🍁Nature Mandelas- An Enviro Challenge For All Ages🍁

Naure Mandelas are a great way to explore our autumn environment. They're calming, creative and addictive.

Watch the videos or read the instructions. 

As always, I'd love to see your work.

You can also watch Benji ftom the Department of Conservation make his mandela:

https://www.facebook.com/docgovtnz/videos/241615473620452/?d=null&vh=e

How to: Make a Nature Mandala

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What: A nature mandala is a circular art form that is made using different objects and natural materials.

Why:
It’s a peaceful activity that encourages mindfulness while embracing the beauty of nature.

Use: lots of different natural materials collected from your nature walk, including shells, rocks, pebbles, vibrant flowers, leaves, seaweed and anything else your child finds on their time outside.

How:
1. Head off on a walk and collect and and carry different materials, especially ones that they are naturally curious of.

2. Lay all the materials out and take the time to look at each of them

3. Sort and collect the materials by size, shape, colour etc. 

4. Find a place to create a mandala or similar composition. You can do this inside or out. Either find a flat surface or work on at home, or use the sand at the beach or another outside surface. The idea that the nature mandala is not permanent, so there’s no use of glue.

5. Start to create a simple pattern or shape by placing a larger object in the middle. Let the shape expand outwards rings or layers. The nature mandala art emerges and grows through the process. 

6. Keep adding until you decides that the mandala is finished. Feel free to take a photo of it for keepsake. Or, if you’ve made a mandala outside, then revisit it over a few days and document the changes that wind, rain and sun can make to the formation.

Here's my first attempts,:

Hooked yet? Why not try drawing Mandelas?

Check out Stefanie's gorgeous nature art.  You can find more mandelas in the comments section on the school Facebook page post.

Kauri Enviro Challenge: Watch this Story - What's the message?

An Ode To Living On Earth by Oliver Jeffers

Hello my gorgeous eco warriors. In this challenge I ask you to watch this story and leave a comment to explain what you think the author's message is.

⚓🦈 Ahoy Team Three - Pirate Shark Challenge 🦈⚓

Avast me Team Three Mateys upon the high seas, your enviro pirate challenge is to create your own shark:

Follow the instructions  https://kcc.org.nz/activities/#

I'd love to see your creations! Email christined@sunnyhills.school.nz and go into the Earth Day prize draw.

Learn more about sharks with the Young Ocean Explorers

https://www.youngoceanexplorers.com/yoe/challenge/996974842952

More Amazing Earth Day Entries

Jessica's careful succulent study:

Lyra's beautiful poster

Aston & Franca's Mandelas:

Find all the other gorgeous mandelas on the school Facebook page.

Frida's Earth Day poster:

Chloe created an eye catching poster:

Ka pai Jerry! What a colourful and informative poster. Thanks for sharing!

Check out Elliot's awesome Earth Day photos and writing:

Jessica did a thoughtful report about Earth Day. How do you help the Earth?

Inquire report: About the Earth Day

Jessica Jin

On 22-Apr,1970, the world marked the first earth day. Earth Day is a day that let people know we should protect our beautiful planet.

We have only one earth, but people make too much trash, that make the climate, the sea, the forest …… go wrong. The trash is too much and make the earth warm, the iceberg melts and many animals lose their home, sea animals eat the rubbish in the sea, they get sick and died.

What shall we do?

We can start with small things, for example:

(1)   Use plastics box not only one time but reuse it until it becomes broken;

(2)   Save water when you take a shower;

(3)   Use your own bag when you go shopping.

……

That what we do can protect our beautiful planet for ourselves, animals and the next generations.

Milana & Astin are growing "grass friends" Tino pai!!

My brother Astin and I planted our little grass friends Clownfish and Dolphin a week ago and are having a lot of fun watching them grow.

This has been a great introduction for us to see how easy gardening can be as we have never planted anything before.

Each kit came complete with a pot, soil and seeds and all we had to do was add water to get going!

We have been able to learn how fast-growing ryegrass grows in a matter of days and we are getting more and more excited as they grow taller.

There is a competition as to who's friend can grow the fastest, and we both look forward to styling our animal's hair over the next few days 🙂

From Milana (Room 15)

What a wonderful poster Elsa has drawn:

Sophie has been recycling and thinking about how we can save water. Ka pai!

A gorgeous picture Rehab has drawn of tree planting.

Pictures from Indigo  (year5, R16), showing her little brother the plant she is in charge of: an ivory raspberry; now waiting for the raspberries to arrive.

"Lucky Indigo!! I love raspberries 😋" says Mrs Daniel

🌏❤ Enter Our Earth Day Competition ❤🌏

I hope everyone's been enjoying nature while we've been in our bubbles. To celebrate the 50th Earth Day, we're holding a competition. Send me a photo, slide show  video, piece of writing or artwork to show how you're enjoying and thinking about the Earth.

Email christined@sunnyhills.school.nz. Entries close when school reopens to everyone.

Well done to Maddie, Charli, Daniel and Indi who are already in the draw.

Wai Wonderings by Indi

It's so wonderful to see all the GEMS choosing to think about sustainability issues in the stay home time.

Have a look at Indi's slide show about water. How could you save water during the drought? Tino pai Indi!!

Mr Eco Free Online Concert for Earth Day

Do you remember Mr Eco visiting Sunnyhills two years ago?

Here's a reminder

Mr Eco is giving a free online Earth Day concert at 2pm on Thursday:

Join Us For An Earth Day Celebration!

Think Michael Buble Christmas special.. but Mr. Eco for Earth Day!

• Join Mr. Eco and his EcoHero friends for this celebration concert!
• 50 minutes on the 50^th Earth Day:) 
• Dance, sing, smile, laugh and learn with us. 

WHEN Thursday 23rd April at 2pm
Link To Join: Join Webinar Here 

Your Home Learning Enviro Challenge - Think Kind

You can enter this awesome competition promoting kindness to animals in anyway. Watch the video above, visit the website and get creative!

http://www.vegetarian.org.nz/vegetarian-events/think-kind/

I'd love to hear about your ideas. Email christined@sunnyhills.school.nz

Arohanui,

Mrs Daniel

An Enviro Activity for our Koru GEMS at Home

Kia ora Koru GEMS,

Let's get out in nature! Watch the video above for more details. I'd love to hear about what you find... you can email christined@sunnyhills.school.nz and i'll share your discoveries on the blog 🌏❤🌱🐝

Ka kite,

Mrs Daniel

Charli's Eco Bricks

Check out Charli's eco bricks, that she's creating out of waste. I wonder how we could use these... let me know your ideas in the comments or email christined@sunnyhills.school.nz.

Awesome work Charli!!

Here's some more info about eco bricks from her whanau:

We are making eco-bricks out of 2L coke bottles that we stuff with all the plastic we are using. These can be used as art to raise awareness to the environment especially after the way it has improved with this global shut down we don’t want it to destruct again afterwards

We were part of this in SA made loads for the foundation in Port Elizabeth who used them to build libraries and extra classrooms at schools in the poorer communities and to promote looking after the environment. I know here they have been frowned upon that it speculates it promotes us to buy more to fill the bottle (Not true) or in the event that piece of land is demolished and then where does it go (can understand) but I am sure that if we thought hard we could bring it in somewhere at school through art. Take care and stay safe.

Stay tuned to our GreenGold Enviro Blog to hear about some exciting competitions we can enter from  home to help create a sustainable future!

Maddie's Moana Research

Well done to Maddie, who during her staycation has been researching how we can help save our seas.

I love her personal goal to pick up one piece of rubbish per day.

Have a look at the beautiful slides she has created:

Have you been getting out in your local environment during our staycation; bird watching, gardening, bug hunting?

I'd love to hear about it! Comment of email christined@sunnyhills.school.nz 

Be kind. Stay safe. Stay well.