Week 5

June 2020

Welcome to Flora Week

'Flora?' You might ask, "What's Flora?" Flora is plant life. Flora covers our planet with plants, trees and flowers which help to make it an amazing place to live and a special place to look after. We hope you enjoy our celebration of flora in week 5 of Outdoor Explorers - indoors.

Flora for fitness

Flora Gymnastics

When the weather is good, there is no better place to do gymnastics than outside surrounded by flora. This Outdoor Explorer gives us a lesson on how to do the splits.

Mrs Fraser's Flora Forays

Mrs Fraser has taken these photos in and around Smithton. From vast, breathtaking sunsets to tiny raindrops on leaves, these pictures help us to appreciate just what a beautiful place we live in.

Flora inspires

Imagination

Curiosity

Adventure

Flora for Mindfulness

Gratitude Tree

Ms Bills explains to us more about mindfulness and the importance of being kind to ourselves and others. Here she shows us how to make a gratitude tree.

Flora for fun

Flora for Fun

Some of the best playgrounds are ones that nature has made with the wide variety of flora that it naturally provides. This Primary 1/2 Outdoor Explorer is having fun, free playing in Dugless Wood, a natural play area that you can find just inside Culloden Forest above the car park. Simply, giving our children opportunities to play outdoors in our forests, gardens and parks can make a such a difference to their health and wellbeing.

The Power of Outdoor Play:

It is undeniable that daily, high quality outdoor play experiences have a direct and positive impact on children's physical, cognitive, social, mental health and emotional development.

(Realising the Ambition - Being Me - Education Scotland)

Flora for art

Collect Stones

Research ideas

Design your stone

Make a collection

Flora provides growing experiences

Helping flora to grow, helps us to learn and grow too.

This lovely film from one of our P1CN Outdoor Explorers and her dad, is a great example of how when we can learn so much from doing things together in an outdoor space.

Digging in the Garden

This Outdoor Explorer has been busy digging his garden. There is so much to find and do in the mud. It is a world of fascination and endless possibilities, which is why we always try to have at least one mud pit to dig and explore at Smithton Primary.

Building a Fairy Garden

This Outdoor Explorer from P1, shows us how bringing flora indoors can really spark your imagination. We loved this tiny garden that has been made for a fairy and her house.

Exploring the plant tubs

This Outdoor Explorer has been looking in some plant tubs to see what she can find. If you look on our site next week, you will find out she has discovered some very interesting things.

Gnoma's a Floral Sensation

Gnoma is a floral sensation with her beautiful plants and lovely floral skirt. Keep smiling Gnoma and keep caring for those plants.

Flora for bathing

Forest Bathing

One of Mrs Mack's favourite ways of looking after her mental health is forest bathing. Forest bathing started in Japan and is called Shinrin-yoku:

Dr Quing Li says, 'In Japan, we practice something called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest,” and yoku means “bath.” So shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses. This is not exercise, or hiking, or jogging. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Shinrin-yoku is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world.Even a small amount of time in nature can have an impact on our health'.
BY QING LI MAY 1, 2018 10:51 AM EDTDr. Qing Li is the author of Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness.

1lb of Rhubarb chopped into 1 cm pieces.
Sprinkle with a cup of sugar and leave overnight
Pour into large Pan, it will be watery and bring to the boil.
Add chopped stem ginger
Stir occasionally for 4-5 minutes.
Once it's a thick consistency it is ready.
Put into warm jam jars
ENJOY

Chop Rhubarb

Sprinkle rhubarb with a cup of sugar, mix well and leave over night

Pour into a large pan and bring to the boil

Add ginger (optional).

Stir occasionally and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Once it is a thick consistency it is ready.

Put into warm jam jars. Enjoy!

Flora in Salads

4 tablespoons of olive oil.

2 tablespoons of lemon juice & grated lemon zest.

2 garlic cloves - chopped finely, and a few springs of lemon thyme herb.

Salt to season. Put all ingredients in a jar, shake well and pour over salad.

A Flora tribute - Mrs Lambert makes the case for a much maligned flower -

The Dandelion

Dandelion: It's not just another Weed

Make a Dandelion Crown

Flora Hunters - Mrs Stevenson, Mrs Hendry and Mrs MacMillan make some stunning finds.

Red and yellow and pink and green, orange and purple and blue

I can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow can you?

Could you take a floral rainbow walk?

There are so many beautiful flowers and blossoms out at this time of year. If you look very carefully like Mrs Hendry, you may find a flower for each colour of the rainbow - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (purple).

Floral 'Dancing'

Floral Dance

Sir Terry Wogan who hosted Children in Need and had lots of Pudsey Fun, also had fun singing this song.

Floral Dance

Pudsey Tribute

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