By Kate Hodges
01st March 2021
We are so excited to announce the centenary edition of The Green Parent magazine. We’ve given the magazine a spruce up for its 100th birthday! You’ll find more about the different stages of parenthood, from pregnancy right through to late teens. There’s practical articles about saving money, self-sufficiency and wild living. Plus ways to meet other readers (and even take a peek inside their homes!). This issue has a subversive edge - think unschooling, orgasmic birth and getting food for free. You’ll get a 10 step game plan to raising a happy, independent toddler, veggie feasts and how to have the sex conversation with your teens. Plus nature craft, birth stories, choosing books for diversity and boosting your family’s gut health. Get it sent to your door.
MONDAY St David’s Day
Today is all about Wales. St David’s Day is an excuse to bake up a batch of warm Welsh cakes (find a vegan version here), make junk model dragons or go for a long daffodil-spotting walk. Alternatively, find out more about the myths and legends of the country at this fantastic site. It’s also the last day of the Gwyl Dewi festival; why not start the day at 8am with yoga flows from some of Wales’ most beautiful locations, or finish at 6pm with a bedtime story from Cerys Matthews?
For a blast of contemporary Welsh culture, join the crew at Gwyl 2021 on March 8-9. The online festival is a partnership between four major welsh events that includes performances by Cate Le Bon, Arlo Parks and Gruff Rhys, as well as comedy shows I Wish I Was An Only Child and Welcome to Spooktown.
TUESDAY Spot Frogspawn
It’s the time of year to start thinking about pond-dipping; we’ve already spotted mating frogs and spawn. Dig out your nets and head for the nearest backgarden, river or lake. There’s a guide to raising tadpoles here, but be aware of these basic rules. If you spot some spawn, why not add your sighting to the Woodland Trust’s excellent Nature’s Calendar, where you can record seasonal events to help experts build up a picture of the state of the nation’s wildlife.
WEDNESDAY The Twits/Phillip Pullman
The Unicorn Theatre’s innovative and exciting online offerings are a wonderful way to unwind and immerse your family in a fantasy world. Catch Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales; time-burnished classics read by a cast that includes Green Parent favourite Le Gateau Chocolat and Rory Kinnear. Or choose Roald Dahl’s The Twits; unabridged, gunge-filled and filmed in the Unicorn Theatre. Younger children will enjoy Anansi The Spider Re-Spun, all about the 8-legged mischief maker from West Africa and the Caribbean. All free and accompanied by home learning activity packs.
THURSDAY World Book Day
Many children are still not back in school, so this year’s World Book Day looks a little different (the more cynical among us may even be raising a quiet cheer that we don’t have to put together a costume the night before). You’ll find audiobooks, activity sheets, discussion guides and author academy videos online, while there are specialist resources for teens here. The £1 books are back; will you choose a What the Ladybird Heard Story Play, Sita Brahmachari’s The River Whale, Kill Joy by Holly Jackson, or a brand new Skullduggery Pleasant story from Derek Landy? And, if you want to (or have to) make a costume, find some super-quick and easy ideas here that include some for children who really don’t like dressing up.
FRIDAY British Science Week
Let’s hear it for the scientists, the mathematicians, the engineers and the technologists. This ten-day celebration of all things clunky, numbery and bangy may be all-digital this year, but it’s still an awful lot of fun; this year’s theme is Innovating For The Future. Celebrate the diverse people and careers in the sector and smash stereotypes, enter the poster design competition and download activity packs for all ages here, jammed with experiments, activities and sport-related ideas.
What We’re Reading This Week
Jess Phillips: ‘Motherhood made me feel like I mattered. I wish that wasn’t the case’ The Birmingham MP Jess Phillips has written a new book called Mother. She reflects on losing her own mum, having children – and fighting for women’s rights
“She says she tries not to think about what her mother has missed too much. “When I was selected to be the candidate, she’d only been dead about 18 months, and I remember thinking: ‘I’m not asking much of the celestial beings, I just want a phone call, I just want to tell her.’”
Read 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
