5 minute nature play challenges (331, 332, 315, 314)

Finding catkins, hunting snowdrops, playing with raindrops and the surprising options to be found in supermarket car parks! Shorter challenges near home that can be done quickly when the logistics make getting out tricky.

331 – Catkins

Tuesday 4 February, cloudy 8°C

We have catkins growing on the tree in our garden and we find some more on another tree down the road. B loves picking them and seeing what she can make with them. Their texture is different between the two trees. One can be shed into teeny pieces while the other is more solid.

332 – Hunt the snowdrop.

Wednesday 5 February. Cloudy 5°C

I’ve spotted a whole garden of beautiful snowdrops about 200 metres away from our house and plan a pre-school mini ‘hunt’ for B. I draw a picture of a snowdrop and tell her she has to find a flower that looks like this. She’s not sure and is beginning to moan… then spots lots in the garden two doors up from us. She’s smug and I’m cross! I’d hoped it would last a bit longer. Note to self, scout out the land better before doing that one again.

I like the concept of this one. It could be a new kind of scavenger hunt with pictures and cards instead of a list maybe? I am plotting a bigger scale version for next time we’re out and about in a park somewhere.

329 – Looking for wands in the woods >

< 332 – Chalking the plant shadows

315 – Watching raindrops

Thursday 20 February. Rainy. 12°C

It’s raining and warm. B has recently found raindrops – playing with them in the car (trying to stop them with her finger). I’m wondering how else we can play with them. I put a bit of glass and a bit of metal outside the front door to see if they’ll let us write in the drops but you can’t really see it. We try writing in the raindrops on the window. Again, it’s impossible to photograph, even when we put a black background behind. B has a brainwave and gets the Sellotape. We tape a 315 to the outside of the window and watch what happens when the raindrops meet the tape. Helpfully it stops raining half way through and the drops begin to dry up but there’s a plant pot of water helpfully to hand which we try splashing on instead.

314 – Exploring the bushes by the supermarket

Friday 21 February. Cloud and rain. 10°C

We’re having a lazy day and have finally ventured out to the shops. B is determined to find a challenge she can do in the car park. She heads to the bushes that are planted about and finds three different types of leaves which she carefully shreds. One seems to be Rosemary – it smells amazing. The other two don’t smell much but we sniff to check. Then it starts pouring down and we take shelter in the car. B carefully makes a 314 on the dashboard.