Parents looking for ways to entertain their kids won’t have to look any further than Camden Council’s online biodiversity education programs, available to residents online next week.

Four biodiversity themed activities have been created for children using materials found around their own homes, including:

• Creature Features competition – An art competition where kids can get creative and design their own creature with weird features (using Camden’s Platypus with weird features as inspiration);
• Bee Hotel – instructions on how to create a bee hotel using materials found around the house and garden;
• Mini-herb garden – instructions on how to create their own mini-herb garden at home using recycled materials; and
• Nature Quest – containing three smaller activities that can be undertaken in a local nature reserve or even their backyard, Bird Bingo, Scavenger Hunt and Mini-Beast Discovery.

Mayor of Camden, Cr Theresa Fedeli, said the activities were a fantastic way for children to expand their knowledge in a safe environment.

“Educating our children on plant and animal life is a key to creating a sustainable future and these four activities are a great way to start,” Cr Fedeli said.

“Children can discover a number of different wildlife and plants by just going for a walk into one of the beautiful nature reserves in the Camden area or by even starting their own mini-herb garden.

“The Creature Features competition will be in June, so it’s a great opportunity to get your kids thinking about wildlife and being creative at the same time, with some great prizes up for grabs.

“I encourage parents to get their children involved in one of their activities and share their experiences on social media.”

Each activity is designed for children aged five to 12 and can be completed either at home or at a local nature reserve. Residents are reminded to keep their social distance if participating at a local nature reserve.