We love messy play in our house but coming up with messy play ideas can be a bit of a challenge. I often need an activity that will engage both a toddler and a preschooler at the same time. As it’s school holidays, I search for activities that will help both children play harmoniously without ‘he ruined it!’ being shouted my way. Aside from it being a great way to fill the time, sensory play is important for a child’s development. Research shows that by engaging in sensory play, it helps build nerve connections in the brain’s pathways which help them complete more complex tasks. There are many ways in…
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10 Nature Activities for Children
We love the great outdoors and there are plenty of hands-on nature activities for children to enjoy. Whether it’s going for a paddle in the sea, walking barefoot through the grass or bug hunting in the garden, there is so much outside to explore and help your children learn about nature and wildlife. Playing outside has been proven to improve a child’s happiness and confidence, which is why I’m always keen to get outdoors every chance we have. The key is to tune in to nature as a sensory experience and use it as a way to learn about our environment and wildlife. The summer holidays are coming up so…
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How to Make The Most Of Sunny Weather
The British weather likes to keep us on our toes. It can go from chilly downpours to searing heat and back again in less time than it takes to birth a baby. So when the sun does come out to play, it comes of little surprise that the whole country gets a tad excited. The smell of freshly cut grass, eating our weight in burgers at a BBQ, the sounds of birds chirping. Ahhh. It’s absolute bliss, especially after a long and cold winter. I think it’s fair to say as a nation, we are pretty obsessed with the weather, especially when it comes to weddings. However, it looks as…
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Family Day Out At Trentham Gardens
During a visit down to my parents in Staffordshire, we lucked out to have one day of sunshine during a week that had been otherwise blighted by rain. So instead of staying in, we decided to pack up and head across to Trentham Gardens which sits on the outskirts of Stoke on Trent. It’s a place I visited as a child, not that I can remember it in all truth. We tend to go and wander around the chalet-style gift shops or mooch in the huge garden centre, but since they started charging to visit the estate it was something we never bothered with. I was put off by the…
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Why Children Need to Grow Up Around Nature
My sister and I were very lucky to have grandparents who lived in a small cottage on a countryside estate. As children, we would spend occasional weekends there without our parents. We would explore the fields, build bridges and splash in the brook or go on woodland adventures. I’m sure my grandma never let us out of her sight but she gave us enough autonomy to discover how we can use the great outdoors as our playground. I recently went to visit them with my two boys. As soon as I stepped out of the car, into the soft and gentle countryside, I could feel my mind wander back to…
