Last year we had a great time partnering with RSPB on family-friendly activities that would help to give nature a home in our garden. You might remember that we planted wildflower seeds, grew flowers for butterflies, made a frog and toad abode, grew plants for moths, and made a bird bath. It was a busy year! We’re thrilled to be working with RSPB again on some fun new projects. Over the next few months we’ll be bringing you more ...
The kit you really need for growing seeds
We may still be trying to wave goodbye to winter, but if you’re even remotely green-fingered your thoughts are bound to be turning to what plants you want to grow this year. I’ve already spent a lovely afternoon with the kids planning what to grow on their plots, and a couple of evenings working out what I want to grow in our garden and allotment over the coming months. I've done my seed order and now it’s a case of waiting for the ...
How to make twig-wrapped flower pots
If, like us, you have an ever-growing stick collection, this is the perfect nature craft for you!Sticks and twigs are just brilliant for crafting, and this little project turns them into a lovely homemade gift. All you need is a plant pot, some string, and a little plant to pop in when you're finished.The idea is to create a length of tied-together twigs that you then fasten around the pot. Start off by measuring each stick ...
Free plants – how to divide perennials
Does your garden have holes in it at the moment? Not actual holes in the ground you understand, but holes nonetheless. Are the borders are looking bare, with whacking great patches of soil with nothing in them? Mine certainly are, and it’s not very uplifting to look at! Gaps in your borders are perfectly normal for this time of year, because lots of plants are in their dormant phase until the weather warms up and they start to ...
How to make fun bird feeders
Do you feed the birds at this time of year? We try to do it all year round, but in winter it's particularly important to give wild birds a helping hand, because natural food sources are scarce. One of the kids' favourite craft activities is making our homemade feeders; I've lost count of the number of times we've made them, and whenever we put them out in the garden they vanish within a couple of days!This week we've been ...
Fun winter nature crafts for children
We don’t really see winter as ideal for spending time outdoors with our children, do we? The days are shorter, the weather is often less than inviting, and it’s hard to motivate ourselves to leave the comfort of a cosy house. But in my experience, children just don’t think this way. As far as my kids are concerned, when it comes to getting outdoors the season is pretty much irrelevant; as long as they’re dressed to suit the ...
Natural Christmas decorations: pine cone trees
My kitchen is covered in glitter, but that's all part of crafting at this time of year isn't it?!We've already started our Christmas crafting with cute Pom Pom Pine Cones, and these gorgeous sparkly pine cone trees are our latest natural Christmas decorations project.This is absolutely ideal for children of all ages; there are no fiddly bits and it's a pretty simple craft.We started off by choosing a nice selection of pine ...
Homemade Christmas ornaments using baking soda dough
I do love christmas crafting. At this hectic time of year, it's so lovely to spend some calm time with the kids, creating crafty masterpieces to add to our growing collection of homemade christmas ornaments.We've already made some cute pom pom pine cones and mini christmas trees, and our latest fun project is these fab tree decorations made from baking soda dough.These homemade christmas ornaments were simple and ...
Tips for stress-free homemade Christmas cards
When it comes to festive craft, homemade Christmas cards are a great option to make with the kids. Mine make them every year for grandparents and daddy; we always have fun getting crafty with the glitter, paint and pens, and their homemade creations are really treasured by the recipients. With the big day so close, I think it’s a good idea to keep crafts as laid-back as possible, so I thought I’d share some of the tips I’ve picked up over the ...
Homemade Christmas decorations: Pom Pom Pine Cones
Well it's official: the Christmas prep has started in our house :)We've been having fun with some Christmas-themed nature craft, making these natural Christmas decorations from pine cones and pom poms. Is there any limit to the crafting potential of pine cones?!I do love homemade Christmas decorations; they're so full of personal meaning, and a great way to spend some fun time crafting with the kids. Every year our ...