By Kate Hodges
05th November 2020
EVENT, MAKE and RECIPE Fire into Winter
Guy Fawkes night will be differently shaped this year, but a small-scale celebration is the perfect excuse to rediscover the joys of the back-garden bonfire or to try firework-inspired crafts. Why not revive the old art of guy making, and create a Fawkes-alike for the top of your fire? Or make some tin-foil sparklers or paper plate Catherine wheels both of which will also suit the upcoming Diwali celebrations. Don’t forget your tummies! Parkin is a traditional cake eaten on November 5, and is incredibly easy to make. Find out how here. Find more about the history of the night here and some rather gruesome rhymes to sing here
READ Be Happy
For many of us, a second lockdown starts this week, and the prospect of schools shutting or shifting to a rota system is quietly looming on the horizon. It feels more important than ever to work on ways to stay positive and connected. This guide is useful for adults, stressing the importance of staying connected to nature and using mindfulness to establish a healthy, positive and constructive routine. More focussed on children and families, this BBC guide written by Dee Holmes from Relate suggests manageable steps to stay calm and happy, including being open and honest with your children and having outlets for stress. The BBC Tiny Happy People site is a mine of information about our small friends, and includes clever ideas for games and activities to do with your baby as well as parenting tips and invaluable SEND resources.
DO Surreally Good
One of our favourite games is Exquisite Corpse, or picture consequences. It’s incredibly simple; each player draws a head, then folds down the paper and passes it on, completing a whole person (there are instructions here). But did you know that it originated with the surrealist artists? Frida Kahlo, André Breton and Marcel Duchamp were all fans (find out more and see their creations here) . It’s also possible to play a form of the game on video chat platforms; be inspired by these ideas and challenge your friends and family!
DO Explore the World
As museums and galleries shut their doors once more, head online to take a tour and discover their wonders queue free! We enjoyed the Natural History Museum’s Mary Anning exhibition, while you can explore the incredible atrium of The British Museum, and go beyond to explore its treasures here and find a fascinating infographic site here. Wander around The National Gallery’s halls here or dive into Tate Modern’s archive here. If you can, spend a few pounds in their gift shops; they need all the financial help they can get right now.
DO and LEARN Sleepy Time
Creatures across the country are starting to bed down for winter and go into hibernation (to be honest, this year we’re a little tempted to join them). Find out why and how hedgehogs, mice, bats and frogs burrow away here and watch the most adorable video of a dormouse waking up from its winter slumber here. Want to help badgers, birds, hedgehogs and frogs over the colder months? Find out how here.
What we’ve been watching this week:
Mother and son write lockdown book to explain autism. “A mother and son have written an illustrated book during lockdown to help explain his autism to others.
Rebecca and Archie, 11, who live in Dorset, set about creating Awesome Archie to show how his “awesome and adventurous brain” works.
The book took four months to complete and has now been published, attracting fans from as far away as California and Australia.’” Watch more here
Found something inspirational to read that you’d like to share? Want to share your creations with us? Have an idea for things to do? We’d love to hear from you. Email Kate
