Click here for Forest School activities to try at home
Nature based ideas to do inside, looking through a window and in your garden.
I thought you might like some 'Forest School' type ideas to help whilst you are at home, especially ones that don't involve 'screen time'. The irony is you will need screen time to look some of them up but once that is done, hopefully you can have some fun away from screens.
Just remember - nature doesn't know what's going on, the birds are singing, (at the moment!) the sun is shining, the buds are starting to bloom and spring will turn to summer.
Caterpillar and butterfly identification
RSPB Great Garden Bird Watch
Every year the RSPB encourage us to get involved with bird watching. You can 'sign-up' to take part in the actual survey or you can just do it for fun. I have added a host (or should I say, flock!?) of all sorts of things bird related below.
Learn about birds on the RSPB site https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/facts-about-nature/facts-about-birds/
Find out about garden birds here https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/live-lessons/common-birds-in-garden-playground-park/zypmjsg
This is another site where you can learn about different birds. It's one of my favourites.
https://www.birdfood.co.uk/fact-files
Can you make a fact file for one of the birds?
Watch this clip and see if you can create something like it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zph26sg
Have a go at the BBC name the garden birds quiz here https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/live-lessons/quiz-can-you-name-these-common-garden-birds/z262wnb
Have a go at this fun quiz to find out which bird you are. https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/which-garden-bird-are-you/
Listen to The Back Garden Cafe story - you can read it underneath as it plays if you like. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/audio-stories-the-back-garden-bird-cafe/z7wc382
Listen to the story The Parrot Who Lost His Pirate here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0830dm4
This page has lots of activities and links to do with birds. https://usborne.com/gb/quicklinks/quicklink/spotter-s-guides-birds
Ideas from Woodland Trust:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/kids-nature-activities-self-isolation/
Go on a minibeast hunt in your garden.
Do some bird watching and identification.
Make a loo roll bird feeder.
Go on a scavenger hunt.
Have a picnic in the garden.
Move like minibeasts.
Make an animal or forest out of Lego or construction materials.
Butterfly symmetry art.
Write a story about woods and trees.
More explanation about these activities are on the link above.
Make a rainbow.
It has been lovely to see all the rainbow displays people are doing. Did you know you could have a go at creating your own 'real' rainbow?
Have a look at the sheet below. Maybe you could learn some facts about rainbows? If you have made a rainbow display at home, maybe you could turn some rainbow facts into a poster or display to go alongside it?
If you like dinosaurs and all things natural, take a look at these activities on the National History Museum website. 
There are lots of dinosaur related activities like making origami dinosaurs, how to draw them as well as a quiz and how to build a volcano but there are also activities to do with birds and gardens. Explore it and have some fun. If you make an origami dinosaur, I'd love to see it. Maybe I'll have a go in school this week!!
What can you do with 1m of string?
Try reciting and learning a poem about nature.
Sit very still and quietly in your garden. What sounds can you hear? Try to listen for sounds in the distance.
If you sit still for long enough (it may take 5 minutes or more), you will probably find that some of the wildlife starts to feel you aren't a threat. Look very carefully. What wildlife do you see?
Make a map/plan of your garden.
If you could have anything you liked - what would your garden look like? Draw your ideal garden. (I always wanted a huge treehouse in and a swimming pool, oh and a tennis court and . . . !)
OK, so you aren't allowed to go off somewhere to go camping. What about setting the tent up in your garden and doing some 'garden camping'? If you haven't got a tent maybe you could be creative and set something up to camp in your living room for a night instead?
Find a stick and some things to decorate it with to make it into a wand.
Look at the clouds (but remember - Never look straight at the sun- it can damage your eyes). What shapes do you see? Can you make shapes out of them? I like to see if I can spot clouds that look like animals.
How are shadows made? Make shadow puppets out in the sunshine. Here are some ideas to get you started.
https://etc.usf.edu/clipart/galleries/266-hand-shadow-puppetry
Take notice of how the plants are starting to grow. Ask an adult if there is one you can dig up (a 'weed' maybe?). What parts can you see?- stem, root, leaf, flower etc. Find out about the 'job' of each part.
Look at the different plants in your garden. How many different types of leaves can you see? Are they all the same shape and colour? Ask an adult which ones you can touch? (Be careful, some plants can hurt us like nettles and brambles, some make our skin itch so check with an adult first.)
Make a picture of your favourite plant in your garden. Maybe you could make a collage of it?
Make Charcoal Paint 
Years 3 and 4 this may interest you!
This term we would have been making our own paints at Forest School to do some Stone Age cave art. It may not be a good idea to make charcoal by having a fire, but maybe you have some barbeque charcoal at home that you could use?
Watch how roots grow
Make a map for a micro route.
Join in with live Lessons from Encounter Edu!
Each lesson has worksheets that you can print off to join in or you could just watch and learn like I did.
They are available online to watch at any time after they have first aired so there are also some past ones you could catch up with, just scroll down to near the bottom of the page and look at 'past live events'.
Set up some 'old-fashioned' races in your garden (sack races, 3 legged races, egg and spoon - use a small ball instead of an egg, a hopping race, obstacle course) - get out your skipping rope or hula hoops if you have them!
Help to tidy your garden.
Have a tea party.
Dance outside.
Hand press a flower.
Make some recycled planters
