Dip net fishing for research

Ok last year I learned one of our local parklands puts on a day called dip dip dip. It is making fun acivities for kids, but they also dip net the waters to pull out inhabitants. They use the findings as research as to which insects and aquatic life thrive at the different seasons.
We went last year and I decided to take the kids again this summer, it's on in the school holidays so it means my niece can come too, after this year though I need to remember that it is on in seasons other thansummer as both times we have been it was unbelievably hot like 35 degrees!

 We were split into four smaller groups and sent off to different activities. Our first was making grass heads. The kids had to get their stockings and go up in a small que and get seeds and soil put in them. I let Noah and Georgia take Katelin up so the could get used to doing some things on their own and have to deal with unfamiliar people. They all did really well, of course Georgia is used to it, but my two are not. Then they decorated their grass people.

Noah said he only wanted ears on his, no nose then he chose one big eye and one small eye and they had to go there just like that even though I explained it's where the grass will grow. Then he drew on his own mouth and named it Thomas. I think it looks really cute. Katelin was happy with ears and a nose, she wanted teo big eyes and drew on her own mouth which I touched up just a little. She had heard someone mention a wombat earlier and that became the name of her grass head.

 The next activity was dip net fishing, not much success early on, the kids were a little too slow so we moved to this pond and talked about the seed pods from the water lotus (I think). Then Nanny and I caught a little tiny fish and Georgia was on a roll she found a few. Noah didn't catch any he was too busy chatting about the plants and a little slow to move his net. When I asked him about it he said he was said he didn't catch any but they were too fast. He was also not very still he was rough and loud, think I would swim away too!

Next was some seed pod boat racing. This was a lot of fun. The kids started out picking a seed pod and a seed for a driver, the decorated with textas (a bit silly putting the boat in water it washed off) and then they had to check their boats floated. Katelin and Georgia had great boats, Noah's kept rolling, it had a bit of a twist and his driver was too heavy. This was a problem as he really like the seed with a split in it and we had to keep fishing it out. So we pocketed that one and got another driver and pod SUCESS! Off we went to join the races. Georgia didn't want to race her boat. Noah was all in for it, I think it was his favourite. He did such a great job listening and doing as he was aksed.

Katelin and Noah's boats were almost stuck together for this race.

I love this shot off Noah, his boat is in the bottom left.

Our last activity was throwing and catching water balloons. Into cut open 2l milk bottles. The kids were not quite co ordinated enough for that but had fun and got wet.

Lastly it was free water play in the fountains and these are my favourite shots!

Stomp on the water. Love this one.

Love the excitment and movement.

She just had a ball. There are heaps more action shots I love, one with her pony tail up in the air!

Noah didn't play up to the camera as much.

Love this one!

 

She had fun getting her belly wet!

So I have a ton of great shots and a story to be told any ideas girls. Off for a bike ride now - gotta make sure I use it!