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Make · Wild and Tumble activity

Washing-up bowl pond

A tiny pond, a big welcome. Turn an old washing-up bowl into a home for wildlife.

  • 30 min total
  • Messy fun
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Outdoors
  • Spring and autumn

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 5 min to prepare · 20 min to build · 5 min to tidy. Then watch over the weeks. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • An old washing-up bowl or deep plant tray
  • Gravel, stones and a log or bricks
  • Rainwater from a water butt or bucket
  • A small pond plant, optional

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Choose a spot with some sun and some shade.

  2. Grown-up job

    An adult digs a hole and sinks the bowl, or leaves it on the ground with a stone ramp.

  3. Little one leads

    Your child adds gravel and stones, piling some up so creatures can climb in and out.

  4. Fill with rainwater, not tap water.

  5. Wait and watch. Who comes first?

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

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