The Linnaeus at Home Book

Explore the world outside with this activity book for parents

Linnaeus at Home

Our 3 Linnaeus Inspired Values are:

  • Going outside and exploring in nature makes us happy and healthy
  • Our understanding of the natural world requires recording and sharing
  • Learning about life on Earth is vital to sustaining its future

From a young age, Carl Linnaeus was encouraged to explore in nature, be curious, take notes, share his findings and learn more about LIFE.

These pages were developed to help parents build confidence within nature so that they can encourage their children to go out and explore the natural world, right outside their door.

Linnaeus at Home is available via these web-pages, as a freely downloadable PDF, or you can purchase the book at cost-price (£7 plus P&P).

We can provide free copies of the book in some circumstances - get in touch with us at learning@linnean.org.

Exploring in nature activities

Pitfall traps

A small pitfall trap is a simple method for catching ground-dwelling creatures such as beetles and woodlice.

Bug Hunting

What is a bug, and how do we hunt for them?

Plant Hunting

Go outside and take a look at all the different types of plant you can spot.

Pond Dipping

Ponds are important habitats for different organisms and can be an endless source of interest, as well as a valuable resource for learning about biodiversity, classification and life cycles.

Recording and sharing activities

Bird Feeders

Do you know a wood pigeon from a collared dove, a magpie from a crow, a wren from a sparrow?

Squirrel Feeders

Squirrels are a great way to think about biodiversity, competition between species and conservation.

Pressing Plants

Herbariums are crucial for ongoing research on plant biodiversity.

Drawing Nature

Artistic skill continues to be crucial for scientists to communicate their ideas with impact and clarity.

Learning about life activities

Nature Friendly Spaces

A nature-friendly space is one that has safe environments for all sorts of animals to move through, live in, or find food and shelter.

Indoor Plants

Having plants in the house and knowing what they are called, their preferred environments and the habitats they provide is a great way to inspire curiosity in children.

Making Roots

Explore the wonders of nature on a small scale.

Colourful Carnations

The process of water uptake and transport is vital to all vascular plants’ survival.

Identifying Nature

Let's find out the best ways to identify all of the organisms you might come across

OneZoom: Tree of Life explorer

OneZoom is an amazing interactive map of the evolutionary relationships between the 2 million species of life on our planet!

Competitions

New Portrait Competition

In a special edition of the competition, we are inviting people of all ages to create a new portrait that Carl Linnaeus would really like. This year, Linnaeus would like a new portrait of his furry friend, Sjupp.

The Special Species Competition

Create your own Special Species and enter into our competition!

The BioMedia Meltdown

And the winners are...