Nature things

irds are one of the many beautiful creatures in nature. Go exploring and see what birds you can spot.

Visit RSPB’s ‘Go Birdwatching’ page for information on what you will need and tips for spotting the birds.

Places to go bird spotting, in Doncaster, could be:

• In your back garden
• Potteric Car Nature Reserve
• Denaby Ings Nature Reserve
• Humberhead Peatlands Nature Reserve
• Hexthorpe Park Bird Aviary
• Doncaster Lakeside
• Bentley Community Woodland

And so many more!

The Yorkshire Wildlife Park is home to 70 different species of animals, many of which are endangered or threatened. From tigers, to polar bears, to giant otters and more. The Wildlife Park is the perfect place to go on an adventure and see and learn about wildlife from around the world.

Visit the Yorkshire Wildlife Park website for more information. 

Feeding ducks is a great way to teach love and respect for nature and wildlife. It is also a great family activity that is free and accessible to all. Visit the Mumblr ‘Places to feed the ducks in and around Doncaster’ website to find your nearest duck pond.

You can also visit the BBC Good Food for a list of foods that are good for ducks, along with advice on how to feed them.

Growing your own plant is a great way to get into gardening. Sunflowers are a great first option as they are low maintenance, making them great for beginners! They also grow fairly quickly, making them that much more exiting.

Visit this Growing Family website for some instructions on how to grow sunflowers in a pot.

Cress is a great way to foster interest in plants with little effort needed. Taking as little as 10 days to grow, this is a brilliant way to engage with plant life and really watch the difference a day makes.

Visit Persil’s webpage Growing Seeds: Cress Heads for a simple guide on how you can grow your own cress heads.

Picking strawberries is a great way to start learning where food comes from and is a great family activity.

You can find places to pick strawberries on the Doncaster Mumblr website, or, you can find information on how to grow your own strawberries on the Eats Amazing website.

Pumpkin picking is a great activity to get you in the Halloween spirit. The Doncaster Mumblr website has a list of options for where you can go pumpkin picking in Doncaster.

Have fun carving your pumpkin (with an adult) when you get home.

Take a picture of your pumpkin and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #100ThingsDN

Fruit picking is a fun activity for families to do together. It is also great for showing how fruits grow and learn about the plants blackberries come from.

Places you can pick blackberries include Eastfield Farm in Tickhill, or McCallum’s Fruit Farm.

The new Danum Gallery Museum will be a dynamic central hub that inspires creativity, informal learning and innovation. It will be a great place to visit to learn more about Doncaster and its history.

Whilst at the Museum, you can visit the Wild Doncaster exhibit.

Doncaster is full of many naturally beautiful areas. Some of these include:

• Potteric Carr Nature Reserve
• Humberhead Peatlands Nature Reserve
• Bentley Community Woodland
• Denaby Ings Nature Reserve

This is a great opportunity to see what amazing places are hidden within Doncaster and highlight the fact that some beautiful things simply occur by nature.

Keeping a flower or vegetable garden is a great way to foster responsibility and can be a very rewarding process. Here is a link to the Better Homes & Gardens website for a guide on starting your own garden.

You could also take a picture of your flower garden, every so often, and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #100ThingsDN

Pond dipping is a fun activity for everyone. Beneath the water there are all sorts of wildlife ready to be discovered. Head to the RSPB website for some additional information on pond dipping.