Exploring Outdoors – Frog hunting
We’re back out in our garden this week for our Exploring outdoors post and venturing beyond our safety gate to the wilderness that is our back-garden. This week it’s the wildlife pond and J’s favourite creature of all time (his obsession really) FROGS!!!!!
His obsession started shortly after T was born last March when to keep him entertained whilst I fed T Rainy Day Dad and various grandparents would take him to look at the frogs, frog spawn, tadpoles and froglets in the pond. His birthday cake and cupcakes were Frog themed last year as well.
Well this week we’ve been back to the pond as whilst gardening we spotted that the frogs were back. So last weekend in the glorious sunshine we headed out to hunt for frogs (it’s been repeated at least 3 or 4 times a day since) and looked for frogs.
We only ever go past the gate supervised as although the pond is very shallow it is still dangerous especially for toddlers and babies, but the joy and exploration of nature that it brings each year is worth the -sometimes- hassle of yet again go looking for frogs. The pond is full of different native plants which we let form a cover but each year cut down and thin out. It is also shaded to provide protection from the sun which can get quite intense in the summer as the area faces south. We’ve planted native plants and bog plants around it and at the moment have native spring plants popping up their heads behind it making it a lovely area to go and visit.
We take the opportunity to talk about how many frogs in the pond – one of the great things about frogs early in the spring is that they come in pairs so we can start to introduce counting in 2’s.
Our frogs are a little behind the ones on the field near us which have already laid Spawn but I can’t wait until they do as then we can start to investigate the life cycle of the frogs properly and not just from books.
This was an unbirthday present for J from Nannie and Grandad Frog (yes he’s actually nick named his grandparents Nannie and Grandad Frog!) and is a great story of a frog that hits his head and forgets who he is and tries to be lots of different animals on the way to finding out who he is.
We really like the sound effects in the book and the pop up’s as well.
I am so terribly jealous right now (but so happy for your kiddos!). I have looked high and low for something similar here in Toronto, but to no avail. Enjoy your spring!
My boys were excited when their giant mud-hole had frogs in it the other day, and equally disappointed when it dried up. They would love a permanent pond in the backyard!
Oh my God I have total garden envy. You are soooo lucky to have a pond. I had one in a big tin bath but had to get rid of it when Goblin got old enough to be in the garden on his own. My mum has got us some tadpoles so I’ll be having a read of the link to Flights of Whimsy, thanks.
Great photos and so fab to have a frog pond in your back garden. We have one at Grandma’s and L had a tank of frogspawn in her classroom last year but they would just love to have one in our own garden.
You can make a small one that frogs will use using half a barrel – if you have a rock steps up to it and collect some frog spawn for a couple of years in a row you will find that the frogs return every year and after 2 years you will have your own spawn in the pond as well.
Cerys, how fortunate to have this in your back garden. I think you are so right to teach them about the gate, rather than panic & fill in a wonderful resource. I am looking forward to going back to school tomorrow after a long weekend to see how the tadpoles are doing! Thanks for adding this to the link up, Kierna
I hope your tadpoles were ok over the extended break, we now have frog spawn 😀 so looking forward to having some tadpoles as well and watching them grow.