Kids’ book extract— Make a pinecone ruru from Play Wild
Author:
Rachel Clare
Publisher:
Bateman Press
ISBN:
9781776891016
Date published:
1 April
Pages:
112
Format:
Paperback
RRP:
$29.99
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Play Wild by Rachel Clare encourages our tamariki to get their hands in the dirt and utilise materials such as plants, sticks, stones and bark, as well as a few household items, to create a range of projects, many of which can be deconstructed and returned to the natural environment when the activity is finished.
There is a great mix of projects for a range of ages and attention spans, from quick, simple activities like petal pictures and miniature gardens that are suitable for pre-schoolers to more advanced projects like star topiary and celebration wreaths for older children.
Rachel says, “I wrote Play Wild as I believe that the benefits of connecting with nature are immense and nurtures our desire to protect it. As a parent, I’m fully aware of the constant battle to get kids off devices and outside. Even just short daily bursts outside are beneficial to our wellbeing. If we develop this habit when we are young, it will set us up in good stead for when we grow up.”
This pinecone project from Play Wild is a fun way for kids to learn about Aotearoa’s beloved owl, the ruru.
A pinecone ruru / morepork project from Play Wild.
Pinecone ruru
Aotearoa’s native owl is a watchful guardian of the night. Make your own ruru out of a pinecone and seed pods. If you can’t find eucalyptus seed pods for the eyes, go foraging for another type of round seed pod or use small stones.
1. Look for a pinecone that still has its stem attached as this will form your ruru’s beak. If it doesn’t have a ‘beak’, use a glue gun to attach a beak-sized stick.
2. Carefully use a craft knife to cut the eucalyptus seed pods in half so they sit flat on the owl’s head (get an adult to supervise or ask them to do this). Or use acorn caps, which won’t need cutting, or small stones. Glue the eyes on either side of the beak. Glue on dried leaves for wings.
3. Twist a piece of wire or string to the back of your owl (use a dab of hot glue if necessary) and hang it up.
YOU WILL NEED
* Pinecone
* Eucalyptus seed pods, acorn caps or small stones
* Dried leaves
* Glue gun
* Wire or string
RURU! RURU
The ruru is named for the sound it makes when it calls out in the night: ‘Ruru, ruru’. It eats moths, wētā, spiders, beetles, rats, mice and small birds. Soft fringes on its feathers allow it to fly silently while it hunts for prey.
Play Wild: Nature Craft Projects for Tamariki by Rachel Clare, photos by Jacob Leaf, published by Bateman Books, RRP $29.99.
About the author:
Rachel Clare is passionate about flowers and all things that grow. She loves writing about plants too and is a gardening journalist and former editor of OrganicNZ magazine and Get Growing e-zine, and former deputy editor of NZ Gardener magazine. She taught gardening through the Garden to Table programme, where school children learn how to grow, cook and harvest their own kai.
Jacob and Rachel live in a small house in Tāmaki Makaurau, where they keep bees, grow flowers and food, raise seedlings in a glasshouse that Jacob built from upcycled windows, and try and encourage their two children to go outside.
