Walk in the woods or park - Activity - Year 1

In an engaging outdoor activity planned for Year 1 pupils, the children are encouraged to explore the natural environment of a woods or park with a specific mission in hand. Their primary goal is to identify and find as many as eight different flowering plants that are illustrated on Chart 1. This hands-on activity not only promotes observation skills but also introduces the children to the variety of plant life in their local area. To help visitors and fellow students learn about the local flora, the children will work together in small groups of four to design informative signposts. These signposts, which must be compact enough to fit on an A4-sized paper, will serve as educational markers within the woods or designated school areas, providing interesting facts about the plants on display.

Additionally, the young explorers are tasked with creating a practical resource to assist them during their walk. Using photographs of the flowers provided on a previous page, they will design a tick sheet that is both portable and easy to use. This custom sheet will enable the children to keep a record of the flowering plants they encounter, ticking off each one as they go along. The activity is not only about plant identification but also encourages curiosity about the wider natural world. Questions such as "What are the different parts of plants called?" and "Which birds do you know?" prompt the children to think about the ecosystem as a whole. They are also asked to consider how many wild garden flowers they can recognise, further deepening their connection with and understanding of nature.