You may remember that we reviewed Cico Kids My First Bicycle Book over the weekend. Well, we also explored the second book that they had sent us - My First Nature Activity Book. Just like the bicycle book, it is the perfect combination of educational explanations (how to grow flowers, hows seeds grow, etc) and fun hands-on projects that kids of all ages can enjoy.
This project for using old outgrown or worn-out wellies as funky planters really appealed to the Madhouse Mini-testers and I'm pretty sure we have some old wellies in the garage so this one has been earmarked for the springtime.
They also liked the idea of creating a Natural Garland to decorate the patio.
As it's autumn and the leaves have started changing colour and falling from the trees, we also loved the idea of crafts projects using those - Pierre always picks up a pretty red or orange one on the way home from school so we're getting quite a collection !
But the project that most inspired them was this one, making cute little men from seeds and twigs. There was also a similar project making animals from pine cones.
I kitted everyone out with a box and we headed off to the park, ignoring the play area for once and heading down to the back end which is more wooded, to see what we could find. We had great fun (and burnt off a few calories !) jumping and throwing sticks to collect conkers (it seems to be a bad year for conkers - out of five chestnut trees, only one had any conkers at all and the leaves on the others looked all spotty and sick - it'll be sad if they die.) We came home with lots of bits and pieces - twigs, pretty leaves, berries, conkers, pine cones, rose hips, sycamore helicopters, dried pine needles ...
We managed to make a little man and a butterfly/fly, but it was hard to keep the bits and pieces in place while the glue dried !
Sophie had the great idea of making 2d pictures on paper instead, which worked really well.
And to finish off they made some "nature plates", glueing all their favourite finds on to cardboard plates.
It was a great fun activity that combined getting out in the fresh air, discovering nature and learning about seeds and autumn then partaking in some lovely messy play. We'll definitely be coming back to this book for more inspiration when we want to find something to do. There are projects for all seasons so it will keep us busy all year round.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £9.99
- Paperback: 128 pages
- Publisher: CICO Books (14 Feb 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1908862726
- ISBN-13: 978-1908862723
- Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 21 x 27.9 cm
Disclosure : We received the book in order to write an honest review.
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