![]() Having a variety of pegs for different purposes helps keep material in place, attach items on to washing lines and are just useful all round. This type of bungee seems to be more moderate, but care with their use is still needed. Normally I’m a little wary of bungee cords with the hooks as the ping back can be surprisingly intense. They can be a helpful accessory for den building too. They are useful washing lines and work well to wrap up bundles of sticks. Check out the Velcro and the pulley – all very useful resources Ask a climber for some old stock if they won’t be used for load-bearing e.g. They are bigger and strong than most wimpy fake versions. My preferred sort are real climbing karabiners. I use these as informal locks on gates, to clip bags onto fences and as part of any work with ropes and pulleys. If your hands are cold or you have children wanting to fasten their own objects to other things then it’s the bees-knees. It is also very strong and makes a wonderful sound when being pulled apart. It doesn’t mind getting wet and is easy to use in cold weather when little hands have difficulty tying washing line or string. I use it for attaching objects to fences such as guttering. I always have bags of the stuff ready for den making. The stuff you need comes in a roll and can be cut to size. When I talk about Velcro, I’m referring to a specific sort often called Self Gripping Ties. Here’s my little list of useful items (not an exhaustive one either) 1. If you are really with-it, you can make your own willow baskets… ![]() Think about the storage of these bits and use old bags.Year-on-year, more products are being made from recycled materials and natural products. Look out for environmentally-friendly alternatives.Have systems in place that ensure children remember and return the little bits to their bags or baskets after use.Often nylon braiding and ribbon is cut to short lengths – keep these in a bag and children can then use them without necessarily needing to cut them further to size. ![]() Twine can also be finger knitted into thicker or stronger thread if needed. It is biodegradable and little bits and pieces can be snipped up and added to the compost bin, for example, after using to attach plants to canes. Go for garden twine which is made of jute, a vegetable fibre.All the items can be re-used again and again.What about the environmental sustainability of these items? Remember to evaluate carefully the suitability of each resource for use with the group of children with whom you work. These are summarised within the Ultimate Loose Parts Play download which gives additional thoughts around the use and care of such items. So I thought it might be quite timely to update this post about those other bits and pieces which make my job with children, and staff, a little easier. It is strong enough to sit upon when making a swing and saves me a lot of time looking a suitable stick in situ in a stick-poor school ground or even in a wood. To be honest I’ve been totally obsessed with little items that make a big difference over the years I was training and supporting schools and ELC settings.įor example in my bag of ropes I have a “swing stick”. Part of that know-how is having a small, select pack of Very Useful Things. I was participating in a twilight workshop and one of the participants made a sage comment along the lines of being perfectly comfortable knowing her literacy and maths outside but lacking the practical know-how about outdoor skills. A bee that is gentle, can deal with mites, make above average honey, and winters well.Many years ago years ago, I started blogging about accessories that make a difference to facilitating learning and play outdoors. I am retired now and my goal is to make a better bee. With the help of instrumental insemination I can keep my pure lines pure and add diversification to my production queens. I run a closed breeding program here with bee genetics from 5 countries. They are raised in south central Indiana so they do well in the north and south. I work them in short sleeves and no smoke. They are very heavy producers of comb, honey and brood. My bees are small cell bees raised on natural drawn comb (I only give them a 5/8 inch starter strip). One hive turned into two, two turned into four and so on. So, I got a hive to take care of my orchard. Little Bits Honey Bees got started when the 190 tree apple orchard I have didn't have enough bees to pollinate it. The owners son has always called her little bit, now she is eleven the name has stuck. I used to carry her to my local mom and pop hardware store when she was just a baby. The name Little Bits Honey Bees came from my granddaughter. All are bees have been regressed to small cell bees. At the present time we run nine blood lines. We are a family owned honey bee company located in south central Indiana (Bloomington).
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