Are you feeding your garden birds this winter? These homemade bird feeders are a great way to give them a helping hand! Why it's important to feed wild birds in winter Winter is a tough time of year for wild birds, as natural food sources such as insects and berries are scarce. Also, birds need lots of energy-rich food to maintain fat reserves, which are called upon most when temperatures drop. Providing a winter food source for birds ...
Easy Halloween crafts: spooky spider plants
We've had so much fun making these spooky spider plants! Aren't they just perfect for Halloween? I saw this easy Halloween crafts idea on the Amateur Gardening website, and thought the kids would love to have a go. We did this craft outdoors, but it would work perfectly well indoors if the weather isn't great. How to make spooky spider plants Here's what you need to make your very own spooky spider plants. Plant pots ...
Nature Crafts for Kids: how to make a journey stick
Making a journey stick is such an easy, fun outdoor craft to do with the kids - and a great low-cost way to have some fun family time. We learnt what a journey stick is and how to make one at our local Skylarks nature reserve in Nottingham, which is part of the Wildlife Trusts. What is a journey stick? I'd never heard of journey sticks before, but apparently they've been around for a very long time. A journey stick (also known as a ...
Growing sunflowers in a pot: fun gardening for kids
Are you growing plants with the kids this year? If you're looking for easy seeds to grow with children it's hard to beat growing sunflowers in a pot. And now is a great time to get planting! As well as producing seriously impressive blooms, sunflower seeds are easy for little hands to deal with, and pretty low maintenance to grow. They're also brilliant for local wildlife; the flowers are great for bees and other pollinating insects, ...
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 against ...
4. The 10 minute gardener: quick gardening in February
If you always feel like you don't have enough time for gardening, or just need some guidance on what to focus on each month, this is the series for you! Read on for tips and ideas on quick gardening jobs for February. While January was a low-input month in the garden, we spent a lot of time planning, sketching and dreaming. The kids chose what to grow in their plots and I sorted out my seed order. Now the end of winter is ...
Gardening with children in winter: quick and easy growing seeds to plant
We’ve started the seed planting for this year, hurrah! Sowing seeds is my kids favourite gardening job; it never fails to grab their attention and we always have a really great time doing it. Usually a messy time too, but that goes with the territory! Now, you may be thinking “But it’s still freezing outside, no way could we start growing tender little seedlings” - and yes, if you planted most seeds outdoors at this time of year you’d ...
Easy crafts for kids: fun winter nature crafts
This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links will be clearly marked with a * and if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission from that sale. Are you managing to get the kids playing outdoors this winter? These fun winter nature crafts will help you tempt them off the sofa! We don’t really see winter as ideal for spending time outdoors with our children, do we? The days are shorter, 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 homemade Christmas crafts, making these cute DIY 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 Christmas ...
Handmade Christmas decorations: pine cone trees
My kitchen is covered in festive coloured paint, but that's all part of crafting at this time of year isn't it?! We've already started our homemade Christmas crafts with cute Pom Pom Pine Cones, and these gorgeous pine cone trees are our latest handmade Christmas decorations project. This DIY Christmas ornaments activity is absolutely ideal for children of all ages. There are no fiddly bits, and it's a pretty simple craft. DIY ...