By Kate Hodges
16th March 2022
EVENT, LEARN, RECIPE THE WHEEL TURNS
It’s the spring equinox on Sunday, a time to connect to stop and connect to the natural world, as well as celebrate with family and friends. We’ve got some great ideas for marking it here and equinox wild wisdom from Glennie Kindred here. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you could head to the druidic ceremony at Tower Hill in London on the day itself. In some parts of the country, it’s traditional to drink dandelion and burdock cordial at this time of the year – it was thought in ancient times to cleanse the blood – find a recipe here, or a more adult treat of dandelion and burdock beer here
EVENT JOLI HOLIDAY
Holi is the two-day Hindu festival of colours, and starts on Friday (the same day the Worm Moon reaches its peak). The first day is spent doing religious rituals in front of a bonfire, and the second throwing rainbow-coloured dry powder paint, coloured water, and water-filled balloons; find out more about it here.There are celebrations across Britain. This weekend, join celebrations in London and Reading. Why not hold your own event? First, if you’re not Hindu, clue yourself up on how to avoid cultural appropriation and what’s appropriate. You might make your own colours, invite your friends to your garden (the dress code is white) or go to your nearest open space, and throw powders around until you’re all rainbow coloured. Find some more tips here
EVENT, LEARN, MAKE BARD REPUTATION
March 21–27 is Shakespeare Week, the perfect time to introduce your little theatre fans to the works of the great writer. There are a series of events taking place online – including workshops with Michael Rosen, Will-themed workouts, and sword fighting classes – across the country, you’ll find resources for home educators here, and for family activities here. This weekend, we’re going to kick the celebrations off by making our own quill pens and acting out some scenes from our favourite plays (find free kid-friendly scripts here)
EVENT SHEEP SHAPE
The sun is on our shoulders, days are stretching out, frogs have spawned, daffodils popped, and lambs are on their way! Many farms, both rural and urban, are starting to hold their annual lambing days; a chance for children to meet, feed and cuddle these little balls of fluff. This weekend, head to London’s Forty Hall to greet newly born sheep. Many other farms, particularly community farms creak open their gates during March and April for everyone to meet the new arrivals. Find our favourites here, head to a City Farm in London, or find a community run place near you here or here. If you can’t get to a farm near you, why not catch up with the tiny fluffs of wool coming into the world via St Fagans Museum of History in Wales’ infamous Lambcam.
EVENT TATE WHAT YOU DO
On Super Sunday at Tate St Ives admission is a puny pound for adults, while children go free. The festival celebrates the mesmerising,mythology and folklore-suffused art of Thao Nguyen Phan, whose exhibition is currently on display at the gallery. Make your own piece of wearable art, and add a creation to the Tate’s own Mekong river, then browse the galleries to find more creative activities. Booking essential.
WHAT WE’RE COOKING Lucinda Miller shares a rainbow of delights for feeding babies, toddlers and the whole family! We love these nourishing smoothie bowls that make a fab start to a weekend day of fun and family time! Get the recipe here
WHAT WE’RE READING Striving to be a supermum does nobody any good, including the kids: “The mythical perfect mother is flourishing on Instagram. Social media chips away at the feeling that we are fine, in insidious ways. We see other people who seem to be having more fun at family meals than our own dismal affairs, people who are better, richer, thinner and more glamorous parents than we are. Whereas once we might have compared ourselves to our neighbours or friends, now we can compare our family life to the world’s most successful and powerful people. Naturally, few of us feel we or our families match up.” Read more here
WHAT WE’RE READING TWO How can people in the UK help Ukraine? As the humanitarian crisis unfolds in Ukraine, many people in the UK are looking for ways they can help the refugees fleeing the fighting and those who remain in the country. Here are some practical steps you can take to help the Ukrainian people. Read more here
