The Douglas Fir Tree and the Mice and the Need for De-colonising Botanical Names
Today I was walking in a local woodland when I came across a magnificent Douglas Fir tree. These trees are not native to the UK but the West Coast of North America, where they have been known to grow to over 85 metres high. The Douglas Fir, as it is commonly...The Weather Vanes of Nida
Most weather vanes are basic affairs. They are an arrow which points in the direction of the wind and with the compass directions at the bottom. The designs are usually fairly traditional stuff. All-in-all, my excitement levels about weather vanes has never been...Log Piles – Creating a Flourishing Wildlife Community
In recent years the old-fashioned log pile has been superceded by the hip and trendy mini beast hotels in school grounds. Whilst these are a lovely form of recycling and repurposing of various materials this post is a plea to all schools to provide create lots of log...Shadow Explorations with an iPad
Have you ever got that feeling that you aren’t making the most of a resource? Ever since I bought my mini iPad I knew I hadn’t done enough experimenting with Photo Booth. I had given classes opportunity to freely play with Photo Booth and its effects. The...Autumn Wires featuring Berries
Autumn is really here. The conkers have been gathered. The leaves made into art work. The rosehips turned into syrup. And now the berries have been threaded onto wire. This was all a bit of an investigation which was prompted by an activity I ran in one of the Wee...Skulls and Bones
2023 update: Be aware At present the UK is being hard hit by Bird Flu (avian influenza). Follow local guidance where it exists and keep an eye on national updates at NatureScot and other UK Government Agencies. Do not touch any dead bird. In...Flying Discs – All Work and All Play
Many traditional toys provide the ideal introduction to the principles of physics. Concepts that are hard to explain can be illustrated through experimentation. This blog post considers the benefits of playing with a variety of flying disks. Playing with frisbees is a...Seafood Investigations
Many years ago I had a wonderful few days holiday over on the West Coast of Scotland. My family and I stayed at the Pier House Hotel in Port Appin which wins lots of awards for being friendly, welcoming and having an amazing seafood restaurant. On the last night, to...Plant ID in a Parallel Universe
Plant identification is a quirky matter. As a child, I was not especially interested in wildflowers, trees or other plants. Family walks were decidedly boring if there was too much plant talk and not enough running, climbing and swinging thrown into the mix. So when...Make a Kite by Re-using Plastic Bags
Recently on the Creative STAR Facebook Page I showed this wonderful photo of a wind tunnel created by a space blanket. Sadly, it ripped almost immediately after the photo was taken. I really didn’t want to chuck it out as I felt that was a waste. So instead I...Rainy day rubbings – exploring pattern outside
Some days are extremely wet. Thankfully we have waterproof skin that means we can cope with being outside on rainy days. One day I was working with a group of children who have additional support needs and so out we went to make the most of the rain. When...How to Make a Seed Bomb
In March I was facilitating a twilight workshop about gardening in the Early Years. Here in Aberdeen City, many practitioners work in settings where vandalism happens if anything is left outside, including children’s gardening efforts. So one of the things we do...10 Rock, Pebble and Stone Play Ideas
Everyone needs a rock. Enjoy endless hours of play in the forest, in your back garden, at park, on the beach. Here’s some suggestions… Pebble Toss Create a hole. Each player needs 5 stones. Take it in turns to toss a pebble into the hole. The person with the...The Art of Plant Study Outside
One of the beautiful aspects of undertaking learning activities outside, is that interdisciplinary learning becomes the norm rather than the exception. It’s hard not to acquire more information and understanding about nature or our local environment when we...Shadow Play – 10 Ideas
One of the best things about winter are the bright, cold, cloudless days. They are perfect for investigating shadows as the low sun provides long shadows. Also most of the activities involve moving around so keeping warm is less of an issue. The suggestions in this...Making a pond from a tyre
NOTE: This shows an example of a tyre pond. All ELC settings need to consider location, access and the need for a cover. This pond was in my back garden. Many years ago, I made a pond from an old tyre that had been sitting in my garden for more than a year. I happened...Making skeletons (using sticks)
This blog post is entirely inspired by Judy Duncan, a Primary 7 teacher at Kingswells Primary School in Aberdeen. All credit goes to her for the photos and the text below: “I’m trying to encourage everyone to use our outdoor areas more. I take a P5 class...Weathering and Cracks
Change is happening all around us. Natural processes are constantly at work, shaping our landscape and some times playing havoc with our lives. Winter is a wonderful time for work on weathering and erosion, not least because it happens that little bit quicker....The Good, the Bad and the Fungi
The wet and windy weather we’ve been having in NE Scotland does have its advantages at this time of year. Suddenly fungi can be found everywhere! Our local woodlands are full of mushrooms and toadstools that add to the seasonal beauty and wonder of a visit. If...
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Recent Posts
Story Stones and Thinking SkillsA little stone can give a lot of empowerment in a funny sort of way.
Outdoor Toilets and ChildrenWhen children need to go they need to go!
Hand hygiene outdoorsRemoving one of the barriers to working outside with groups.
12 reasons to have stumps in your outdoor spaceStumped for ideas? Check out this blog post about why every school needs a stump or several!
Dunblane Nature Kindergarten – A transformation from traditional to nature-based practiceFantastic example of positive impact of nature-based practice.
Legacy and LossWhat’s your professional and personal impact?
Education Scotland Outdoor Learning Webinars FREE to viewLots of free outdoor learning webinars all in one place from Education Scotland
Out to Play 12: Caring for Our Outdoor SpacesJust published. Time-saving links and a download.
Compass Points – Outdoor Suggestions15+ ways to learn about compass directions – all in a download.
7 Conker Games and AdviceEvery school needs a conker tree
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