Teach-Primary-Issue-19.7

74 | www.teachwire.net RAINBOWWALK Go on a rainbow walk. Using either sticky cards and sticky bracelets, or tablets to take photos, challenge children to find items from each colour of the rainbow. You could choose to start with natural features and then extend the challenge to take photos of physical features as well. Once the items (or photos) have been collected, children can work as a class or in groups to create a large rainbow collage. Photos could be used in a computing activity using an app like Pic Collage, Canva or similar, to create a picture that reflects the variety of colours found in nature. SOUND COLLECTOR Spend time listening to the sounds of nature – the wind in the trees, the rustling of leaves as animals scurry across branches, the chirp of a bird and the buzz of a bee. Try to identify what makes up each instrument in nature’s symphony. Explore the characteristics of assorted items from nature. Challenge children to collect sticks, stones, dry leaves, grass – anything that might make a sound. Then, in groups, give them the opportunity to explore the sounds they can create by scraping, hitting, tapping, crinkling or even blowing. Once they have a collection of sounds, they can create their own piece of music. Encourage them to think about the speed (tempo), volume (dynamics) and mood of their composition. How can they best represent their surroundings? Put two groups together to listen to each other’s sounds. If they close their eyes, can they guess what object is being used to make a particular sound? Now, use all the Take it further Activities Wild is an uplifting story, perfect for EYFS and KS1 classes exploring the beauty of nature, wildlife and growth. Children will be able to make comparisons between their own school grounds, the local community, the busy city and natural parks, woods and reserves. Into the woods Visit a local woodland or nature reserve to find ‘wildness all around’. Encourage children to look at the sky and clouds, listen for birds, spot tiny insects and investigate signs of wildlife. Perhaps there are tracks in the earth, evidence of an animal home or signs of a tasty meal? Discuss what Katya Balen means by ‘stories in the earth’ and encourage the class to create their own woodland tales. Talk about lifecycles and ecosystems to encourage children to make connections. Help pupils focus on specific areas by Book topic providing them with a carboard frame; by holding it up to the sky and trees or laying it on the ground, they can zoom in on just one part of nature. While discovering the natural world, challenge pupils to consider why the wild is so important. As children explore, ask them to collect natural objects from the ground – sticks, leaves, flowers, seeds and stones. Discuss colour, texture, patterns and how they are connected. Back at school, you can use these objects to create nature pictures, or combine them with a large tray and soil to build your own sensory woodland. Making comparisons Wild focuses on the differences between the woods and the city. Help children make these comparisons themselves by examining the natural and physical features of an urban area. Go for a walk through your local area. The cardboard frames could be used again to encourage careful observation. Back at school, work together to make a list of everything you found in the woods then make a similar list for the urban area. What is the same? What is different? Focus on life and growth. Were there any signs of ‘wild’? In Wild , Gill Smith’s beautiful illustrations emphasise the difference between the woodland and the city. Use watercolours to create a painting of two halves: woodland and city. Encourage children to carefully consider colour choices, with rich greens, earthy browns and sunny yellows on the woodland side and greys, blacks and brick red for the city. Wild in the city Explore the local urban area again, looking for glimpses of nature. Begin by examining a map: can children find Illustrations © Gill Smith 2025 where the parks, green spaces, gardens and allotments are? Go for a walk and focus on natural features. Are there plenty of trees and flowers? Are there planted bulbs or are the verges left to grow wild in support of insects? Are there signs of wildlife – birds, hedgehogs, foxes or even slugs and snails? Challenge pupils to think about how they can increase the ‘wild’ within their city or town. Could they plant flowers or vegetables? Could they go litter picking? Could they write to local politicians about the protection of green spaces? When empowered to take action, children have the potential to have their voices heard.