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 ...
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 Christmas tree ...
Nature Craft: spooky spider plants
We've had so much fun making these spooky spider plants this week! Aren't they just perfect for Halloween? I saw this fab nature craft 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. Before we started, we gathered all the bits and pieces we would need; plant pots, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, compost, and ...
Ideas for enjoying autumn outdoors with children
I just love autumn. The weather is still mild, the sunlight is at a fabulous angle, and nature is visibly changing everywhere you look. My kids love it too; it’s such a tactile time of year with all those crisp leaves, changing colours, and of course the conkers! As September marches on, I’ve been thinking about how to make the most of being outdoors with the kids as much as possible before the colder weather arrives. Autumn is such a ...
Nature Craft: making leaf prints
Isn't autumn just wonderful for crafting inspiration? We've done so many lovely craft activities already this season, and these simple leaf prints are our latest masterpiece. With so many fabulous leaves lying around, we thought we'd get the paints out and put them to good use. First job was to head out for a walk in the park to find some leaves in varying shapes and sizes. After a good debate about which leaves were our favourites, ...
Create Your Own Happy: happiness-boosting activities for 7-11 year olds
As my kids are getting older, I’m finding that less of the time I spend looking after them is focused on doing ‘stuff’ for them, and more time is spent helping them to grow and develop emotionally. As a parent, it’s all a bit of a learning curve - like every other aspect of having kids I guess! - and it feels like we’re exploring this whole new area of growing up together. Is it the same for you? I’m always singing the praises of physical ...