Gumnut babies
Even in winter, when flowers are finished, leaves have fallen and trees look sparse, there are treasures aplenty to be found and collected when out’n’about with the kids… you just need to know where to look.
Have you ever hunted for gumnuts? They’re the hardened seed container of the gum tree, a woody fruit really, and Winter is the time to find them, along with banksia cones, acorns and pinecones. How many different shapes can you find in and around the trees in your neighbourhood? Take a paper bag out with you and start a collection of gumnuts and cones, then bring them home for some crafty learning fun.
Sort them
Gumnuts and cones come in array of shapes, sizes and colours: you may find reds, greens, yellows, purples, browns, and even lovely silvers. Offer some plastic bowls and encourage kids to look for similarities and differences between them, and sort accordingly. Use them for naming colours, counting, or arranging into sizes.
Read about them
You might recall the tales of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie from your own childhood. If not, now’s a good time time to discover these cheeky little bushland adventurers and introduce them to your children. Written by Mae Gibbs back in the early decades of the 1900s the stories tell the adventures of two gumnut brothers who journey thorough the bush meeting all kinds of characters. An iconic Australian classic, look for their stories at your local library.
Paint them
The smooth surfaces of gumnuts are perfect to paint, especially as they age and become woody. Offer them with a brush and some paint, and watch those little fingers find ways to hold them steady.
Print them
What shapes can appear when you dip the end of a gumnut into paint, then press it onto paper. Get the kids to find out!
Playdough them
The textural surfaces of natural objects can make some lovely impressions in playdough. Playdough is super easy to make at home. Here’s a reliable recipe for you:
Playdough recipe
1 cup of plain flour
1 cup of water
½ cup of salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
a few drops of food colouring
Mix together all ingredients and cook over a medium heat in a very well greased saucepan. Keep turning in the centre. The mixture is cooked when it forms one springy mass.
Remove from the saucepan and, when cool enough, knead the mixture until the right texture is achieved.
It will keep for several months in an airtight container in the fridge
Shake them
Make some gumnut musical instruments. Pop them into a plastic bottle or container, secure the lid tightly (fasten with tape if necessary), and get ready for some shakey shakey musical fun. Start your own gumnut band!
Get outdoors, look around, get crafty, have fun xx
