Green Magpie: Winter 2022

Dear Green Magpie friends,

Welcome to the Winter 2022 edition of the magazine for creativeyoungminds!

‘Bring it on Brum!’ is a programme that is helping Birmingham’s children, young people and their families have active, fun-filled and healthy school holidays. Part of the government’s new nationwide Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, ‘Bring it on Brum!’ is the biggest scheme of its kind in the country, and Birmingham City Council in partnership with StreetGames, are really excited to bring it to YOU!

The Winter HAF Activity Pack is filled with arts and crafts, cooking ideas and lots of sports and games to ensure a ‘fun-filled and creative time’ for young people that cannot access face-to-face provision over the Winter school holidays. In partnership with Birmingham PlayCare Network the contents of this magazine and pack has been created with their philosophy at the core… championing the child’s right to play!

This magazine will provide you and your child with guidance on how to complete various activities/crafts and provide ideas and games to get creative and make use of the equipment included.

Please enjoy having a go at some of the activities included but REMEMBER small children will need to be supervised and older children might need a little bit of help. So, this Winter, why not give play a go, try not to worry about what the end product will look like, remember it’s the process children go through that is the most important part of play.

We have also created an online portal packed with free ideas and resources to keep the whole family busy, with indoor and outdoor games, quizzes, dance, nature trails, park activities, food videos and so much more. We believe that everyone deserves a good break and that school holidays are better when there’s a great choice of things to do. Our website is now ready so read on and check out www.BringitonBrum.co.uk

Share your creations and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @BringitonBrum

#BringitonBrum

If you have any questions please get in touch.

Our email address is: Birminghamholidayactivities@streetgames.org

Scrapstore behind the Blue Door: 8 Manor Park Grove, Northfield, B31 5ER

Visit the Scrapstore shop!

Name your penguin:

Recycled bottle penguin

Step by step:

Step 1: Find a plastic bottle and stuff it with a white plastic bag. Put lid back on.

Step 2: Cut a wide strip of green, sticky-backed felt. Stick around lid for hat. Pinch at the top, to make a bobble hat. Finish with ribbon. Stick a thin strip of black card around lid, for face.

Step 3:

What you need:

Scan to watch our YouTube tutorial!

Did you know that there are 18 species of penguin, 5 of which live in the Antarctica!

Can you help the penguin find the fish?

Cut out some wings, feet, eyes and beak. Stick onto body. Tie some ribbon around wings to

Top 10 ‘Minute-to-win-it’ Games

‘Minute-to-win-it’ games are used all over the world and are hugely popular when you need an instant fix of fun.

Why not try one of these top

You have exactly 1 minute to complete any of the games below. Don’t forget to keep score!

Push a potato across the floor from one side of the room to another with just your nose.

7- Cheer Up!

Use chopsticks to stack cheerios on top of each other.

8 – Shake-it

Fill a quantity of boxes with different numbers of bells (or something similar that makes noise). Players must shake the boxes and then try and put them in order starting with the box with the fewest through to the box with the most in.

Obstacle Course

Set up a themed obstacle course of objects around the room. Players have to go from one end of the room to the other around the obstacle course on a bath mat or towel.

10 – Choosing Cups

Set out approximately 25 cups, filling all of them part way with water. Put a sticker on the bottom of some of the cups. Players have to pick one cup at a time, trying to find a sticker.

Use the #BringitonBrum hashtag to share your fun!

And don’t be afraid to create your own ‘minute-to-win-it’ challenge!

Egg box p ortra its

What animal will you create?

Where do they live, what do they eat? Who are their friends?

Step by step: Step 1:

What you need:

Step 2: Paint your animal’s head.

Scan to watch our YouTube tutorial!

Cut the egg box to the shape of your animal’s head.

Step 3:

Glue scraps of paper, ribbon and wool onto a piece of card to create your background. Glue on your animal head last.

Tip: Use up your scraps from other crafts to make an abstract design. You could draw a frame on a separate piece of paper and stick it on after.

MAKE:

Salt Dough Creatures and Snail-trail Game

1. Use your home-made snail as your player.

2. Roll a dice and move that number of places.

3. Answer the questions as you go.

4. Winner is first to reach the middle and answer correctly.

Name 3 animals that can jump…

Name5animalsthat arebiggerthanyou!

Go back to the start!

How many legs does a spider have?

Name 2 animals that DON’T have legs!

Name3animalsthatcomeoutatnight

Saltdough recipe:

1 cup flour

1 cup salt

½ cup of water

tumeric

paprika Beetroot juice

coffee

Tip: add things to colour your dough instead of painting…..

Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl – use your hands, it’s fun!

Make your snail body shape and use a conker for the shell (conker can go in oven too). Poke holes in the head for antenna.

Cook in centre of oven on baking tray for 10 mins (180 degrees / gas mark 4). Take out and allow to cool.

You could paint your snail! Glue in small sticks for antennae. You’re ready to play!

Get your game on!

Did you know that games can provide a 25% gain in educational outcomes over traditional learning –regular participation in games can increase school grades by two levels!

So what are you waiting for…? Get your family together and try out some of these popular games!

Loved by all, this has been a family favourite for decades!

1. Split up into two teams and have a person from each team act out something - a movie, a person, television show or action (see list of ideas) -

2. If you want, write down a number of prompts beforehand and place them into a hat or bowl for participants to pick from.

This game is all about getting your team to guess a word without using the word itself to describe it.

1. Start by selecting two teams and form a wide range of words to pick from (see list of ideas).

2. The team with the most correct answers wins.

3. This game can move fast, so make sure you have a wide variety of words to pick from.

risk, high-reward game is lots of fun, even for the largest of families. This game requires only one dice and has one goal: ‘Make it to 100 points’

1. Take it in turns to roll the dice. On your turn, roll the dice and tally up the number of points shown, assuming you don’t roll a one (see below!).

2. You can then continue to roll and accumulate points or voluntarily end your turn. As soon as you roll a one, your turn is not only over, but you lose

You will need:

q 2+ people

q 1 Dice

q Paper & pen/pencil to keep score

Try not to throw a 1!

One of the oldest family games!

Set up the game by placing in the middle of your game area, one less spoon than the number of players, with the spoon handles pointing

-card deck, deal four cards facedown to each player. The first player draws a card from the deck and either discards it or exchanges it with a card in their hand – placing the discarded card, facing up, next to the deck (waste pile)

4. The next player can either pick up a new card from the deck or from the waste pile, discarding one of their cards back onto the waste pile.

5. When a player has four cards of a kind (for example, four aces or four queens), they shout ‘spoon’ and take a spoon from the middle.

6. The rest of the players then race to grab the rest of the spoons, leaving one player without - the game’s loser!

Then give all the aircraft a test flight down a long, open stretch of your house.

The plane that goes the furthest distance wins! Although, it’s always worth tweaking your design to see if the plane

TopTip:CheckoutyourMindfulness Craftssectionofthisbook!

You will need:

q 2+ people

q A4 Paper

q Long, open stretch of

Recycle cardboard tubes and scrap paper

Share your creations with us at #BringitonBrum

Decorate some cardboard tubes and stand them up outside. Stand back, aim with your sling-shot and fire! How many can you knock down? Canon

Step by step: Canon Sling-shot

Step 1: making the ‘grip’

You will need 2 cardboard tubes, one smaller than the other so they fit inside each other.

Take the big one and cut 2 slits as shown. Slip an elastic band between slits. Repeat on the other side. Decorate your tube.

Step 2: making the ‘plunger’

Take the small tube and poke a hole in both sides, about a finger’s width from the bottom. Pass a small pencil or stick through. Tape up the other end.

Step 3: get ready to launch

Slide the small tube into the big one and hook each elastic band around a pencil end.

Load the sling-shot with a scrunched up ball of paper, or tinfoil.

Hold the ‘grip’ (big tube) and pull back the pencil (plunger) to stretch the elastic bands. Release the plunger to launch!

Paper bird bunting

Step by step:

Step by step:

Cut some strips of paper. Fold each one as shown:

Cut the templates out or draw your own. Fold into a concertina.

fold

fold Loop paper through … like tying a knot

Cut a tail and head shape and decorate your birds

Pass ribbon through the back of the bird to form bunting!

Decorate your pages using crayons, magazines, leaves, flowers, paper , drawings etc.

Slot one side into card holder.

Remember!

Don’t forget to wear your Pedometer fitness bracelet (if you have one). If not, take a smartphone with you to log your steps!

Materials Needed

q Bikes and bike helmets (or feet!)

q Digital cameras/ Phones (one per team)

Did you know that sunshine, fresh air and physical activities all encourage good moods.

First challenge: Search & Find Bike Ride or Walk

Go solo, or cycle in teams!

Directions

Each team gets a clues list (similar to the one on the left)

Teams must use the clue list and photograph the location or When everyone returns, ask someone to review the photos on each team's camera to see how many clues they fulfilled.

Photographs of correct locations or items will be judged for

Safety note:

photos from the adventure, or make an album or scrapbook of the printed images.

Make sure everyone participating wears a bike helmet and understands bicycle safety rules. Also, we do not recommend undertaking this activity in low-light such as at dusk, at night, or in bad weather.

Second Challenge: Geocaching

Geocaching is an exciting outdoor adventure. It’s a treasure hunt for the digital generation, where you can enjoy the freedom of being outside and

All you need is a handheld GPS device

Materials Needed

q Outdoor weather gear

q Sun protection

q GPS device

q Geocaching account

q Trinket & Pen

Getting started

q You will need a GPS device (such as a smart phone)

q Find a cache near you on geocaching.com (you will need to sign up)

q Choose a cache and enter the coordinates into your GPS

q Follow your GPS towards the spot - then use your wits to find it

q Fill out the logbook and return the cache to its hiding place

q Swap out a trinket if you have one!

q Log your find on opencaching.com and pick your next one!

Link – go on, give it a go!

https://www.geocaching.com/play

Did you know…

the satisfaction of finding the box is a reward in itself. But often you will also find a

If you take a treasure out of the box, you should

9 Trinkets you can put in a Geocache

Collectable Item

Mini Puzzle

Whether on the side of a windswept mountain or on an expanse of beach, there are geocaches hidden all across the UK.

1.

2.

3. Coins

4. Jewellery

5. Disposable Rain Ponchos

6. Small Toy

7. Keyring or Badge

8. Painted Stone #Geocache

9. Small Compass

Hedgehog picture

Step by step:

Step 1: Draw around your hand on a piece of cardboard and add a nose as shown. Then cut out.

Step 2: Break up some sticks and glue them to your hedgehog to make him spiky. Tape one full stick to the back.

Step 3: Colour the picture opposite. Collect some leaves and glue them to your hedgehog’s winter home. Cover your picture in Sticky-back plastic.

Step 4:

Cut a strip of card, the width of the long edge of your picture Cut out and glue on some green paper to make grass. Staple the grass to your picture at points A and B only. Slot your hedgehog puppet between the grass and picture. Holding onto the bottom of the stick, move your he dgehog into his warm winter home

What is hibernation?

Hibernation is a way that some animals deal with the harsh conditions of winter , including cold temperatures and lack of food. These animals find a safe place to remain inactive until the winter ends.

These animals eat vast amounts of food before they hibernate in order to keep them alive during months of inactivity.

Fun facts

During hibernation: A black bear can go for up to 100 days without eating or drinking.

Bats slow their breathing to as few as 5 breaths per minute!

Bees are unable to fly when the temperature drops below 10 degrees. Honeybees huddle together in their hive for warmth.

Stick your leaves here to make your hedgehog home

Your grass strip will go here