Some (unexpected) learning about Hedgehogs

Earlier in the week Mr D and Miss E wanted to ‘do some making’. We had already done Play-Doh, painting, colouring, sticking and the such in the days beforehand so I thought we’d have an impromptu Hedgehog making session.

Like most children Miss E and Mr D are pretty engaged when we talk about, and read about animals. We recently read a book where the characters were Hedgehogs so I had it in mind to do some Hedgehog crafts with them.

There are a couple of books that we have that were mine as a child that are about hedgehogs so we got those out and read them and I was surprised at just how brilliant one of them one. It wasn’t one I remember so it might even have been my younger brother’s book. It’s a book from Sainsbury’s and was published in 1990, so it could be either mine of my brothers. Whichever way it is a gem of a book that I’m so glad my parents kept.

Hodge the Hedgehog is the name of the book and it is so lovely. It is actually pretty educational in terms of explaining to children about hedgehogs and how they hibernate, the food they eat, how they stay clear from predators and who preys on them – I even learnt a few things myself! Mr D was really engaged with this book, particularly the Badger and Fox (thanks to Beatrix Potter and Tommy Brock and Mr Tod I am sure!). The book is wonderfully illustrated and I always wonder is Kate Petty and Shona Grant realise that a book that was published some 25 years ago is still being used to educate young children today?

We read the three books then set out making some hedgehogs with a little craft pack I had from Baker Ross.

There are five hedgehog templates in the pack and a wide range of sticky leaves that are used to create the prickles of the hedgehog. Add an eye, ears, feet and nose and you have a little hedgehog.

These were super easy to make with the children and we talked about the colours we were using and Miss E was able to point out his nose, eye, feet etc. It was good fun and the finished items are proudly hung on the children’s respective art areas. Miss E is really getting into this sort of activity and it is interesting to watch her manipulate the stickers as she works out how to stick them onto the template.
We then played with these light up flashing hedgehogs. They are pretty neat and I managed to get Miss E and Mr D to try to throw them into a basket – I’m not really keen to have them throwing things around the house but this was a good little game to play and kept them engaged for a good thirty minutes as well as helping them learn to control their arms (and the hedgehogs!) a bit better.

I didn’t manage to get any pictures of this game as I was helping Miss E perfect her throw – she’s pretty good at throwing, just not so good at the aiming!

At bathtime later in the evening, Damian asked Mr D about the hedgehogs and he was able to tell his dad what Hodge the Hedgehog did when he finished his saucer of food (turned it upside down looking for slugs) and that the Badger could still eat him, even is he was rolled up in a ball but that the Fox got his nose prickled. I thought that was pretty impressive given we had only read the story once and talked about it as we made our own hedgehogs.

I love that I can share books from my own childhood with the children, and that they get as much enjoyment from them as I do. We hadn’t planned any learning activities but we had a lovely time and Mr D was able to learn a little about hedgehogs as well as making a cute little hedgehog. I think the finished ones (shown below) are pretty cute and it’s lovely to see Miss E joining in, and enjoying, these ‘making’ activities.

I think we might gather some leaves in the autumn months and stick them onto a large hedgehog outline – I think it could be pretty effective.