Tickled Skink

13/03/2022

13/03/2022

Whos up for a nature walk? Add tons of fun and excitement to any day outdoors with our new nature viewfinder. This double sided tool will bring fun and learning by helping to identify common cloud types and leaves. Just look through the view finder, and match it up to the reference chart on either s...

13/03/2022

Giggle for your afternoon. Enjoy. 😂

16/06/2020

28/05/2020

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tickled-skinks-musical-journeys-for-young-explorersaged-3-to-7-years-tickets-107065519852

Calling all little explorers aged 3 to 7 years and their families for exciting trips into nature, starting with 'the Ocean' on June 1st.

09/05/2020

The theme for Monday's zoom session is Garden (minibeasts). Join us at 11am on Monday 11th May and meet all the smallest creatures you might see in your garden, hear birdsong, be a seed that gets planted, grows Into a flower and is visited by a giant bee. Learn the waggle dance. To book a place and receive the meeting id , please email Vanessa at [email protected]. £5 per whole family. Hope to see you there! ☺

28/04/2020

New Live 40 minute Tickled Skink Zoom sessions scheduled weekly as follows:
Monday: 10am and 11am
Tuesday: 2pm and 3pm
Thursday: 11am and 2pm
Friday: 2pm and 3pm.
Please email Vanessa at [email protected] to book a place on one of the above sessions. Places limited. £5 per family. I hope to see you there ☺. If none of these days/times suit you but you would love to join in the fun, please get in touch. We may be able to arrange an extra class to suit you.

27/04/2020

There's a whole world beyond those four walls and we are here to take you there, currently every Monday morning at 11am via zoom! These have been running very successfully for the past two weeks. We are now planning further sessions on other days of the week. Please email [email protected] and let us know what day and time would suit you best and we will accommodate! Only £5 per family during the lockdown which is an absolute bargain for 40 minutes of thrilling physical exercise, singing to clear the sinuses/ exercise the lungs, social exercise, fostering of the imagination and interactive learning in buckets- full! Last week we went on safari in Africa, today we stomped with the dinosaurs. Join us next week (on a day of your choice) for a trip through the British Countryside. Please share with anyone you think might be interested. Www.tickledskink.co.uk

26/04/2020

The " meteorite " materials Heck and his colleagues examined are called presolar grains-minerals formed before the Sun was born.

18/04/2020

Here's a little (bedtime?) story for you about 'the scorpion and the frog'...a traditional tale originally from Russia. This is followed by an educational presentation all about scorpions! Hope you enjoy it :-)

The frog and the Scorpion story from Russia followed by a presentation on the Manchurian Scorpion from China.

17/04/2020

Just a reminder that we are doing a live session every Monday at 11am via Zoom. It will be African Safari this coming Monday (20th April). Please email [email protected] to book a place and for payment details. The sessions will be just £5 per family.. Really great value if you have more than one child! Sorry that we have to charge. Obviously with things the way they are, Tickled Skink has no income coming in atall from the parties, nurseries and school visits that it usually does. We cannot keep going without charging for these sessions. But we have tried to keep the cost as low as possible. These sessions are such fun for the children and highly educational. They can be of great value for the home schooling curriculum whilst giving you parents a break from doing it all yourself! Please support us if you can whilst we support you. Stay safe and stay well. Lots of love.

03/04/2020

Today's video tells you all about the skin shed of the Chilean Rose Tarantula.

Tickled Skink shows you their Chilean Rose Tarantula's skin shed.

02/04/2020

I hope your children will enjoy this re-telling of "The Very Sleepy Sloth" by Andrew Murray, using some of our lovely cuddly characters.

Tickled Skink retells the story of the Very Sleepy Sloth, by Andrew Murray, using props from their own collection.

01/04/2020

Today's free offering is my favourite animal story "Tadpole's Promise" by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross told in my own way. If you are learning about life cycles, this story will be especially useful. I hope you enjoy it ###

Tickled Skink tells a story based on the children's book "Tadpole's Promise" by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross.

31/03/2020

Eddie the Leopard Gecko :-)

Meet Tickled Skink's resident lizard, Eddie, and learn all about these fascinating reptiles.

31/03/2020

Here's another little video for you to enjoy! Sorry you cant hold him right now.... but you may have held him before? Who has already met Bandit at their birthday party?

Tickled Skink presents their very lovely Sinaloan Milksnake, Bandit. Learn all about this fascinating creature right here.

26/03/2020

Are you stuck in the house wondering how on earth you might cover the knowledge and understanding of the world curriculum with your little ones? Are you dreaming of distant shores whilst stuck indoors? Tickled Skink is planning some online sessions via Zoom. You can join in! Come on a special journey with us and have lots of fun along the way! Please register your interest here and share if you can. Then just watch this space for more information very soon ☺

22/02/2020

Only three female Ctenomorpha gargantua stick insects have ever been seen in the wild.

08/02/2020

04/02/2020

03/02/2020

some of the world's most fascinating creatures....

31/01/2020

What a lovely card I received from year 3 at Gilmorton Chandler Primary School to thank me for the "animal skeletons" talk and demonstration I did there for them last week. I shall always treasure it ♥

22/01/2020

De-criminalising Rats in advance of Chinese New Year of the Rat. Food for thought indeed....https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-secret-life-of-rats-396759.html

Smelly, dirty, disease-ridden – this rodent has endured a bad rap for centuries. Now a new film is hoping to change our attitudes towards rattus rattus. And about time too, says Michael McCarthy

21/01/2020

Chinese New Year is fast approaching. This year, it will be year of the Rat. But did you know that, depending on your year of birth, you may be various kinds of Rat? This will be reflected in varying personality traits:
Wood Rat - (born 1924 or 1984)..These rats are independent and very traditional in their approaches to tasks.
Fire Rat - (born 1936 or 1996)...These rats are clever but lack discipline.
Earth Rat - (born 1948 or 2008) ... These rats are sober minded, content and adapt easily to new situations.
Metal Rat - (born 1960 or 2020) ...These rats are sensitive and self aware. They also have the ability to persuade.
Water Rat - (born 1912 or 1972) ... These rats are very intelligent but somewhat conservative in their approaches to tasks.
Have we any rats amongst our followers? If so, what rat are you and can you relate to the description of your personality?

20/01/2020

Today is Martin Luther King jr Day! A positive activist who did so much towards inclusion amongst our own species. Here are some poignant photos of the great man himself in memory of this day.....https://www.biography.com/activist/martin-luther-king-jr #&gid=ci01ac7ce9daca860c&pid=martin-luther-king-jr-and-two-of-his-children...

Martin Luther King Jr. was a scholar and minister who led the civil rights movement. After his assassination, he was memorialized by Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

19/01/2020

When bees are on the lookout for vital nectar early in the year, snowdrops are one of the only places they can get it. I am proud to say I am helping to provide this by growing snowdrops in the garden. Such a beautiful little flower that signals the start of new life after the cold winter freeze. If you haven't seen any snowdrops this year, this link will help you know where to find them near you. It also offers some tips when it comes to planting them in your own garden...https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/places-to-see-snowdrops

Snowdrops are a welcome sign that spring will soon be on its way. We've chosen the best places to spot them near you.

18/01/2020

Soil microbes have been found to have similar effects on the brain as Prozac without side effects and chemical dependency. Learn how to harness the natural antidepressant in soil and make yourself happier and healthier in this article.

18/01/2020

Life is so hectic we barely have time to connect with nature. Yet, inwardly, this is what we most desire. How many of us have images of nature all over our homes to help us feel relaxed, rejuvenated and for the pure aesthetic joy of having something lovely to look at? Here are a few of mine. what nature have you got in your homes ..be they on coasters, paintings, vases, furniture, wallpaper? Which is your favourite?

17/01/2020

It's amazing how pliable clay is for making just about anything you want! My family and I had such a fantastic time painting pottery at The Paint Pottle in Market Harborough over New Year that it set me wondering what exactly is this natural resource. Turns out that what you are actually moulding is minerals, plant life and animals! Take a look at this article for all the answers to what clay is and where it comes from...https://www.infoplease.com/clay-and-pottery

A history of clay and pottery

16/01/2020

Neuroscience tells us that there is no difference for the brain between imagining doing something and actually doing it. The same areas of the brain light up in both cases, benefitting the mind in equal ways. So, while being out in nature refreshes the parts other activities cannot reach, taking part in one of Tickled Skink's virtual nature journeys refreshes your child in similar ways, especially as their imaginations are so strong. Being in touch with the natural world brings so many benefits as you can see from this article...https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health?fbclid=IwAR3ZEzQP865nLGmGMoB44KXod6qGlaMOPQ8B_BSVyXV-2ubGKDod0XdGB9w

A growing body of research points to the beneficial effects that exposure to the natural world has on health, reducing stress and promoting healing. Now, policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers are increasingly considering the human need for nature in how they plan and operate.

15/01/2020

It's the time of year when we all want to just hide away somewhere warm! Insects feel like that every year and enter a kind of hibernating state called "Diapause." Have you found any sleeping insects in your nice, warm house..or in some safe place in the garden. If not, here's where to look..
look...https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/natureshomemagazine/posts/how-do-insects-survive-winter

14/01/2020

The Robin Redbreast is the national bird of Great Britain as voted for in a countrywide poll in 2015. I love the myths and legends that surround this beautiful winter bird! Story has it that the Robin, feeling sorry for Jesus during his crucifixion, plucked a thorn from His brow and became covered in blood in the process. Others believe the robin was wounded. Either way, his kind act meant that the Robin became blessed amongst animals. It has long been held that, if you see a robin, a dear departed loved one is near. This brings me great comfort as I see robins in my garden every year. They even nested in an old doll's house in my garage! Here is a lovely film from 1980 about the life and behaviours of a robin, narrated by Bernard Cribbins... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOALyqSDBkM

Round Robin (1980) British robin documentary Please click subscribe button if you want more video ! Thanks for watching :) Round Robin by Royal Society for t...

13/01/2020

Check out these fab ideas for things to make and create using wool ..(another resource we have nature to thank for!). Easy for the whole family to complete and no skill in knitting required...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgBfQxpCdgg

I want to show these amazing yarn crafts with you guys so much, there are so many good ones! Bottles and plant/flower pots decoration, incredibly stylish han...

12/01/2020

In an age when we are far more aware of how damaging waste, especially the non-biodegradable variety, is to our beautiful planet, it makes sense to use natural resources much more for the craft activities you do with your children. As a child, I spent hours knotting grasses together to make my own special version of the "corn dollies" I had seen on holiday. At the beach, I was very proud of a tiny (floatable) boat I made with a seaweed sail pierced by a driftwood mast. Was it just me or do children love getting out there in nature and building their own things from the stuff that they find? What have your children made out of things they have found on nature walks? I would love to hear...

12/01/2020

Click the link to read our latest blog and learn all about how animals pretend to be other animals in the fascinating world of mimicry...
https://www.tickledskink.co.uk/clever-disguises-natures-greatest-mimics/

We have all been known to tell a few fibs to get ourselves out of a sticky situation. We may even have altered our usual behaviour to convince others we are somehow ‘better’ than the original version of ourselves. It’s all in the name of survival and animals (and even some plants) are certainl...

11/01/2020

Vegetables are so flexible! on 9th Jan, we talked about eating them; on 10th, making music with them and today I am sharing the Royal Academy Of Art's ideas for printing with them! If a vegetable looks interesting when you cut it in half, then It will look great in print after a little paint has been applied. Such creative fun for the children, whilst effortlessly learning about different plant parts, botanical composition and the fundamentals of design! https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/…/family-how-to-vegetable-p…! ...

The Royal Academy of Arts, located in the heart of London, is a place where art is made, exhibited and debated.

10/01/2020

For those who have vegetables left over from yesterday's winter vegetable soup (see our last post), how about making some wonderful instruments such as these being played by the Vegetable Orchestra! Experiment with the vegetables you have in your fridge and see what sounds you can make with them. A great activity to do with the children!...https://youtu.be/kKrx1gWI_Vk

Worldwide one of a kind, the Vegetable Orchestra performs on instruments made of fresh vegetables. The utilization of various ever refined vegetable instrume...

09/01/2020

Winter vegetables. True comfort food! Who has a great recipe they can share using this season's produce? I would love to see (and try) some of your culinary winter delights! I might even share my "nailed it" photos afterwards ;-) ...if they are not too embarrassing! 😂. Here's a great winter soup recipe I came across online. Fab for blasting away the winter sniffles! ...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=winter+vegetable+recipes+easy&view=detail&mid=0C1F53FBEFD0226B5E250C1F53FBEFD0226B5E25&FORM=VIRE

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