Dadventures: Amazing Outdoor Adventures for Daring Dads and Fearless Kids. Alex Gregory

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      I first did something similar with Daisy in the summer when she had just started nursery. We stopped on the way home from pick-up and bought an ice cream each. Having a whole ice cream herself at that time in her life was a real treat, so she was already excited and happy. It happened to be a beautifully warm summer’s afternoon, and as I parked the car on the edge of a field close to home, overlooking the crops swaying in the breeze, we both knew this would be a good moment. Daisy and I sat on the bonnet of my car looking over the landscape and enjoying our ice creams, and we certainly weren’t expecting what was to happen next.

      We started to see ladybirds flying all around us. As we noticed them landing on us, more and more appeared until the air was thick with these little red and black bugs. They covered my car, flew on to our clothes, into our hair and all over us. We were amazed, gobsmacked by this little event happening around us. It really was a sudden natural phenomenon. I assume we had parked in the path of a swarm moving across the fields. They were possibly descending on the crops to feed on greenfly and we just happened to be right in their path.

      The point I want to make is that Daisy still talks about that 40 minutes we spent in the field with our ice creams and the ladybirds. If we hadn’t made the effort to stop, we wouldn’t have experienced that natural event. It’s only a small thing and it didn’t take long, but it’s a lasting memory for Daisy and me. We treasure that event, one that won’t ever happen in exactly the same way again. But next time, maybe something different will!

      The funny thing is, when we really need to do this sort of thing we just don’t. As an adult, doing something out of the norm when you’re at your most stressed is usually the very last thing you’ll want to do, even though it’s usually the time you need to do it the most. That first step out the door is the hardest thing, but once you’ve taken it you realise its value. I hope my children still want to do this with me when they are teenagers. I have a sneaking suspicion that they will.

      Set an insect trap

      I’ve always been fascinated by insects and indeed would go so far as to say I love them. They’re incredible creatures that thrive all over the world, sometimes in the most hostile environments, and are the most diverse and ecologically important group of land animals. Nobody knows exactly how many different insects there are, although it’s estimated there are as many 30 million different species of these weird and wonderful creatures. One of the most useful things about them is that they’re absolutely everywhere. You can always find an insect, and so wherever you are in the world there’s entertainment to be had. In a city centre, leaning against a wall or waiting by a bus stop with a hedge behind you – have a look, peer into the undergrowth or between the cracks in a crumbling wall, as there’s always something there to spot.

      A group of insects we collected, by Jasper. I’m pleased he believes they’re all smiling.

      An easy way to discover what you have in your garden, front yard, local park or woodland is to set a small insect trap. It’s quick to make and costs nothing except time.

      What you need

       A glass jar or clear beaker

       Some bait

       A small spade

       One large, flat rock

       Three small rocks

      What to do

      1 Find a spot on the ground in a place where people don’t usually walk. Under a rock in a flower bed is a great place to start, or in a quiet corner of the garden.

      2 Dig a hole as deep as the glass jar or beaker.

      3 Place your bait in the jar or beaker and then put it in the hole and adjust it so the top of the jar is in line with the surface of the soil or just a fraction below.

      4 Compact the soil around the top.

      5 Place the three small rocks around the embedded jar on the soil surface and carefully place the large flat rock on top of them to prevent rain getting in. You’re done!

      6 The trap is set. Now leave it alone for a few hours or, ideally, overnight.

      7 Check the traps the following morning.

      This is a great activity to do on a Friday afternoon after school, providing a perfect and exciting pretext for getting up and out on a weekend. If you’re organised, you can get a whole load of traps set in different parts of the garden, park or woodland – wherever you have easy access. It’s interesting to put a range of food in the jar or beaker to see what it attracts. Different bait will draw different insects, but even if you don’t use a food source, you’ll catch something. Also try to notice which insects live in the habitat where you set your traps. Grassland, for example, is likely to contain different species to woodland.

      Muddy hands, dirty knees, fresh air and fun together. And don’t forget to return the insects back where you found them.

      Challenge

      I’d suggest taking a white tray or bowl so that you can study your trapped insects. Once you’ve pulled the jar or beaker from the ground and had a good look through the glass, tip out your finds into the tray or bowl to have a further look from a different angle. The light white enables the usually dark insects to show up really well. From there you’ll be able to talk about them, identify them and maybe, if you’re all in the mood or have the time, draw and photograph them.

      Talking points

       How many legs?

       Colour?

       Shape?

       Texture?

       Speed?

      Make an insect aspirator

      Taking insect collecting even further, how about making an aspirator? An aspirator is a clever little device that enables you to suck through one pipe, drawing air and, hopefully, an insect through another. The way it’s made means you won’t be able to suck the insect into your mouth – as long as you get the tubes the right way round it’s a very safe way to collect your insect treasure. You can buy pre-made aspirators online, but they’re just as fun to make and test out as they are to use outdoors for real. I’ve made some with my kids, and it’s a really engrossing practical activity that gets you all thinking. And, what’s more, you see the results immediately.

      What you need

       A flexible plastic tube, around 45cm long. Aquarium tube is perfect. Alternatively, thick drinking straws can also СКАЧАТЬ