This weekend our local RSPB Wildlife Explorer group, the Wat Tyler Woodpeckers, have been out and about enjoying the wet weather. Nothing puts this lot off and the rain became a great excuse for some puddle jumping. In fact the Woodpeckers were learning about Wat Tyler Country Park and all about it’s explosive history. The puddles really helped demonstrate how an explosion happens and the effects they have. Later on they went on to exploding mentos in fizzy cola and popping party poppers, all great fun and all outdoors in the rain.

Clearly being outdoors, getting wet and muddy, breathing in the fresh, cold air and spending time with their friends is a must for these Wildlife Explorers. It gets them excited about nature and helps them make sense of the world in a way being indoors just can’t! The RSPB are passionate about getting kids outdoors and reconnected with nature and we've been working with the University of Essex to develop a brand new approach to find out just how connected to nature children are. The results will help us create a baseline measure for the UK and allow us to develop ways to inspire and connect children with nature right through to adulthood.

If you’re interested in our work or you’re just looking for ideas that will get you and your family outdoors exploring then why not try our survey How connected are you? http://www.rspb.org.uk/getoutdoors/

Love Nature x