Winter is about to start

After last year's winter I thought I better put in place some ideas for you all. Last year, was full of storms and wet weather and many of you stayed indoors in the mistaken belief you were doing a good thing. However, by Blue Monday some of you were crawling up the walls. This year we may get a mild start; we may get more wet weather or a very cold winter - whatever we get it does not matter. Looking after our physical and mental health is important for us home schoolers, and here at Orchard Training we take this very seriously. 

There are always things we all can do as we learn, in our day to day lives that will help us weather the storms of winter until the brighter spring comes and that includes connecting to nature. There are miles of lovely public path ways to explore with or without a dog. research has shown that paying attention to your immediate and local each day for just one week can being sustainable and clinically measurable improvements to our wellbeing. This is important especial for those among us who suffer from of Seasonal Affected Disorder (in other words your feel SAD during the winter due to the low light levels). Getting outside and doing focused activities can significantly help us improve our fitness and mood. 

Do try to do at least to do one of them each week over the 10 weeks of winter. Just so we are really clear, I am calling it winter from week 12 in early December to week 20 in February. I know Christmas week and the New Year week falls in the middle of that, so we are only talking 10 weeks (eight learning weeks and 2 fun weeks) of the year. If winter is only 10 weeks long, then it doesn't seem SO bad to endure. Whereas, thinking of it as three months long makes it feel, somehow, endless.

Over the autumn half term, we will have done some great autumnal nature photography as part of our IT learning, continue this in to the winter. Here are some rules to remind you when you are out walking and taking photographs. 

Be Prepared

1.    Make sure your phone is all charged up.

2.    Make sure you have enough credit on your phone to call for help if you get lost.

3.    Tell people where you are going and what time you will be back – and stick to it. If you can’t stick to it ring them as soon to stop them worrying.

4.    Go, either in pairs or a group – never alone.

5.    Know how to use your phone’s camera

Pay Attention to Framing and Light

1.     Read through the support materials from last July if you have them about how to frame and take a photograph with the natural light.

2.     Get close but not too close. If you get too close to an animal you might find yourself being stung, bite or kicked so use your common sense and use the magnification capabilities on your phone.

3.     Do not disturb the animals in their natural habitat or doing their natural behaviours, you get better photographs that way.

Remember: Endless photographs of fleeing animals’ tails - means you have broken the last 2 rules.   

Be patient, Be quite, Be calm

1.     Take lots of photographs one after another, don’t expect to get the perfect shot in the first few goes, take your time and then select the best results and bin all the rest.

Week 12 The Start of 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Photograph Fungi

This week you are going to go for a walk and look for fungi. As you walk look out for some deadwood as this plays an essential role for fungi. Decaying branches and whole trees recycle nutrients back into the soil, it also provides food and protection for rare animals and what we are looking for this week - they host a spectacular collection of fungi. 

Please DO NOT TOUCH just photograph the fungi.

Week 13 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Watch the Winter Warblers

The small birds known as winter warbles are easy to identify as they have a little black cap and are becoming increasing common, many can be seen as they migrate. This week, getting outside means putting up apples and fat balls in the branches of the nearest tress and hedges, and watching the visitors as they come. Do share your best photographs with us - we love to see them! Then plan a walk along meadows with hedgerows with insects and berries. if it is not too sad to visit, cemeteries are ideal places to find the small winter warblers.

Week 14 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Identify Winter Trees

This week we are taking part in tree dressing activities so it would be nice to be able to identify some of the trees around us. Ask for a copy of our 'Winter Tree Identification' Kit and see what trees you can find on your walk. Write these up in your evidence diary, along with your time and if you found it easy to spot the difference. Like this lovely photograph taken by one of lovely learners.

Week 15 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Christmas Lights

Start as you mean to go alone and plan for a Christmas Walk in the dark. plan the best route for the little ones in your family, you will need to consider road safety and paths. Don't make it so long the little ones get bored but do try to include as many of the best Christmas lights in your local area. Then plan together go for an after dark walking around all the best sights. Write these up in your evidence diary, along with your time planning and guiding the walk you could even take photograph along the route and save these in to your electronic evidence folder so show your work. 

Week 16 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Walk 5k

It may be January, but get out and take an inspiration New Year Walk around your local area or in a local park and try to cover 5k.

Week 17 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Walk Spot Snowdrops

In this week's walk you are looking for snowdrops, a sign that spring is on its way. These beautiful little flowers have 'anti-freeze' proteins that help protect them from damage if they get caught in the snow or frost. They also have specially hardened tips to help them break through frozen soil. 

We know that this week is the worst week of the year and it holds what is known as Blue Monday often referred to as the saddest day of the year. What is happening is all those cold weather days, short days with low light levels and dark evening start to get to us about now and our energy levels, sleep patterns and appetites start to get a little messed up. Look out for out Learning through the Year support materials and how to help yourself if you do suffer from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) or are just feeling a little glum. 

Week 18 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Walk "Nice Weather for the Ducks!"

Well, it may be or might not be this week, but we don’t care we know where the ducks live. Have a lookout for ducks at a nearby lake or reservoir, there are lots at Virginia Water where we all love to walk. Tufted ducks, Mallard ducks, Mandarin Ducks and Teal ducks can often be spotted there. Take photographs and we can compare the best here at Orchard Training home schooling HQ.

Week 19 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Walk Count Primroses

Primrose can bloom from later all the way to May. These pale yellow, low growing flowers are easy to spot in hedges, woodland clearings and open grass. How many clumps of primroses can you find on a walk. If you’re in the lower age groups, this counts as maths in your evidence diary. 

Week 20 'Winter Walking with a Purpose' Walk Be Still and Stop a While

This week the weather should be starting to warm just a little bit up. If not go well wrapped up. In the olden days there was a very useful phrase "stop and smell the roses" meaning take time for yourself. At this time of the year, there are no roses but you can still take time yourself. Find a dry tree stump, rock, bench or sledge to sit and spend some time. Perhaps a hot flask of hot chocolate and give yourself permission to tally a while, just sit and be. Mark this in your diary as PSHE time. 

And of course, if we do get any white stuff this winter you know what you have to do - get outside and enjoy. Both tobogganing and building snowman count as P.E. in your evidence diary. Hopefully we will have some more of these!