Collaborative post Do you have kids who love to draw, paint and craft? If the answer is yes, chances are you’ll be struggling to keep up with storing and displaying their creations - there’s only so much room on the fridge, after all! Putting your children's artwork on display is a lovely way to celebrate their skills and give a real family feel to your home. But it’s easy to run out of space and inspiration, so here are some ...
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 perfect for combining nature play with an art activity to create a homemade masterpiece. This is just one of the fun nature projects in my book, 'A Year of Nature Craft and Play' (co-authored with Becky Goddard-Hill). There’s an activity for every week of the year and it includes ...
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 ...
Nature craft: painted rocks
Painted rocks are a classic nature craft, and one that my kids never tire of! It's a great little craft that doesn't need much preparation, and suits pretty much all ages of child. It's also brilliant for those days when the weather isn't fantastic but you'd still like to get hands-on with some natural materials. Here's how to make your own painted rocks. You might like some family-friendly rock jokes too. We use rocks and pebbles from our ...
Fun garden games to get kids active
The arrival of warmer weather and longer days means one thing in our house: everyone spends more time in the garden. This is a really busy time of year gardening-wise, so I’m always pottering about with plants, and the kids just love being able to play outside and blow off steam. I’m a huge fan of outdoor play. After being cooped-up indoors my kids’ mood visibly lifts when they head outside for some fresh air; it’s no surprise really, given ...
Craft inspiration with The Works
Are you crafting with the kids during the school holidays? I love the fact that the school holidays give us more time to get creative; the kids love crafting, but term time is just so busy and we don’t always manage to fit it in. This week we’ve been working on a school homework project which involves making your own musical instrument, namely a shaker using a kitchen roll tube and dried rice; we’ve had one major spillage but ...
Naturally Crafty #34 – a Nature Craft Linky
Welcome to the latest Naturally Crafty nature craft linky, hosted by me and my blogging pal Becky Goddard-Hill from Simple Parenting. This week I'm linking up my post on how to make twig-wrapped flower pots. This is a great craft for putting a stick collection to good use! Wouldn't they make a lovely homemade Mother’s Day gift? Join in with #naturallycrafty Naturally Crafty is the place to link up all your fab nature craft posts. ...
Naturally Crafty #32 – a Nature Craft Linky
Welcome to the latest Naturally Crafty nature craft linky, hosted by me and my blogging pal Becky Goddard-Hill from Simple Parenting. This week I'm linking up my post on painted rocks. My kids never get tired of this one! It's a great little nature craft that really encourages creative thinking, and it's perfect for exploring colour, texture and shape too. Have you ever had a go at painting rocks with the kids? Join in with ...
Naturally Crafty #29 – a Nature Craft Linky
Welcome to the latest Naturally Crafty nature craft linky, hosted by me and my blogging pal Becky Goddard-Hill from Simple Parenting. This week I'm linking up my post on fun bird feeders. One of the kids' favourite craft activities is making bird feeders, and this week we've been mixing it up a bit and trying something a little different with oranges and cookie cutters - lots of fun! Join in with #naturallycrafty Naturally Crafty ...
Naturally Crafty #26 – a Nature Craft Linky
Welcome to the latest Naturally Crafty nature craft linky, hosted by me and my blogging pal Becky Goddard-Hill from Simple Parenting. This week I'm linking up my post on ideas for winter nature crafts. In this post there a lots of ideas to keep you busy, including these simple twig trees which are great for putting those stick collections to good use! Join in with #naturallycrafty Naturally Crafty is the place to link up all your ...