Festive Reindeer Mind Map

Get into the Festive Spirit and learn about the cool reindeer! Help Father Christmas and use biomimicry to invent new gadgets to make his life easier. Begin the biomimicry journey by making a Festive Reindeer Mind Map using Christmas decorations. We made a mind map from old decorations and wrapping paper. You can use tinsel,Continue reading "Festive Reindeer Mind Map"

Festive Biomimicry Reindeer

The Festive Season is perfect for exploring some magical fun! Reindeer are amazing. Wonderful inspiration for helping Father Christmas. Exploring questions, fun, silly and serious, that excite our mind and then looking for ways to put an answer together. Sometimes the solution will work, sometimes, especially when exploring the world with young children, the magicContinue reading "Festive Biomimicry Reindeer"

Pussy Willow Madness – Art, Poem and Science

What way does the willow grow where you live? There are some special willows that grow in the Arctic. The branches help to protect the plants from the cold wind. Can you draw a Polar Willow that grows in the Arctic? The pussy willows are out and that is a sure sign that spring isContinue reading "Pussy Willow Madness – Art, Poem and Science"

Inspirational Video – Chameleon Tongue Attack

What if your tongue was twice the length of your body? What could you do? What would you like to do? Can you invent something useful, magical and fun by using the flexible yet powerful chameleon's tongue as inspiration? Sticking out your tongue may be a bit rude but is a powerful weapon if youContinue reading "Inspirational Video – Chameleon Tongue Attack"

Inspirational Video – When plants fight back

Did you know that plants can "smell"? Buds open och flowers bloom, but to most of us plants live a passive life. They do not move around nor do they live an exciting life. Yet, it turns out that it is our inability to perceive slow and subtle changes that have prevented us from seeContinue reading "Inspirational Video – When plants fight back"

Biomimicry Journal – Bubble Froth Inspiration

What if you can use foam to protect yourself from germs? What would you look like? Foam-nesting frogs build meringue-like structures to protect their young even under the harshest of conditions. The nests look delicate but they are tough structures. These types of frogs can provide inspiration for lots of ideas. Creating a Biomimicry JournalContinue reading "Biomimicry Journal – Bubble Froth Inspiration"

Patterns Everywhere! Be Inspired

Almost too perfect to be true. Like an artist has dreamed up some geometrically perfect and correct plants or sand dunes. Nature's symmetry is a subject that has fascinated philosophers, mathematicians, artists, architects, and physicists. Photo: Pixabay Patterns can be found everywhere in nature and walking around looking for pattern is a fun, imaginary activityContinue reading "Patterns Everywhere! Be Inspired"

Build a Snow City

There have been plenty of chances to watch the squirrels who visit our garden more or less every day. Squirrels are quick, agile and fascinating. Also squirrels. . . have sharp claws that help them shift direction when they are climbing trees can run headfirst down trees have light and small bodies And most importantlyContinue reading "Build a Snow City"

What colour are flamingo egg yolks? Pink or Not Pink?

Would it not be wonderful if flamingoes had pink egg yolks? Pink meme When you look for inspiration for ideas it is easy to stumble upon something that is not true. Teaching children to double-check and check again is a vital skill. And no, flamingo eggs are not pink. Flamingo egg yolks are yellow orContinue reading "What colour are flamingo egg yolks? Pink or Not Pink?"

The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat

Can you teach a caterpillar maths? Or turn a super-sized cat invisible? Meet the 6th-grade genius and inventor Nate Bannister who every Friday the 13th does three not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat by Paul Tobin is the perfect treat for future inventors. This book isContinue reading "The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat"

Inspirational Video – Invisible Shadow

What if you could hide in your own shadow by glowing? Not sure I quite understand how the  Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) can cruise above its prey without casting a shadow even on a moonlight night but it is fascinating! And beautiful. There is something almost magical with bioluminescence. The tiny squid hunts atContinue reading "Inspirational Video – Invisible Shadow"

What if a pile of colourful autumn leaves was used as inspiration?

A think dive into a pile of colourful autumn leaves. The forest is going to sleep. Days are getting shorter and the animals are squirreling away for winter. Plants and flowers are capsulated and the trees start to let go of their leaves. Autumn is a wonderful season for discovering what happens when nature slowsContinue reading "What if a pile of colourful autumn leaves was used as inspiration?"

Inspirational Video – Jay Collecting Acorns

How many acorns will a jay collect over a season? Squirrels are not the only animal that love to collect and bury acorns. A jay can store as many as 5, 000 acorns! They place their acorns in many different places such as natural holes, crevices in tree bark and under leaf litter. Just likeContinue reading "Inspirational Video – Jay Collecting Acorns"

The wonders of an Autumn walk

Children are curious about the wonders of autumn. They would ponder natures beauty of leaves changing colours and trees dropping treasures. Even if you have witnessed many autumns you many still be impressed by the beauty. Autumn in the forest is so magical. Raindrops look like jewels and the towering trees provide the perfect backdropContinue reading "The wonders of an Autumn walk"

Mind-Blowing Insects

Discover the world through the eyes of a child. Photographer Levon Biss was looking for a new, extraordinary subject when one afternoon he and his young son popped a ground beetle under a microscope. Why not take out your magnifying glass and discover the extraordinary beauty of something ordinary. Wonderful photos of insects can beContinue reading "Mind-Blowing Insects"

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris

Children may be better at identifying Pokémon characters than real animals and plants but is that really the problem? The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane is a quest to reconnect young readers with the natural world. All over the country, there are words disappering from children's lives. Today, many words of natural words are slowlyContinue reading "The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris"

Inspirational Video – Sea Star walking on the Beach

  Watch their tube feet wiggling! Sea stars are beautiful animals that can be a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. All of them resemble a beautiful star but while some sea stars  appear smooth, they all have spines covering their upper surface and a soft underside. Hundreds of tube feet are located on theirContinue reading "Inspirational Video – Sea Star walking on the Beach"

Creatures of the Deep: The Pop-Up Book

Awesome inpiration for little innovators! Open slowly this pop-up book and marvel when the exquiste pop-ups pop-out in slow motion. Creatures of the Deep: The Pop-Up Book is a perfect for educational purposes since every pop-up can been seen from all sides. But most of all it is wonderful combination of science, art and paper engineering.Continue reading "Creatures of the Deep: The Pop-Up Book"

Invite a Tree and a Tree Kangaroo for Tea!

The Woodland Trust is encouraging families to celebrate the UK’s incredible trees and woods by throwing a tree party! Become a leaf expert and learn more about trees! We spent a morning walking around in a big local park looking for a suitable tree to invite. So difficult to choose. It would be lovely toContinue reading "Invite a Tree and a Tree Kangaroo for Tea!"

Be Inspired by Antarctic Ballet and Sliding Penguins

Running, hopping, waddling, jumping, sliding, porpoising, tobogganing, and diving penguins. Penguins are always ready for action. On land, they have rather poor eyesight but in the water, they have exceptional vision. They can dive up to 35 meters in the water. Why not draw a diving robot that can dive and see underwater? Or inventContinue reading "Be Inspired by Antarctic Ballet and Sliding Penguins"

Pop-Up Paper Projects

Pop-up projects are such fun! Making a 3D birthday card is a quick and easy and will entertain children. A perfect rainy-day project. But pop-up paper projects can also be taken to a completely new level. And the book, New Pop-Up Paper Projects: Step-by-step paper engineering for all ages, by Paul Johnson is a wonderfulContinue reading "Pop-Up Paper Projects"

Wild Ideas by Elin Kelsey

Problems are like sticky burrs. They poke. They prick. They nag. Step into the forests, skies and oceans. Explore how animals solve problems. The  book Wild Ideas  is a perfect book for young biomimicrists. Weaving a place to feel safe and rest or leaping into a new situation, the animal world can provide us withContinue reading "Wild Ideas by Elin Kelsey"

Curious Me – Dragonflies

Biomimicry is a smart way to teach children to observe nature and to use it as inspiration to solve tough problems. The focus is on observing functions and the way nature solves problems. Nature is filled with unique designs and behaviours that help living things adapt to their environment and survive. Biomimicry allows children toContinue reading "Curious Me – Dragonflies"

How to raise a child that cares about nature

It is in the news every day, from climate change to disappearing species, and we need to do something to reverse these trends. But how do we encourage children to not only care but also take action? Curiosity, care and compassion for our natural world come from early contact with nature. A sense of wonder,Continue reading "How to raise a child that cares about nature"

Vitamin G – The Importance of Exploring Nature

Smell, splash and listen! Put on your wellies and dance outside! How high is an oak tree? How do you measure the height of an ant nest? How does a wet pile of autumn leaves smell? Some answers are not found inside the classroom, instead, you have to walk out in nature to find theContinue reading "Vitamin G – The Importance of Exploring Nature"

Whispering Ancient Trees – Listening to Nature

Do trees take the shape of the voices they have heard? That was one question that popped up on a walk when we saw this magnificent old tree with a gnarled trunk. A trunk filled with faces and animals. . . Trees are a precious part of our heritage and at the very beginning ofContinue reading "Whispering Ancient Trees – Listening to Nature"

Cubist Glue Art, Doodling, and Sleepy Parrotfish – Biomimicry for Young Children

Imagine that you are a tired parrotfish. You are going to sleep but first, you need to make a protective cocoon. A cocoon that will keep enemies away. What does it feel like inside the cocoon? One exercise in the booklet Biomimicry for Young Children -  Sea Life is about the colourful and interesting parrotfish.Continue reading "Cubist Glue Art, Doodling, and Sleepy Parrotfish – Biomimicry for Young Children"

Biomimicry for Young Children – Inspired by Endangered Orangutans

On the third day of March We saved three Swinging Orangutans Our think dive this month is inspired by not only orangutans but also dreams about Easter bunnies and chocolate. After we have learnt that the production of palm oil is a major threat to orangutans we decided to make a chocolate bark using chocolateContinue reading "Biomimicry for Young Children – Inspired by Endangered Orangutans"

Be Inspired by Frogs

Do you know why frogs have big eyes that bulge out? Or why frogs can walk upside down? Frog eyes are big and come in a stunning range of colours and patterns. Perhaps you have seen a frog resting in the water with only its eyes and nose above the surface. Frogs can protrude theirContinue reading "Be Inspired by Frogs"

Slugs are Cool

Would it not be great if you could smell with your body just like a slug? Slugs are everywhere! And gooey slime is a wonderful substance that can solve many problems. Britain has ideal conditions for slugs to thrive - cool damp summers and warmish mild wet winters. Climate changes also contribute to turning ourContinue reading "Slugs are Cool"

What is Biomimicry?

Biomimicry is an exciting way to inspire young children to be creative, and curious and to observe the world. Children come to understand how animals and plants can be used as a platform upon which ideas and inventions can be developed. Biomimicry bridges the boundaries traditionally found in education and provides young children with anContinue reading "What is Biomimicry?"

Hunting for the Golden Ratio

Does the golden ratio exist in the world of art, architecture and design? Or is it a myth? Why not spend some time to check it out for yourself? The golden ratio is regarded as a way to define something beautiful. Great artists such as Salvador Dalí are said to have used the number sequenceContinue reading "Hunting for the Golden Ratio"

Climate Smart Fairy Houses

  Nowadays even fairies need to be climate-smart. So we built climate-smart houses for the fairies that live in our garden. We got inspiration from studying cones. Pine cones open and close depending on the level of moisture in the air. The scales of pine cones open in hot and dry weather and close inContinue reading "Climate Smart Fairy Houses"

Ice-Cream Roots – Mixing Ideas with a Touch of Magic and Imagination

Thinking, whether it is planning what information you need to solve a problem, exploring where in your body you feel certain, or searching for new ideas, is something that should be exciting and fun. For too long the image of a serious person sitting still and thinking about serious stuff have ruled. A creative approachContinue reading "Ice-Cream Roots – Mixing Ideas with a Touch of Magic and Imagination"

Looking for Spirals in Nature

Filled with inspiration after having completed a course at Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology. One week was spent looking for patterns in nature. Like the fractal nature of tree branching and antlers. Or spirals like galaxies, shells, pine cones and sunflower heads. After a while, I startedContinue reading "Looking for Spirals in Nature"

Exploring Concepts and Building Things

The focus during the first years of formal education is to teach children basic concepts such as height and length. Worksheets are often designed to help teach identifying what is the same and what is different, and to determine which things that go together. A concept is an abstract pattern in the brain that standsContinue reading "Exploring Concepts and Building Things"

Interesting eyes! – Biomimicry for Young Children

Eyes! Geckos with zig-zagged pupils. Chameleons that can look at two directions at the same time. And frogs that can see above the surface while they are underwater! Eyes are a great topic to explore when you are talking about biomimicry. You can solve design challenges: "Use one of the words that rhyme with frog.Continue reading "Interesting eyes! – Biomimicry for Young Children"

Animal Architects: Amazing Animals Who Build Their Homes

Animals are the most fantastic architects and chimpanzee nests and beaver dams are intricate structures. This original exploration of animals and their homes is sure to spark an interest in not only animals but also in getting the LEGO, building blocks and cardboard boxes out. Collect twigs and branches on your nature walk and imagineContinue reading "Animal Architects: Amazing Animals Who Build Their Homes"

Design a Helmet Inspired by Ladybirds

Imagine that you have wings like a ladybird. What would you do? Ladybirds are delightful to have around and we always close our eyes and make a wish when a ladybird flies away from our hands. Since I love roses, ladybirds are a true friend for that reason as well. And a rosebush is indeedContinue reading "Design a Helmet Inspired by Ladybirds"

Cool Chocolate Challenge

Chocolate Bunnies provided inspiration for this challenge. Easter is after all chocolate time. Chocolate Easter eggs are an old tradition and the first eggs were made in Europe in the early 19th century. Some early eggs were solid, and the technique for mass-producing moulded chocolate had not been devised. France and Germany started this artisticContinue reading "Cool Chocolate Challenge"

Biomimicry, Pasta and Mind Mapping – Dandelion Magic

Ahhh, you never really know where you might end up when you blow dandelion seeds. Watching the little parachutes dance away in the chilly spring breeze may spark all sort of ideas. Observe, listen, touch, smell and in some cases even taste. To be creative, and curious and to observe the world is an excitingContinue reading "Biomimicry, Pasta and Mind Mapping – Dandelion Magic"

Daffodils Dancing in the Wind – Biomimicry for Young Children

The poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" or Daffodils was composed in 1804, two years after Wordsworth saw the flowers while walking by Ullswater. It was a stormy day and the inspiration for the poem came from a description of the event written by his sister Dorothy. Through our curious biomimicry lens, we wereContinue reading "Daffodils Dancing in the Wind – Biomimicry for Young Children"

Dream up New Furnitures and Toys

Imagine a chair where you can insert your own drawings? Or a chair that just like a flower grows? Why not inspire your kids to dream up and design some cool furnitures and toys? Inventing new games, toys and furnitures are often tasks that are included in biomimicry material for young children. Milan design weekContinue reading "Dream up New Furnitures and Toys"

Biomimicry Challenge – Day 7

Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment. Claude Monet Colour is important but it is rarely discussed outside the art lesson. Biomimicry offers a great opportunity to use colour in the classroom in interesting new ways to inspire creative thinking. Animals and plants may use their unique colouring for protection, attracting a partner, forContinue reading "Biomimicry Challenge – Day 7"

A Day at the Beach – Inspired by Sandpipers and Seagulls

Building sandcastles, surfing on waves, and licking the world's yummiest ice cream! A day at the beach can be truly magical. Children can tank their bodies with warm sun rays and their parents' endless love. But it can also be a day filled with wonderous and mind-boggling ideas and questions. Dream, build and invent. InventContinue reading "A Day at the Beach – Inspired by Sandpipers and Seagulls"

Autumn Owl Robo – Use Biomimicry to Teach Children to Think

I have big eyes. The big eyes help me to. . . Owls are most vocal in Autumn and you can twit-twhoo-ing when you make this craft inspired by owls' big eyes. The big eyes help owls to see in the dark. We made an Autumn Owl robo with several eyes so that it canContinue reading "Autumn Owl Robo – Use Biomimicry to Teach Children to Think"

The Polar Bear By Jenni Desmond

A wonderful exploration of polar bears and their habitat. The Polar Bear by Jenni Desmond is a rare treat, a book that is both magical and factually accurate. You are taken on a journey of polar bear bodies, habits, as well as habitats. Yet, reading the book is a bit bittersweet. Polar bears are inContinue reading "The Polar Bear By Jenni Desmond"

Biomimicry Challenge – Day 6

Dandelions. Everywhere! Random is often not a very positive word so we have to teach children to embrace the idea of randomness. Randomness lies at the very heart of creative thinking. A random word or picture helps us to break patterns.We can think from a new and often unusual perspective. A random word or pictureContinue reading "Biomimicry Challenge – Day 6"

Biomimicry Challenge – Day 5

Take out the magnifying glass and study some ants. Look at the way they work together to bring food to the nest. Ants can find food and bring it into their nests in a couple of minutes. What do the ants do that is so great? How do you think they find the shortest routeContinue reading "Biomimicry Challenge – Day 5"

Biomimicry Inspiration from Africa with Crocolicious Love

The Crocodile "No animal is half as vile As Crocky–Wock, the crocodile. On Saturdays he likes to crunch Six juicy children for his lunch And he especially enjoys Just three of each, three girls, three boys. From Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl We had a period when we read rhymes from Dirty Beasts every night.Continue reading "Biomimicry Inspiration from Africa with Crocolicious Love"

Wide-Awake Hedgehog – An Autumnlicious Book

"The evenings were darkening and the leaves were turning gold. It was the time when hedgehogs should be settling for their winter sleep. But Isaac the hedge was not feeling sleepy. Isaac wanted to play But who would play with Isaac?"Wide-Awake Hedgehog by Rosie Wellesley is a perfect book to snuggle up under a blanketContinue reading "Wide-Awake Hedgehog – An Autumnlicious Book"

Hunt for Straight Lines

What prevents a tree from growing in straight lines? Are there straight lines in nature? And are there right angles? The trees have lost most of their leaves and the structure of the trees are visible. So the other day we hunted for the tree with the straightest trunk and branches. When we look atContinue reading "Hunt for Straight Lines"

Be a Rabbit Detective – Life Cycle, Biomimicry, Inspiration for Ideas

In a local park not far from our house there are lots of rabbits running around. Watching the bouncy rabbits is always an exciting time. Rabbits are also a common pet. And pets can provide the perfect inspiration for new ideas. Clipart Le Petite Market What if you were trapped in a cage with noContinue reading "Be a Rabbit Detective – Life Cycle, Biomimicry, Inspiration for Ideas"

Endangered Frogs and Lily Pads – Biomimicry for Young Children

What would you think if there were no frogs to kiss? In stories, frogs are often portrayed as ugly and slimy. When frogs are not hopping off lily pads, or croaking"ribbit" in the pond, they are often said to turn into a beautiful prince or princess if you dare to kiss them. And it isContinue reading "Endangered Frogs and Lily Pads – Biomimicry for Young Children"

9 Nature Books Perfect for Biomimicry

I hope I have inspired you all to include Biomimicry in your life, whether it is in the classroom or at home. Below is a list of great books to use when observing plants and animals and to spark an interest in asking big questions. The focus when using biomimicry is on observing animals andContinue reading "9 Nature Books Perfect for Biomimicry"

Biomimicry Challenge – Day 4

Do you love animals that look a bit creepy? This challenge is for you! The aye-aye is a gremlin-looking creature found in Madagascar. But the lemur is a harmless creature unless you are a larvae. Aye-ayes are primates and related to chimpanzees, apes, and humans. They have several unusual traits, big eyes, big ears andContinue reading "Biomimicry Challenge – Day 4"

Biomimicry Challenge – Day 3

A curious mind asks lots of questions and then search for answers. Question-asking is at the very core of thinking and innovation. A special kind of question that can be acted upon and lead to change in the way we look at things. Question asking is a skill that is different from typing rather predictableContinue reading "Biomimicry Challenge – Day 3"

Autumn Leaves – Colour and Shape

Being a nature detective during the autumn can be a lot of fun. Mushrooms just waiting to be admired and sometimes even picked. If you walk quietly you may spot squirrels and birds. Acorns, conkers and pine cones can be collected and turned into wonderful arts and crafts. Piles of leaves just waiting for youContinue reading "Autumn Leaves – Colour and Shape"

Eternal Magic Leaf Sheep Snack Bar and Photosynthesis – Biomimicry

A couple of weeks ago, I found the cutest little leaf sheep. A sea slug that looks adorable and who has the most amazing ability - an animal that can rely on sunshine for its nutrition. It sounds like a test from school and you would definitely fail if you ticked that genes from anContinue reading "Eternal Magic Leaf Sheep Snack Bar and Photosynthesis – Biomimicry"

Inspirational Video – Biomimicry for Young Children

I see trees of green, red roses tooI see them bloom for me and youAnd I think to myself what a wonderful worldI see skies of blue and clouds of white…Louis Armstrong In this video, we follow David Attenborough around the world. I hope you feel inspired and awestruck by the beauty of our planet.

The Twelve Months of Endangered Animals Songs- Cool & Hot Zebra Socks

On the eighth day of August we saved eight elegant zebras.   Black and white stripes. The skin helps to keep the zebra cool. So the answer to a lot of problems may be "zebra"! The pattern of the black and white stripes may be correlated to the climate where the zebras are living. TheContinue reading "The Twelve Months of Endangered Animals Songs- Cool & Hot Zebra Socks"

Biomimicry for Young Children Challenge – Day 1

Welcome to the Biomimicry challenge. Seven days filled with inspiration to observe animals and plants and to use these as a platform upon which ideas, buildings and inventions can be developed. An innovative approach to a subject requires courage to break patterns and to question ideas. The earlier children are taught this the more successfulContinue reading "Biomimicry for Young Children Challenge – Day 1"

Sunday Walk – Autumn Biomimicry Food Challenge

The forest is coming to a standstill and animals are preparing for the colder weather. One year the theme for the Biomimicry Institute’s Global Design Challenge was How to improve food systems by looking to nature for design solutions. We decided to embrace this challenge on our Sunday walk. Autumn is a busy time forContinue reading "Sunday Walk – Autumn Biomimicry Food Challenge"

Learning Requires New Skills – Critical Thinking, Lat Jumping and Biomimicry

What do you think of the idea that students should be allowed to use the Internet in exams? We may be at a turning point for exams. At least high school examinations but I am sure that the changes will eventually spread to primary school. The idea that an examination should gauge whether a childContinue reading "Learning Requires New Skills – Critical Thinking, Lat Jumping and Biomimicry"

Inspired by Endangered Sloths – Sloth Meditation

Imagine that you can be a sloth. What does it mean to find your inner sloth? Sloths are asleep a good portion of the twenty-four-hour day. The rest of the time they are slowly moving and feeding. What if you were licking an ice cream in a way that a sloth munches slowly on leaves?Continue reading "Inspired by Endangered Sloths – Sloth Meditation"

Biomimicry for Young Children Inspired by the Endangered Sloths

Bring slowness into the world! On the Second Day of February, We Saved Two Sleepy Sloths Would it not be great to stretch time? How can we celebrate slowfulness? William Beebe was a sloth researcher who was very impressed by the sloths' slowness. He wrote, "Sloths have no right to be living on this earth,Continue reading "Biomimicry for Young Children Inspired by the Endangered Sloths"

Biomimicry for Young Children – Inspired by Endangered Dugongs – Donald Dugong Seacleaner

Meet Donald Dugong Seacleaner! The graceful dugongs spend time eating seagrass from the bottom of the sea. Seagrass is important to save. We wrote a story about Doctor Delia Dugong who saved the seagrass. We also reversed our thinking and ended up with an idea where we take something away from the sea that doesContinue reading "Biomimicry for Young Children – Inspired by Endangered Dugongs – Donald Dugong Seacleaner"

Biomimicry for Young Children – Inspired by Endangered Dugongs

Dugongs spark our curiosity and tug our heart-strings. These sea cows are beautiful and fascinating creatures. The first day of January we saved One swimming dugong Inspired by the carol "The Twelve days of Christmas", we made up a song where we each month saved an animal - The Twelve Months of Endangered Animals Song.Continue reading "Biomimicry for Young Children – Inspired by Endangered Dugongs"

Imagine a city! A Smart City!

People flying with their umbrellas as the wind blows. Paintings that escape from their frames. Buses are fish and fish fly in the sky! Imagine a City by Elise Hurst is an invitation to imagine all sorts of fantastic things. She encourages us to not only imagine fantastical cities but also takes the game aContinue reading "Imagine a city! A Smart City!"

Biomimicry for Young Children – Magic DinoPills

What if you were a dentist? Can you invent something inspired by dinosaurs? Magnificent plant-eating dinosaurs provided inspiration for the idea of Magic DinoPills. The long-necked, plant-eating giants such as Diplodocus and Camarasaurus grew new teeth every couple of months. Their diet consisting of plants such a trees, bushes, cycads, ginkgoes and ferns worn downContinue reading "Biomimicry for Young Children – Magic DinoPills"

Jelly Bean Frog Story Writing and Robos- Biomimicry for Young Children

Tiny, tiny, tiny frogs! Some frogs are the size of a jellybean. Jelly bean frogs - wonderful inspiration! Of course, we could not resist cutting out the tiniest frogs and putting them beside jelly beans. Brachycephalus frogs are less than 1 cm long (0.39 inches) or approximately the size of a jelly bean. They haveContinue reading "Jelly Bean Frog Story Writing and Robos- Biomimicry for Young Children"

Fibonacci, Cones and Biomimicry

Pine cones can be a great source of inspiration for craft and art projects. Use goggle eyes to transform a cone into a pet, a monster, or an owl. Wrap the cone in tinsel and glitter and have a sparkly Christmas decoration. The seeds can be glued onto a paper and a hedgehog or birdContinue reading "Fibonacci, Cones and Biomimicry"

Spooky Spiderlicious Spycamera – Halloween Inspired Biomimicry for Young Children

Be inspired by Spiders to prevent a thief from stealing Halloween treats. Spiders! Oh no! Although I have never been afraid of spiders I must admit that finding a poisonous redback in my shoes in Queensland did make me jump back. The redback spider is a beautiful black spider with a big red stripe onContinue reading "Spooky Spiderlicious Spycamera – Halloween Inspired Biomimicry for Young Children"

Why is Biomimicry Important?

It might be difficult to understand why biomimicry is important and what children can learn from this approach to look at nature to find inspiration for new ideas. Most schools teach children about how animals and plants grow, where they can be found, and taxonomy but nature can be used as an inspiration to solveContinue reading "Why is Biomimicry Important?"

Digging Deeper – Biomimicry and Philiosophy

It is deceptively easy to think that biomimicry is simply an approach where the only purpose is to invent and design new things. Yet, biomimicry goes beyond mere invention and design; it is a way to learn from and mimic the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges. New and exciting insights canContinue reading "Digging Deeper – Biomimicry and Philiosophy"

CroakMet Messaging Service – Biomimicry for Young Children

In the summertime, bike riding is, even more, fun! Yet there are several problems with bike riding. Frogs amazing bulging eyes and their low horse croaking sound provided inspiration to solve two of the most annoying problems. How to talk to your best friend without shouting? How to see everything that goes on behind you?Continue reading "CroakMet Messaging Service – Biomimicry for Young Children"

Biomimicry, British Wildlife and Foxes – Fox Nose box

Foxes are fantastic. They can leap up into the air and dive into a pile of snow to catch a mouse. Inspired by foxes we made a Fox Nose Box - the food packing of the future. Just like foxes have great noses so does this food box. The black nose is filled with trillionsContinue reading "Biomimicry, British Wildlife and Foxes – Fox Nose box"

Biomimicry Postal Stamps to Celebrate Nature

Postal stamps to celebrate nature! Stamps are awesome. And if you are wondering how big the gap between teeth on the jagged edge you find the answer in the mind-boggling book Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. "An atom is only about one hundred-millionth of a centimetre across so that it would take tenContinue reading "Biomimicry Postal Stamps to Celebrate Nature"

Smart Feathers – Biomimicry for Young Children

Owls have beautiful as well as smart feathers! Why not make a project and study feathers? The beauty of bird feathers provides inspiration for art activities. Their smart design is perfect for young curious biomimicrist. A great way to study how feathers have evolved and to use their clever design as inspiration for searching forContinue reading "Smart Feathers – Biomimicry for Young Children"