Colne Valley Nature Explorers
“Colne Valley Nature Explorers” is for our younger followers; providing workshops, activities and learning materials. Many of these are in line with the National Curriculum and we hope they prove to be useful and fun when learning from home or taking your daily exercise.
Have a look at our activities to help engage your children and encourage nature and wildlife observation.
Snapshot Treasure Hunt – Children’s Activity
Just a bit of fun. Can you find the things on the Snapshot Treasure Hunt sheet?
You will have to explore Denham Country Park’s meadow, rivers, and woodland and the Grand Union Canal, too. Good Luck!
Leafing About
This activity allows children to go on a nature scavenge, collecting nature’s gifts, whilst learning about the trees they come from and the fruits they produce. Have fun and don’t forget to follow COVID19 Government Guidance.
Bird Watching
If you have a pair of binoculars then great, but not essential and why not take along a pad to jot down notes or make drawings? If you have a garden, balcony or window have a go at this FREE downloadable activity sheet Bird Watching. Keep an eye out throughout the day and hopefully you will spot the birds on the activity sheet and possibly even ones that are not. If you are not able to leave the house, why not leave out some bird food and see what you can observe in your own garden?
Nature Workshops
The Iver Environment Centre hosted a diverse range of Nature Workshops in 2020 which you can watch on their platforms. The sessions follow the school curriculum, providing interesting information and outdoor activities for children to explore and enjoy, with themes such as mini beasts, growing plants, the magic of trees and much more. Check their Facebook or YouTube page for updates, see links below.
Scavenger Hunt
This is a fun idea for kids of all ages. You can keep it very simple for little ones, by helping them look out for different colours or textures in nature and for older children, challenge them to hunt for seasonal signs such as spring blossom or new leaves. Or you could ask them to see how many tiny natural objects they can find to fit inside a matchbox. Post a photo of your scavenged items on our Facebook using the hashtag #explorecolnevalley we would love to see them! For extra handwriting practice – why not label your items with the matching description before taking a photo and posting?
Play Nature Bingo in Denham Country Park
Get some fresh air and explore Denham Country Park while you try to complete this bingo sheet.
Watching Bats in the Colne Valley
As the weather warms up, bats are starting to become more active. We wanted to tell you more about this fascinating group of mammals and how you can watch them from the comfort of your own home. Check our article below to learn more.
Bird watching outside your window
Our Habitats Officer Adam Bolton will talk you through some birds you may be able to see from the comfort of your own home, with some interesting facts and stories that you may not have known.
Brain Teaser – Word Search
Download our Colne Valley Park Word Search below to keep you busy at home, just click on the picture below!
One of our partners The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust have developed a fantastic wildlife journey for children to go on from the safety of home and each week they will have new ideas and inspiration to bring you closer to nature. We particularly love their downloadable nature diary, the mini best safari and their brilliant downloadable spotter sheets. Why not print off their Signs of Spring or Spring Wildflowers spotter sheet to take on your next daily exercise walk and make it far more fun? You can also use the mini beast and garden bird spotter sheet to become a real nature explorer in your own garden. They have even included wild quizzes, nature art challenges and scavenger hunts.
Who knows this could be the perfect opportunity for children to really discover nature at home or on a local walk
