Love Parks Day
My name is Jude Lennon and I am a children’s author and storyteller. Today we are celebrating our amazing parks and how wonderful it is to go outdoors and appreciate the natural world all around us! First, I will be reading my story ‘The Dragon of Allerton Oak.’ Next, I take you on a nature trail. Then we learn about transient art. Then we make a dragon out of household resources. Finally we finish our day with a bedtime story ‘Don’t be silly Milly!' I hope you enjoy the day and I look forward to hearing how you all get on.
The Dragon of Allerton Oak storytime.
Join me as I read 'The Dragon of Allerton Oak' from the very park where it's set. Calderstones Park is home to the ancient Allerton Oak which inspired this story. It seemed perfect to share for Love Parks week.
Grown Ups: The book aims to spread the message about sharing and being good friends. It's also a good discussion point for nature, parks and the animals you might find there. The story encourages children to appreciate their natural world and places of beauty in their local environment.
Nature Trail
You might like to go on your own nature trail. You could do this in your local park, your back garden or any other outdoor space or simply go on a treasure hunt in your own house. The things that are collected will be used for an art activity.
Grown Ups: The book aims to spread the message about sharing and being good friends. It's also a good discussion point for nature, parks and the animals you might find there. The story encourages children to appreciate their natural world and places of beauty in their local environment.
Transient Art
Using the things you collected on your Nature Walk or from around your house, we are going to make some Transient Art. This is art which isn't going to be there for good, it can change or be moved at any point.
Grown Ups: You may prefer to do this activity in an outside area if you have one. Encourage your child to create their pictures/art work any way they wish. Talk about how the objects they collected can be used to represent other things. Explain that the pictures can be changed or moved at any time. This activity encourages children to be creative and use their imagination. It also encourages them to talk about their ideas and what they might do. Physical skills in the form of fine motor skills will also be developed.
Make a dragon
Using a cardboard tube, paper, scissors, a felt tip and some sticking tape, we are going to make a Dragon to go with the story The Dragon of Allerton Oak.
Grown Ups: You may need to help your children with some aspects of this activity (drawing around their hands etc). This activity encourages children to develop fine motor skills such as drawing around objects, pencil control and cutting out. It also allows children to be creative and use problem solving skills when putting their dragon together.
Extension
1. Can you visit your local park for a picnic during Love Parks Week? 2. Ask the children to make up their own story about a dragon or other creature who lives in a tree/the park/your garden/a plant in the house. Grown ups - children and adults will need gloves to carry out this activity 1 safely. You may not wish to do this at the moment.
Don't be silly Milly! Jude will orally tell 'Don't be silly Milly!' the story of a little girl who wants a new pet.