Gutter rivers and dams
Send water racing down a slope, then build a dam to hold it back.
Back to ideas
Explore · Wild and Tumble activity
Footprint detectives
Who went this way? Look for real footprints outside, then make your own with toy animals.
*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.
A tiny plan for your day
Estimated time: 3 min to prepare · 15 min to explore · 2 min to tidy. It's fine to stop early.
Before you start
What you’ll need
- Wellies, for muddy paths
- Playdough or a tray of damp sand
- A few toy animals with feet
Let's begin
Four simple steps
That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.
On a walk, look for footprints in mud, sand or frost. Bird? Dog? Person?
Count the toes and talk about the shapes.
At home, press toy animals into playdough to make tracks.
Hide the toys. Can your child match each track to its animal?
All done!
That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.
If you enjoyed this
More little ideas like this.
Muddy water filter
Build a filter from layers of stones, sand and grass.
Barefoot feely path
Make a little path of trays and see how nature feels under your toes.