Flora and fauna might sound like the latest double act (think Ant and Dec), but they are in fact two amazing aspects of nature. Flora is the general term for plants and flowers and fauna for animals.
Here are some ideas to challenge children to find out more about flora!
Flora Explorers!
First, we’ll look at some exciting things you can do to learn more about plants.
Click here to see lots of short videos providing all sorts of information about plants. Why not encourage some of your friends to watch them too, then organize a quiz and see who can win the title of ‘Botany Brain Of The Year’?
Flower Power
Apart from adding beauty and colour to our gardens and parks and providing vitally important nectar for bees, flowers can be used in several other ways.
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You can use flowers to make a lovely picture by pressing them. It’s a great way to be able to remember sunny Spring days when the weather turns cold, or to bring back memories of a special day out. Learn how to do it here.
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If you want to bring the outdoors in and can get hold of some flowers ,(be sure to check that it’s OK before picking any), why not try your hand at the art of flower arranging? Here are some useful tips of how to begin.
Who knows? Your next stop may be the local flower show!
The Next Best Thing...
If you don’t have any real flowers, don’t despair, you can make a decorative arrangement of homemade ones - they’ll probably last even longer!
You can find out how to make some pretty impressive ones
here and
here and some simpler ones
here.
What's That Smell?
I’m sure we all love the scent of flowers, so why not have a go at making your own perfume from them? If you make it as a gift for someone special, you will certainly come up smelling of roses!
In
this video, the perfume is made to be used as a sign of hospitality. Why not make some ready for when you can welcome friends to your house again?
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum
You can’t grow a seed without soil!
Oh yes you can!
No, it’s not panto season, but you can bring a bit of fairy-tale magic into your home by growing your very own beanstalk, without using any soil!
Download this activity
And don’t forget to beware of giants!
A Final Note...
Some people think that singing (or talking) to plants helps them grow. Whatever the science behind that theory, we don’t think it can ever be a bad thing to sing!
Why not start by downloading the activities and singing ‘The Seed Song’ from
Spring Assembly Songs which can be found in the Sing In Every Subject category on the Out of the Ark Music @HOME website page.
Or take a look at some more suggested songs here in our Top 5 Primary School Songs To Sing About Growing Plants And Flowers: LINKS TO BOOKS
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In My Garden by Mark and Helen Johnson from Songs for EVERY Growing School. A simple feel-good, fun song about the process of planting and growing things. Ages 5+
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I’m A Little Seed by Niki Davies from The Niki Davies Book of Splendid Science Songs. In this simple song for younger voices, learn how a little seed that is fast asleep grows into a flower. Ages 3+
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A Tiny Seed Is Sleeping by Niki Davies from The Niki Davies Book of Spring & Summer Songs. This simple popular song takes you from seed to flower. Ages 3+
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Everything Starts With A Seed by Paul and Ruth Field from S!ng Easter. Learn about germination and photosynthesis as you sing this delightful song about seeds! Includes echoes in the chorus. Age 5+
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Clever Little Bulbs by Mary Green & Julie Stanley from S!ng Easter. From bulb to fully grown daffodil, this song is perfect for group singing, with lots of scope for dressing up and acting it all out! Age 5+
Other useful links on the Out of the Ark website:
Click here for OUT OF THE ARK MUSIC @ HOME for lots more great songs and resources.
Written by Sue Langwade – Guest Writer for Out of the Ark Music
USED IT? LOG IT! Most schools have a CWCL licence from Christian Copyright Licensing Limited (CCLI) - more information can be found here. This licence grants permission to display song lyrics and music from Out of the Ark Music’s Words on Screen™ Singchronize™ Player and CD ROMs, on any projection screen as well as download and share lyrics and music. Whenever you use our songs, please make note of your usage and then log your songs on your CCLI copy report, so that song writers and copyright holders are paid for their work.
Out of the Ark Music has been providing schools across the country – and world – with wonderful primary school musicals and primary school songs for nearly 30 years. Our Christmas musicals and nativity plays make children sparkle and shine, year after year, as they proudly perform their school Christmas play. Our extensive collection of fun and joyous Easter songs, harvest songs, school assembly songs, leavers songs and even space songs, fill schools with laughter and give students and teachers alike, a reason to sing every day of the week. We’re glad you’re supporting us in our dreams of creating the best music for schools around the globe. Read more about us here.
