Year 1 Return to Dalston Curve Garden – Mini‑Beast Detectives!

Year 1 had an exciting return visit to Dalston Curve Garden, where we explored how the environment has changed since our last trip and used our detective skills to solve a very important mystery — who has been munching all the leaves?

As we investigated, the children searched high and low for the mini beasts that call the garden their home. They spotted tiny bugs crawling up tree trunks, hiding under logs and hovering around plants, using their observation skills to notice patterns, shapes and movements in nature.

Inspired by their discoveries — and by the mini‑beast characters they know from books — the children then got creative. Using only blobs of paint on paper, they designed and illustrated their own imaginative mini beasts, thinking carefully about features such as wings, legs, colours and habitats.

After lots of clues, careful thinking and excellent teamwork, the children finally uncovered the culprit behind the leaf‑munching mystery… It was the leaf‑cutter bee!  We learned that this special type of bee cuts perfect circular shapes from leaves to build safe, cosy homes for its babies. Unlike honeybees, leaf‑cutter bees are solitary, so they don’t live in hives — instead, they create their own leafy shelters, a bit like a caterpillar tucked inside a cocoon.

It was a brilliant session full of curiosity, creativity and hands‑on learning. We look forward to continuing our garden adventures soon.