We're going on a worm hunt!

With the rain still pouring one of day homes this morning decided it was the perfect day for a worm hunt! Quite simply they were going out for a walk, in the rain, with buckets in hands to look at and collect worms!
It never seems to fail, kids are fascinated by these under gorund creatures and here in Alberta, the driest province in Canada, when the rain falls in June it's the best opportunity to see them!

Worm hunting, or any sort of bug hunting, is a great opportunity to introduce from an early age how important insects, bugs, worms, creepy crawlies, mini beasts are to our environment and to show them how to correctly handle and observe them.

Below are some tips for a successful bug hunt taken from the website; www.activekidsclub.com.

So get out your magnifying glass, a small container and get outside on a bug hunt!

tips about bug hunting:Let children discover insects themselves. Make sure you teach them about bugs that can hurt them. Because children are closer to ground level they will probably discover them before you.
You can help them by turning over rocks and tree branches so they can see all the life just out of sight. You can teach your child about the different types of insects and the function they have in the nature.

Smart materials to bring with you on a bug hunt are: jar, magnifying glass, plastic tweezers, sketchbook, pencils and books about insects.

Bring a jar for collecting insects; remember to make holes in the lid. Make a habitat for the bugs, put soil, leaves (from the place you found them) in the jar and some water. Make sure you remember to set you new friends free after a day, put them in the same place you found them.

Inspect bugs with a magnifying glass; discuss with the kids what you see. Consult the books about the bug’s secrets.

Make art of the findings, let the kids draw bugs how they see them.

Dad Rocks salt dough paperweight.

Dads play an important part in our children’s lives. What better way to celebrate him than by having the kids make a special gift. This fun paperweight only requires small rocks and simple ingredients from your kitchen. He’ll love the results and cherish it always.





Supplies:
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup water
bowl
cookie sheet
1/2 cup pea gravel

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Mix flour, salt and water together in a bowl. If dough is too sticky add small amounts of flour until it is doughy and pliable. Be careful not to add too much as the dough will dry out and your creation will crack.
Shape a piece of the dough into a ball in your hands. Place the ball on the cookie sheet and flatten to about 1/2″ thickness.
Carefully select pieces of pea gravel to spell out “DAD ROCKS”. Press them firmly but gently into the salt dough. (For younger children you may want to mark this out first or just shorten to Dad)
Bake your paperweight for 2-2.5 hours until completely dry.
Remove from oven and allow to cool before handling or removing from cookie sheet.

Optional: You can spray your creation with acrylic sealer or paint it with a clear coat sealer.

Rainy day website.

With the rain still persisting in falling, looking for new ideas and activities to keep the kids busy and occupied becomes a priority!

Check out this website for 101 + ideas for rainy day activities, both indoors and outdoors!

 www.rainydaymum.co.uk

Ideas and links from a Mum who lives in a country where rain can often stop play!

Our particular favourites are painting with rain drops and making mud soup!