PARENTING

Here are some simple things you can do to keep your kids reading over the long summer school holidays.  How to keep kids reading over the summer Do you wonder how on earth you are going to keep your child / children reading through the school holidays? Especially the long summer school break that can …

Here’s a list of 25 of the best fruit, vegetable and herb plants to grow with kids in the garden this year.  Best fruit and vegetables to grow with kids We had great fun growing vegetables last year and we also planted lots of other seeds. Our herbs grew really well and our spinach and I …

Here’s a list of fun ways to grow seeds and plants with your kid. Growing plants and seeds is a great science-based homeschooling project to help kids understand the lifecycle of plants. Plus I share details of a super-useful garden or balcony mini-greenhouse for growing seeds and plants in. GROWING SEEDS AND PLANTS WITH KIDS …

Here’s a list of some of the best FREE dolls clothes patterns that you can download and sew, knit or crochet today. FREE DOLLS CLOTHES PATTERNS Making dolls clothes is a great way to add to the wardrobe of the dolls in your child’s life. This gives them an extra activity to do when playing …

  Here’s a list of simple tips for organising kids’ summer schedules so that they have a routine that works for everyone in the family… including you.    How to organise kids’ summer schedules I love the summer! But it does mean routine goes out the window. Instead it is replaced by a frenzy of …

Here’s a roundup of some of the most brilliant space activities for kids to play and learn from. STEM crafts that children’s can make and create to learn about space. Space Activities For Kids We are space junkies in our house. Doctor Who … and the fabulous Sarah Jane Adventures … have a lot to …

Here’s a list of ten brilliantly fun Mardi Gras crafts and activities for kids to enjoy during the Mardi Gras celebrations.    Mardi Gras crafts and activities for kids Mardi Gras is the last chance to party on down before Lent starts. Plus it’s a fabulous opportunity for some super fun Mardi Gras activities with …

  STEM toys make great gift ideas for kids with curious minds. Here’s a list of some of the best STEM toy gift ideas for kids.    STEM toys – gift ideas for kids STEM skills (science, technology, engineering, and math) have been big news in the UK for the last few years. The skills …

  Here’s a list of simple ideas to help kids avoid the summer brain drain over the long school summer holidays.    What is summer brain drain? Whilst the holidays are a great time for children to relax and have fun, they can also induce summer brain drain. Also, known as summer learning loss, brain …

  Here’s a list of 50 free things to do in London with kids, put tother by Londoners with kids.    50 Free Things to Do In London with Kids It goes without saying there are some truly amazing free things to do in London with kids. We have seven of the world’s best big …

Here are some hay fever hacks to help children cope with the symptoms of hay fever.    Hay fever hacks to ease symptoms in kids Hay fever is hard going for all of us who suffer from it. But kids can have a particularly hard time with this seasonal allergy.  Especially on school days. Even …

Summer is well and truly here. So too are the school summer holidays. The kids have bags of energy… which means that you need to be on the ball with great ideas to keep them entertained. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t about you being Chief Entertainment Officer for the duration of the summer break. …

We’ve had lots of fun with “potions” experiments. But to be honest they have been a bit random. So I’ve been making lists of different groups of potions experiments that build on each other and give us more chance to explore the connections between different phenomena we observe. This week I am sharing a list …

We were very lucky as children. We lived on the edge of a small town with fields just over the road and some amazing forest a few miles away, with plenty of free outdoor activities for kids to have fun with. There were lots of children on the street and we all played out together …

  Hidden vegetable soup is a great way to get kids who are picky eaters to eat large quantities of vegetables.  I know some mums think hiding veggies is a bad idea and I agree picky eaters need to get used to the texture of vegetables.  But, if it’s a trade off between one tiny …

How to get kids to eat vegetables… it’s a thing! Not for all kids, some will wolf down vegetables and not bat an eyelid, but most kids I know aren’t so keen. So how do we get kids to eat vegetables? I wasn’t big on vegetables myself as a child, boiled new potatoes with their skin …