skeletons! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 2nd July 2020

Today's Challenge: Tin Can Planter

Recycling our waste is really important and today's challenge is all about making something beautiful from our own rubbish! Today you will need to find some old food cans. You will need to be really careful as the edges can be very sharp so make sure your adult is nearby. Wash out your can carefully and take off any existing labels. Now we are ready to decorate!

You may wish to make your can into a pencil pot, a desk tidy or even a plant pot. Consider its use when you think about how to decorate it. You may wish to stick decorative paper around it or material. you could even draw your own designs and stick them on, it’s all up to you. I have put some examples below to help you decide!

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see your wonderful planters! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 25th June 2020

Today's Challenge: Look under water! 

Have you ever wondered what could be living underwater? However, its quite tricky to see as the surface could be moving and our eyes can’t see very well without a pair of goggles. Why not make your own underwater viewer!

For this you will need a recycled clear plastic bottle (preferably a 2L bottle, but smaller ones would work too!) with adult support, draw a large rectangle on one side of your bottle. Carefully cut out this rectangle. Use tape to cover up the sharp edges left from cutting your hole. Now you have your viewer! Next time you are down near the river, take your bottle with you. Kneel down next to the water’s edge (adults with you) and push your bottle so it is submerged, but not fill the bottle up. Put your face next to the rectangle you cut out and you should be able to see underwater!

Look at the pictures below for more guidance!

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see your visionary viewers! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 18th June 2020

Today's Challenge: Fruit bird feeder

To vary the diets of the birds in your garden, today’s challenge is to make a bird feeder using fruit. It works best to use hard fruit such as apples and pears, but you could use oranges as well. Birds will struggle with the tough skin on the outside of the fruit, so you may need to cut it open. You can also push seeds or other bird food into the fruit to draw the birds in. If you wanted to, you can also hollow out a section and add in part of a fat ball. Be as creative as you want to when creating your feeder, maybe you could cut shapes and hang them from a tree?

Once made, stand back in a hidden place and watch it to see which birds come and visit. I have attached a bird guide below to help you!

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see your fruity feeders!

Miss Cox

Thursday 11th June 2020

Today's Challenge: Rain Gauge 

Quite often on the weather forecast, the weather man will say “we had 3cm of rain last night” but what does that mean? For today’s challenge I would like you to have a go at making a rain gauge and then each time it rains you can use a ruler to measure how much rain has fallen.

You will need a recycled bottle (preferably a 2L bottle as they are nice and tall, but smaller ones will work). Cut the curved top part off your bottle, leaving a cylinder shape with a large hole in the top. Mark on the side of your bottle different measurements, e.g. 5cm, 10cm, 15cm. so when you go outside to read it, you can clearly see. Next place your bottle outside on a flat surface. You will then need to weigh your bottle down with a few rocks so it doesn’t blow away. Then next time it rains, you can go outside and tell everyone exactly how much rain has fallen that day!

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see how much rain you collect! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 4th June 2020

Today's Challenge: Make a Kite! 

We all love going outside and flying kites when it gets windy, so why not have a go at making your own. There are many guides online you can follow, but why not use your imagination and have a go at designing one yourself and testing it out. Have a look at a kite you already have and think about how that one is designed, could you use this design to help you? You could make it any shape you like and I would encourage you to think about using recycled materials to make it. I can’t wait to see the exciting designs and shapes you come up with!

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see what type of kite you have made! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 21st May 2020

Today's Challenge: Make a mini pond! 

Ponds don’t have to be big in order to support life and even see tadpoles! You will need an old lunch box, or chocolate box, Tupperware container, plastic tub or anything that can hold water. First dig a hole in your garden the same size as your container and place it in the hole. Make sure its secure in the hole. Place some small rocks in the bottom to keep it in place. Then you can just leave it. The tub will need to be filled with rain water (or water from a water butt), tap water contains chemicals that can harm some creatures. The water may even go green in time, but don’t worry this is a good sign! Many animals snack on all that green algae! Observe your mini pond over time and see what life it attracts.

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see your mini ponds! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 14th May 2020

Today's Challenge: Make a wreath! 

For today’s challenge you will need a grown up to support you with the first bit of this activity.  You will need an old metal clothes hanger, or some metal wire (you could also use soft wood, like willow or use some pipe cleaners).

Bend your wire into a circle shape, when and adult has helped you with this, you will need to have a look around your garden for plants you can wrap around your circle shape. Long trailing plants work best (you could also use ivy, hedge cuttings or some evergreen cuttings). Make your wreath look nice and green. Once you have covered your wire in greenery, find some flowers to decorate it further.

You should now have a lovely wreath you can decorate your garden with. 

If you couldn’t find anything to make your circle shape with, don’t worry, why not draw a circle on some paper and glue down your plants to make a poster wreath instead. 

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I can't wait to see your finished wreath's! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 7th May 2020

Today's Challenge: Nature walk bracelet. 

Today's challenge is to make a bracelet using things you find out on a nature walk. To do this, you will need some duct tape (parcel tape, sellotape, masking tape etc will also work). Wrap the tape around your wrist (you will need an adult to help you) so that the sticky side is on the outside. As you walk, attach anything that draws your eye to the sticky bracelet. By the time you get home your wrist will be full of the wonderful things you found on your walk! (see image below). 

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

Have fun making your bracelets! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 30th April 2020

Today's Challenge: Night time bugs! 

Ever noticed the amount of bugs that come into your room if you open your window, forget to close your curtains and leave your light on? 

All sort of bugs, moths and creepy crawlys are attracted to bright lights at night. Today's challenge I would like you to go out in your garden when it is dark and place a torch (or light source) on the ground. Leave the light still and wait to see what insects it attracts. If your struggling to see, put some white paper down around the light and you should be able to see the bugs a little clearer. 

Small children, if this is past your bed time, maybe you could set up the experiment and your mum and dad could take some photos of the bugs that appear and you could have a look the next day! 

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

Good luck bug hunting! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 23rd April 2020

Today's Challenge: Play Jingle Jangle

Today's challenge is a game! 

Begin by blindfolding all members of the family except one! This one will need a set of keys to carefully tie to their ankles or wrist. The aim of the Jangler is to avoid being caught by the blindfolders.  Be careful around the garden, you will need to move slowly with your arms out in front of you to feel out for anything in your way. You will have to listen carefully and be quiet to hear the Jangler move!  Who ever catches the Jangler will be on next! 

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

I hope you enjoy this game and I cant wait to hear what happens! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 16th April 2020

Today's Challenge: Go on a bear hunt! 

Grown ups here is a challenge for you! First hide as many bears as you can around your house/garden. If your feeling adventurous take some on a walk and hide them out and about. 

Children, now you have to find the bears! Don't forget to sing the song...

We're going on a bear hunt, 

We're going to catch a big one, 

What a beautiful day,

We're not scared! 

Once you have found all the bears, can you now hide them for your grown up to find?

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

Can't wait to see what bears you find! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 9th April 2020

Today's Challenge: Cloud spotting! 

I would like you to have a go at cloud spotting today. Lie down on the floor and look up at the clouds, what can you see? Can you spot any shapes? See and images? 

If you would like to know more about clouds or learn the names of the different types of clouds, I have attached some information below. 

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

Can't wait to see what cloud shapes you can see! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 2nd April 2020

Today's Challenge: Make a water bath! 

I would like you to have a go at using recycled materials to create a water bath for the wildlife in your garden. If you have have a garden, no problem! you can make one for your window sill. It doesn't matter how big it is, just as long as it holds water. 

Tips: 

1. Try and put some rocks in the bottom to stop it from blowing away and to make it look more natural. 

2. If you would like to decorate it, try to use natural colours or things in your garden to camoflauge it. 

3. Make sure there is somewhere the birds can stand on without getting wet feet. If you don't, add a branch or twig. 

4. To keep attracting wildlife, make sure you re-fill it when it empties. 

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

Can't wait to see your fantastic water baths! 

Miss Cox

Thursday 26th March 2020

Today's Challenge: Hunt for a Micro-Habitat! 

Today's challenge is to have a look for a micro-habitat, this is anywhere you can find a selection of mini-beasts. 

You will need to have a look in your gardens by carefully lifting up rocks, stones or logs on the ground. If you don't have a garden, look in any dark corners of your house and you may still find some creepy crawlies hiding away! 

Either use the guide below to help you identify the mini-beasts or simply count how many you find! 

I would love to see your photos from your challenge, feel free to send me a picture on class dojo! Equally, if you have any problems or questions feel free to message me.

Can't wait to see the micro-habitats you have found! 

Miss Cox