DayFourWe did manage to get out for a walk today before the rain started and, despite having to negotiate a bit of a meltdown from the eldest before we went, it was definitely worth it, even if only to see my three year old happily and wonderously stopping to boing a leaf strand of a bush as we walked past it.

On the way out my five year old posed for her regular lockdown photo of putting the bin out (or in, in her case) in her ballgown (#ballgownbinsout).  Up until now she’s been very focused on which princess to be and which accessories she has to go with the dress and, of course, what she needs to get post-lockdown to complete the look.  Today, however, she obviously had a bit more time to ponder the experience on the ensuing walk and it led to questions about why we have our rubbish taken away and what happens to it.

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Having tried our best to explain in between outside distractions and having to retrieve our three-year-old from many of our neighbours gardens, we watched several YouTube videos on the subject to help further (or actually) explain when we returned home.

CBeebiesRubbishOne of the best ones was CBeebies: Ask Anything – What Happens To Rubbish? as it starts with the reasons we can’t keep it all in the house – “You can stuff it down the back of the sofa, But it’s going to be a bit of a squeeze, It’ll start to get smelly when you’re watching the telly, And the remote control is going to smell like cheese” – and mentions the possible negative environmental aspects of the different ways in which we deal with its disposal through landfill, incineration and if it gets in the oceans, emphasising that recycling is the more sensible way to go.

DandelionLifeCycleOne other fascination for my five year old that has grown from previous lockdown walks has been the numerous dandelions she’s spotted, and helped to disperse, along the way.

As well as investigating the real things outside, we also previously watched a timelapse video on YouTube of the yellow flower closing up and transforming into the fluffy seedhead.  Today’s rainy afternoon meant we finally got around to looking at and filling in the Life Cycle of a Dandelion worksheet I’d printed out for her from Twinkl.  The educational resources website rather fabulously offered accounts for free to parents attempting home learning during lockdown and has plenty of nature-inspired material on there to take a look at if you think your minis would be interested.

Click here to find out more about #30DaysWild.