Mum’s the Word

This lockdown seems a lot harder than the last two. The kids are off school again but this time the days are shorter and the weather is cold. My kids love being outside, but we are fed up with the same walk, scoot or bike routes. We’ve been getting our daily dose of vitamin D and time away from the screens, whilst reconnecting with nature in our garden and it has been great fun. We’ve tried making mud pies and a spot of gardening but one of our favourite activities was creating a ‘bug hotel’ and keeping an eye out for visitors. Bug hotels are not expensive to make, in fact they can be almost entirely free and what better way to help nature while using up the garden waste and you’ll never be too far away from a hot chocolate and snack to warm up.

Collect materials: Spend some time hunting around the garden you can literally use anything. Sticks, leaves, pinecones, bark, pebbles, old bricks, broken plant pots or wooden pallets will help you create different environments and lots of hidey holes.

Find a suitable place: Choose somewhere that won’t be disturbed and is sheltered from the weather. Insects like dark cosy places so darker corners or behind a bush are the best places to create the home.

Build: Make sure your have a good frame by using bricks or larger bits of wood. Create lots of different size holes and gaps to attract different types of creatures and fill spaces with pebbles, leaves and bark. Top with a roof so your guests can stay dry and you are done. You really can’t go wrong. My children found an old garden ornament and said it was a ‘bug swimming pool’, very fancy! Then just wait for the guests to arrive. Different seasons will attract different visitors so make sure you are doing your house keeping!

When you are looking for something to do on a rainy lockdown afternoon, why not try this cheap and super easy playdough recipe. Not only will your children love playing with the dough, but they can also help make it too. You only need a few store cupboard ingredients, and it is ready to be played with immediately. Perfect! Makes - 1 ball of dough (make as many different colours as you like)

• 8 tbsp plain flour (plus extra for dusting) • 2 tbsp table salt • 60ml warm water • food colouring (gel will work best) • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 2 mixing bowls • Glitter (optional)

1. In one bowl mix the flour and salt and in the other mix together the water, a few drops of food colouring and the oil. 2. Pour the coloured water into the flour mix and stir with a large spoon to bring all the ingredients together. 3. Lightly dust a work surface with a little flour. Knead the dough together for a few minutes and it will start to turn soft and pliable. Check the colour and add a couple more drops of food colouring if you would like a more intense colour. If you want to add a bit of sparkle you can also knead in some glitter! 4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge to keep it fresh.