A visit to the Wildlife Gardens

To enhance our learning all about seasons and nature in the outdoor environment, Reception visited the Wildlife Gardens in Paddington Recreational Ground.

We started off our morning by joining together in the log circle. We met Jennie and Amber who guided us through the day. They told us about some important rules to follow in the gardens including dangerous plants to watch out for.

After our chat, we got to explore the gardens. We split up into two groups and Jennie and Amber led us around showing us some special spots including the pond with frogspawn, the different animal statues hidden and an enclosed area where they recently had a wasps nest.

We spotted lots of birds nests in the tall trees around the gardens. We then had the opportunity to make our own nests. We gathered lots of sticks, straw and leaves and made our own nests in a safe place. After that, we used clay to model our own birds. We thought carefully about the features including a beak, legs and eyes. We included these features by adding different natural materials to our birds.

After a tasty lunch, we got to explore the gardens again, this time on our own! We went on a nature trail where we collected different natural materials we came across. Some of us found some beautiful flowers and patterned leaves.

Finally we finished the day with a camp fire. It was a lovely way to reflect on all of our learning throughout the day. Jennie made popcorn by putting the corn into a net over the fire. It was fun to hear the corn pop loudly. It was such a treat to try the delicious popcorn!

A special thank you to Sayers Croft Urban Nature Space for leading such a fun and exciting day today!