Vegemite Snail Trap

Vegemite Snail Trap
SNAILS and SLUGS – How to control them with kid-friendly products! 
Gardening can often seem like a constant battle between snails and the gardener, but here is a terrific blog written by Jade and Amy from Growing Green Thumbs.   They are 2 very enthusiastic school mums who spend their days volunteering at their children’s primary school in Bonbeach, Melbourne.   They share their gardening enthusiasm with parents, students and our wider community, learning along the way as they grow fruit, vegetables and flowers whilst making it fun to play outdoors in a sustainable environment. Continue reading

Where have all the Christmas Beetles Gone?

Christmas Beetle
Christmas Beetle
As a child, I remember hundreds of Christmas Beetles arriving on Christmas Eve.  It was always very exciting as it meant that Santa would be arriving soon, but I did wonder how did these beautiful shiny beetles knew that it was Christmas time? Sadly, their numbers are declining in many urban areas.
In this blog, we share some interesting Christmas Beetle facts and provide 5 Christmas Beetle Challenges for Kids.  Continue reading

Roly-Poly Slaters

Slaters are intriguing for children.
Slaters are intriguing for children.
Call them what you will, but slaters  (also know as woodlice, pill bugs, roly-polys or butchy boys) are fascinating for kids. They are found in gardens all over the world and kids love holding them and watching them roll into little balls. They are often collected as pets and are great to investigate when learning about minibeasts. Here are some facts you may not know about these intriguing little critters you can share with the kids: Continue reading

Soldier Beetles – Swarming to a Garden Near You!

Soldier beetle facts for kids
Soldier beetles are very common at this time of year.
Little Miss B was recently invited with a group of kids to a play date in her friend’s garden. Unfortunately it was cancelled at the last moment due to the garden being inundated with a swarm of soldier beetles. I hadn’t seen these little critters for a number of years but it seems that our local area has become the ‘hot spot’ for them this summer as other people have been spotting them in their garden too. These beetles are interesting creatures so I thought I would share some cool facts about them with you and your kids: Continue reading

10 Cool Chirpy Cricket Facts

Chirping crickets are commonly heard at this time of year
Crickets can often be heard in the garden at this time of year
At this time of year on a warm evening it’s not unusual to hear the loud chirping of crickets in the garden. Children are often fascinated by the loud sound that they make so here are 10 interesting facts about these noisy little bugs you can share with them: Continue reading

Ladybirds or ladybugs?

Ladybug
Ladybirds are a gardener's best friend
Not all bugs in the garden are pests. In fact many are very beneficial and the beautiful ladybird is one of them. These little creatures love to munch on sap sucking aphids, in fact they love them so much that they will consume approximately 2500-5000 during their lifetime! Continue reading

Caterpillar Hunting for Kids

Kids love searching for caterpillars
Caterpillars - Cute little critters aren't they?
Caterpillars! They sure look cute and kids love finding them in the garden but boy can they cause some destruction! When I first started working in the school garden the students were so excited to show me the caterpillars that lived there. They thought of them almost like pets. That was until I explained that they were the reason the poor kale plants were looking the worse for wear. Well, then the hunt was on to rid the garden of each and every little green caterpillar that lived there. Continue reading

Dragonflies

Dragonflies are fascinating for children and adults alike
I am fascinated by dragonflies. As a child I spent many days at my grandparents’ house with my cousin and sister watching these creatures with wonder as they flitted around the sky.  These days Little Miss B loves watching them with me and has the same look of wonder when one hovers nearby.  We have had many dragonflies visit our backyard recently so I thought I would share some facts with you:
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