By Kate Hodges
23rd June 2021
- MAKE Leaf it Art The nature crafts at Mother Natured are super-easy, Earth-friendly and celebrate the wildness around us. Try making a heart garland, weave butterfly wings from weeds, or make nature crowns worthy of a wild rumpus. Find out more about why art matters for families here, Richard Shilling’s guide to nature art here, and more leafy art ideas here and here.
EVENT Get Moo-Ving Open Farm Sunday is a chance to peek behind the gates and into the fields and paddocks of our nation’s food providers. Understanding the way our crops are grown and the route from field to plate is vital for our children’s health and our agricultural future, and this is a really fun way to gain that knowledge. This event is slightly different to previous years, you’ll need to pre-book and activities have been limited, but you may find self-guided bird and wildflower walks, tours of the farm and sheep shearing, sheep dog and tractor displays. Mostly free entry, some ticketed.
EVENT Dropping Science Shifted from its usual Easter holidays slot to the summer, this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival’s theme is One World: Science Connects Us. With our planet at the heart of its programming, there are over 200 events, workshops and exhibitions, with over 70% available for free online (there are some great home education resources) , but with plenty of real-life events too. This year, hurrah, 60% of the festival’s speakers are women. Follow urban fossil trails, try an interactive lesson and step into the shoes of a cyber security officer, or be wowed by the Strong Women Science shows and workshops. Find out what’s on here
- EVENT The Milk Bar The Big Breastfeeding Café is back on the 24th June for its seventh year. The good news is that recent studies have shown that breastfeeding rates have risen over the last year, and this event can only help keep that momentum going. Organisers Medela are encouraging mums to get together, virtually @medela_uk or in person at their local café (venues involved from Edinburgh, through to Birmingham and down to Brighton) to share support, advice and build invaluable communities to lean on when they need it the most. Find more here
DO Fun in the Sun Keep everyone entertained over the long summer holidays with Family Action’s free, downloadable activity pack, ‘Creating Happy Memories’. Find simple, thrifty, fun ideas such as summer bingo, growing a potato tower, making edible paint and crafting a pinata, as well as strategies to keep your mental health in tip-top shape. Family Action transforms lives by providing practical, emotional and financial support to those who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation across the country.
WHAT WE’RE READING When young children battle anxiety, parents don’t need to feel like helpless bystanders “Tantrums, clinginess and fussy eating could all signal your child’s emotional cup is full. Regulation depends on the emotion being validated and then released.” Read more here
- WHAT WE’RE WATCHING Barra’s Return of the Wild Around the world, we’re losing more plants and animal species than at any other time in history, with recent research suggesting 25% are now under threat. Yet in the UK and Europe, a glimmer of hope exists as conservationists, biologists and activists undertake work and projects to save species before they disappear for good. Watch here
