Summer Holiday Activities - Child's Play

Well it has been a busy few weeks here at The Pigs so the blog has had to take a back seat.  I have to admit I have missed it and am now inspired to begin my blogging once more.

One of the many things I would like to share with you is around the subject of Child's Play.  How to keep children entertained seems even more pertinent due to the limited summer we are experiencing this year.  Children need fresh air, physical exercise and constant entertainment.  I wondered if I could help create happy summer holidays.

We are very lucky to have such wonderful parents who support us with a large proportion of child care.    I know both parties enjoy spending time with Little Miss P, so rarely seek for things to do.  However, as the summer holidays were emerging I thought it might help to create a list of 'Places to Go in and around West Sussex' so they would not run short on ideas to entertain.

Sussex is a wonderful county, sandwiched between the South Downs and the Seaside.  So while I am the first person to jump at the idea of a holiday abroad in search of the sun, I am also very happy to enjoy a staycation when there is so many Places to Go in and around Sussex.

I thought it would be nice to share with you.

Please click on the link below to access the PDF file.


Summer Holiday Activities - Places to Go in and around West Sussex

I am quite excited if not a little nervous about launching my first PDF download!  I am a beginner so please be kind.  I would love you to let me know what you think.  Would you like more?

So nice to see you again.
Xxx

The Russian Giants - Update

 For those of you following The Russian Giants blog...They are sprouting!

This Little Piggy

This Little Piggy went to a Glitter Disco...

You will need:

Foam sheet

Felt

Glitter

Pencil

Felt Pens

Ribbon

Glue

Scissors

Step 1

Draw a pig outline in pencil onto a piece of pink foam sheet

(I used one of Poppy's dressing up masks as a guide for size and eye positioning)

Cut it out

 Check it fits!

Step 2
Cut out some coordinating felt shapes for ears and snout

Stick into position with glue

Step 4 
Cover the mask with a random spread of glue ready for the glitter bit!

Turn the mask face down onto a plate or tray of glitter and press down

Step 5
Make the holes for the ribbon, we used scissors but you could use a hole punch

Thread a piece of ribbon through each hole

Tie a double knot on the reverse

Step 6
Tie the mask round the back of your head

Congratulations - your Little Piggy Disco Mask is complete!

We also made a few more masks!!!  The requests were endless!!!

Nice to see you again.
Xxx

The Russian Giants - Sunflowers

Last week Poppy chose a selection of children's seeds from the garden centre.  A packet of 'Ladybird Poppies' and 'Russian Giants, Sunflowers' from the The Royal Horticultural Society.  So we got sowing.   

So here is an outdoor activity you can all do with your little green fingers!

You will need:

A packet of sunflower seeds

5-6 pots (7cm)

Watering can

Soil, potting compost is recommended

Trowel 

When to sow:

February to April

Step 1 - Sow indoors

Fill the pots 3/4 full with soil or compost

Push 3 seeds into the centre of each pot

Fill up the pots with soil, covering the seeds, pat the soil in

lace in a warm position indoors with lots of light

Keep the pots well  watered until seedlings appear - this should take just 7 days

When all risk of frost has gone, plant somewhere sunny outside

Step 2 - Sow outdoors

When the seedling have grown well choose somewhere for them to be planted outside

Rake the ground so it is nice and fine and remove any stones

Sow 20mm deep and 40cm apart

If you are planting in rows, make sure they are 45-60cm apart

Step 3 - Growing Giants!

Measure how tall the sunflowers get and how big the flower heads are

Which one is the biggest and best?

They may need securing to a wall or cane as they grow big and heavy

Step 4 - Drying out

Let the Sunflowers dry out in the late Aug-Sept sun

Collect the seeds and store in a dry cold place

Step 5 - Do it again

What are you sowing and planting?

Nice to see you again.

Xxx

Cherpie Cherpie Cupcakes

All these fresh, frosty mornings and the snow-capped Southdowns in the background, it seems that winter is in full flow here.  It has been chilly, chilly, chilly!

Inspired by a wonderful little Christmas gift and with a mini wildlife fanatic in tow, we have taken it upon ourselves to be at one with nature in our garden, this includes keeping all our feathered friends well fed during this cold snap.

We had been filling our bird bath up with stale bread each time we reached the end of a loaf.  Until my mother shared her concerns me, "you shouldn't feed bread to the birds, they get bloated".  Well we've all been there haven't we!  So knowing exactly how our feathered friends must be feeling, I looked into the diets of birds and settled on some bird friendly seed.

This Monday was playdates once more and it was a really dreary and dull day.  So as we were stuck indoors we agreed there was nothing left to do apart from bake!  But baking of a different kind, baking for birds; Cherpie Cherpie Cupcakes.  This is such an easy recipe and the girls really enjoyed the idea of feeding our feathered friends and keeping them warm.  I did have to watch they didn't lick the bowl as they usually do! 

You will need:

Bird seed
Gelatine
Boiling water
Ribbon or wool
Cupcake cases

Step 1.
Pour out the desired amount of bird seed into a mixing bowl.  We used 500 grams each. 

Step 2.
Empty two sachets of Gelatine powder into a measuring jug and add half a pint of boiling water, stir until it dissolves.  Let the water cool slightly, then little helpers can do the next bit.

Step 3.
Pour the gelatine and water mixture into the mixing bowl, stir into the bird seed mixture.

Step 4.
Lay out the cupcake cases, corresponding to how much mixture you have made. 500 grams made 6 cupcakes, with some left over.

Step 5.
Spoon out the mixture into each cupcake case, make sure each one is full of mixture.  Pack it in.

Step 6.
Get a knitting needle or pencil and poke the wool or ribbon, knotted end down into the mixture.  Fill the whole around the thread and pack it in again.

Step 7.
Leave to dry out in a cool place for 3 hours (ours went in the fridge).  Then gently remove the cupcake cases, turn upside down and leave to dry out again for a couple more hours.

Step 8.
Choose a tree and hang them up.

Step 9.
Grab a garden bench, sit back, drink hot chocolate and wait a while.  I wonder what will we spot?

Last month the RSPB launched the annual Big Garden Birdwatch.  When they ask everyone to get involved in birdwatching on a national scale!  Spend an hour in your garden or local park watching the birds on either Saturday 28, or Sunday 29 January.  All you need is a pen, some scrap paper (or, a printout of their handy bird ID sheet).   All the results are then submitted to the RSPB.  Last year 600000 people got involved.  Isn't that amazing!

We missed it this year and I was gutted, so to make up for it we will share our Cherpie Cherpie Cupcakes with our feathered friends.

Nice to see you again.
Xxx