What you need
Sturdy clothes and shoes (might get messy!)
Sticky tape – any variety and width will do
PVA glue
Notepad and pen
Paint
Computer with internet access or nature guide books
What to do
Get Ready:
First you’ll need to help turn your kids into magnets, using a giant roll of sticky tape! Help your kids wrap themselves with the tape (sticky side out) or tape loops (sticky side out) up, down and all over. They don’t have to stop with just an arm or leg; they can even wear hats and ‘magnetise’ their heads, if they want to.
Next, think about all the plants and other things your kids see in nature near your home. What do they expect to pick up as a Nature Magnet? Ask them to make notes so that they can compare to their findings later. If you know of any dangerous plants or small animals near your home, warn kids before they set out.
Help kids plan an area to go and explore as a nature magnet. Perhaps it could be a local park or even your own back garden.
Have a go: Now they’re ready to see what amazing things they can find, looking high and low, inside and out. Let kids get creative to find interesting objects. Encourage kids to get down and dirty with nature by rolling on the ground, reaching up to leafy tree branches and down to pine cones on the ground, peeking under stones and between sticks and reaching into bushes.
Try it out: When they get home, it’s time to see what’s been collected. Encourage them to carefully remove their strips of nature magnet tape and place each strip on a flat surface. Whilst those dirty clothes are in the wash, you and the kids can compare their findings to the notes they made at the start, using the internet or a field guide.