Outdoor Activities for Rainbows

Look under a stone or log to see what life is there. Draw what you can see and identify it, or fill in an insect "tick" sheet. Don't forget to replace the log or stone.

How many different natural greens can you find?

Show the Rainbows 3 different leaves, eg. horse chestnut, beech and oak. Put the leaves in the centre, with the girls standing round in a circle. Number each girl 1 - 3 round the circle. Call out the name of a leaf and a number. The girls with that number run round the circle, back to their place and collect the leaf from the centre. Award a counter/ token for the first correct.

Divide the girls into pairs and give them either snippets of wool or colours from a paint chart. They look to see if they can find natural objects to match the colours.

Collect leaves and twigs then challenge the girls to build a house for a fairy. They could also make some furniture.

Leaf prints.

Bark rubbings.

Texture rubbings. Choose objects with different textures, eg. brick wall, manhole cover, pebbledash, and make a rubbing in the same way as a bark rubbing.

Collect fresh leaves, mount on card and cover with sticky-backed plastic. You could make bookmarks or pictures or mini leaf identification booklets.

Collect acorns and other seeds, plant them and see if they will grow.

Discuss suitable clothing and footwear to go out in all weathers.

Plant seeds such as marigolds, cress, sweet peas, or herbs. Decorate the pots to make a gift for mum. Decorate plant labels to go in the pots.

Grow vegetable tops, eg. carrots, swede, parsnips.

Grow sunflowers and compare height. Make a chart to record this over the weeks.

Plant bulbs in the autumn.

Look for animal homes. Play a game with picture cards matching the animal to its home.

Using dead twigs, can the Rainbows find twigs resembling letters of the alphabet?

Put some natural objects inside a bag and see if the Rainbows can identify them by feel.

Go on a spider hunt. Look for spider webs. Examine them closely with a hand lens.

Go on a colour walk. How many different things of the chosen colour can you find?

Go on a rabbit hunt. Cut out some small rabbit shapes and name each one. Hide them, then send each girl to find a particular rabbit.

Look at shadows.

Go on a scavenger hunt with a difference. Divide the girls into groups and give them a list of things to collect. They must hold hands throughout and not let go!

Use all your senses to find out about natural objects. Put a selection on a table and get the girls to study them. Have instruction cards by each object: Look at these things - what do you see, describe them. Touch these things - what do they feel like? Smell these things - do you like the smell?

Make a tape of sounds that might be heard outside and ask the girls to identify them. Better still, sit outside and listen. What can you hear?

Ask the girls to find the biggest objects they can - longest piece of grass, largest oak leaf, biggest fir cone etc. Or the smallest

Wear your wellies on a rainy day and find some puddles to jump in. Can you find the rainbow in the puddles?