Bumble bees you have spotted. Outdoor space. Bumblebees can be spotted anywhere outdoors but more often near flowers and
Spring RSPB Growing Up Wild activities We have six more activities to get your girls outdoors connected to the natural world. When nature starts to wake up from its long winter sleep, make sure you're outside to see it! Spring into action and watch out for the signs of spring as the sun starts to warm up the earth. Evenings are getting longer so it may be light when you meet, put a coat on (as it is still often cold in spring) and get outside to see the change in seasons. Get your RSPB Growing Up Wild Paw Print! The RSPB and Girlguiding LaSER are working together to get hundreds of girls and their leaders outdoors exploring, having fun and learning about the natural world. In order to encourage units outside we’ve created a special Growing Up Wild RSPB Paw Print! In order to get this Paw Print the RSPB have put six seasonal activities together of which you will need to complete three activities outdoors and complete the evaluation form to receive your badges. Complete the requirements and receive an RSPB Growing Up Wild Paw Print. You and your unit MUST complete the activities first then follow the link to the evaluation form and instructions for ordering your badge. What you need to do: Ask your unit to choose 3 activities from the list below
Click on the chosen link to download the unique RSPB PDF’s to print off and use
Complete the activities – remember to be outdoors!
Spend a minimum of 30 minutes doing each activity
Paw Prints cost 80p each
Follow the link to complete a Google form evaluation and directions for ordering the badges
https://goo.gl/forms/mr0wUggRSM9pbUji2
Badges will be administered through the Girlguiding LaSER Regional Office
Badges will be sent out once the completed evaluation form and payment has been received
Please note girls and leaders will be able to earn the same RSPB Growing Up Wild Paw Print if they attend an RSPB/Girlguiding LaSER event at an RSPB reserve, unless a unique bade for the event is otherwise promoted. Please contact the Girlguiding LaSER office if you would like a PDF any of the other seasonal activities and we can send this to you as a PDF.
[email protected]
Activities 1. Wonderful Weather Forecaster! Great for: Brownies and Guides
2. Spring Senses Great for: Rainbows and Brownies
Suggested ideas
Where can I do this?
Equipment
Remember
Use the guide sheet when you go outside to observe the weather In groups present the weather to each other Find a way to record the weather using drawings, photos or film Were you correct?
Anywhere outside where you can see the sky Somewhere where you can see the horizon
Notebook, smart phone, Rain guide sheet
When going outside in Spring wear the correct clothing Spring can surprise us! Never look directly at the sun
Practice tuning into your senses before you do this activity, close your eyes what can you hear? Block your ears, what can you see? Look all around. Use the sheet walk around your unit meeting place or plan a short walk to a park or green space Discuss what you have seen, heard, smelt or felt
Anywhere outdoors Natural open space outdoors
Spot sheet
Do not pick any living plants or flowers, some spring flowers can be rare
Use the sheet walk around your unit meeting place or plan a short walk to a park or green space In groups can you make your own Spring spot sheet?
Any Natural open space outdoors
Use the spot sheet, pencil
Do not pick any living plants or flowers, some spring flowers can be rare Do not disturb birds nests or remove them
Make nest boxes in small groups Complete over several weeks so everyone gets to make one Check out the RSPB website to make correctly site and clean your nest box Observe and record over several weeks if any birds use the box
Safe place to build- indoors or outdoors at your meeting place
Follow the instructions
Make sure you have a suitable number of adults supervising Don’t forget about the nest! Keep your box clean
Go for a short walk to spot Bumblebees out looking for a new nesting sites and feeding on nectar The low-flying zig zag flight of a nestsite searching queen is seen in spring and is very distinctive –look out for this! Take out a British wild life or insect identification book to identify bees Make one or two been homes in a group Brownies/Guides – create your own bee chart with drawings or photo to have up in your unit meeting space to record Bumble bees you have spotted Look out for a space in your local community to plant a patch, make sure you request for permission Keep a diary of what types of mini beasts visit or make a home in your meadow Use the patch for a mini beast hunt Keep the seeds in Autumn for next year
Outdoor space Bumblebees can be spotted anywhere outdoors but more often near flowers and blossom
Instruction sheet
Bumblebees will only sting if you harm them, stay calm when around them Some may be weak after the winter-if you see a very sleepy Bumblebee put a small amount of sugar water on a teaspoon near the Bumblebee for it to feed on.
Outdoor patch of ground at your unit meeting space or one you have permission to grow in. Small or large pots Window boxes Large recycled pots/tubs/buc kets
Use the sheet
Make sure you keep your seeds/patch watered in dry weather Wash hands after handling soil or compost
3. Spring Bingo
Great for: Rainbows and Brownies
4. Make a nest box
Great for: Brownies and Guides
5. Make a Bumblebee Home
Great for: Rainbows, Brownies and Guides
6. Marvellous Meadow
Great for: Rainbows, Brownies and Guides
Activities for any season: 1. Mini beast hunt Great for: Rainbows and Brownies
2. Colours in nature Great for: Rainbows and Brownies
3. Build a bug hotel
Use small pots to collect mini beasts, use paint brushes or teaspoons to carefully collect the mini beasts Look closely at mini beasts with no legs, 5, 8 and more
Anywhere outdoors. In leaf litter or in soil around plants, on plants and trees, around outside of buildings
Spot sheet, pots, paint brushes to put bugs in pots, magnify glasses
Be really careful when collecting mini beasts Always put mini beasts back where you found them
Use the spot sheet to spot and tick off natural colours
Anywhere outdoors
Spot sheets, pencil,
Go on a scavenger hunt to collect different coloured natural objects
Only pick up objects from the ground do not pick any plants, leaves or flowers
Try this out in different seasons
Mini ones to take home for a balcony, garden, big space, small space outside your unit meeting place, ask at a local park/community garden or a Leaders garden.
small space outside your unit meeting place, ask at a local park/community garden or a Leaders garden
Keep checking over the weeks and months to see who has moved in!
Follow the instructions, they can build a mini bug hotel individually or make a big one altogether.
Follow the link to building a bug hotel, use plastic bottles, toilet rolls or tetra pack cartons hung up, stuffed with the same filling.
This is all about sensing nature in different ways. Before you start this activity, sit or stand outside in a circle Ask the girls to close their eyes Ask the girls to listen out to any noises, each time they hear a different noise with their fists out, count each noise on each finger After 1-3 minutes ask the girls to open their eyes. What did they hear? What natural sounds did they hear?
Anywhere there are trees
Blindfold
Leaders to be vigilant supervising this activity to prevent girls from walking into trees or tripping over
Great for: all sections
1. Hug a tree Great for: Brownies and Guides
