Get your children gardening with these ideas.
Autumn tree collage
This autumn tree collage is a fun autumn craft for children that build fine motor strength.
I’m looking after a child at the moment who adores ripping up paper. To put this passion to good use we made an autumn tree collage.
Tear :: Glue :: Stick
Autumn beauty!
Make your own street map
To help children get to know their local comunity you can make your own street map. I’ve used this with children who were new to the area to help them feel settled in their new home, and with children starting school, to help them feel confident about the school run.
Start by taking a walk around your local community. You might want to pick a particular route that the children take regularly – to school, to the childminders, to the shops. Help your child to spot local ‘landmarks’ which they recognise on the way – a post box, a zebra crossing, a park, the house where the barking dog lives. Use a digital camera to take pictures of each landmark.
When you get home, print off the photos. Use a roll of paper (or the back of a wallpaper roll) to draw out a basic road map of your journey. It’s doesn’t have to be exactly to scale of course, and you’ll probably need to do this bit for them. Then, together tell the story of your journey – talking about all the things you pass on the way and sticking them in the right places on your map.
When you’ve finished you can use the map to play with toy cars or dolls’ house people to bring it to life. You could roleplay situations with the child – for example you could walk a doll to school along the route and have them say goodbye to mummy and line up to go into class. This lets your child try out situations before they occur – giving them chance to prepare themselves and become more confident in the real situation.
Next time you go on the journey keep a look out for all your landmarks and notice if any have changed.
How to make a number line – autumn leaf rubbing craft
Turn the classic autumn craft of leaf rubbings into a useful math display by making a leaf number line.
How to make a number line – autumn leaf rubbing craft
Gingerbread recipe
A good recipe to use with children – the dough can cope with lots of handling by the children and the finished biscuits will still turn out OK.
Gingerbread recipe
7 oz plain flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoons mixed spice
3 oz butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 oz sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 desert spoon of water
1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 / 190 C and grease two baking trays with butter.
2. Heat the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan, but don’t let them boil.
3. Stir in the flour and spices.
4. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the water and add to the mixture.
5. Knead it into a ball and then roll out on to a floured surface.
6. You can make diferent shapes and use cookie cutters to make biscuits – whatever you like. If you’re making gingerbread men, add raisins for eyes / mouth / buttons.
7. Bake until golden (time will depend on how big your cookies are, but check after 10 minutes).
8. Lay them on a cooling rack. If you want to add icing wait until the biscuits are completely cool.
Enjoy!
Birthday Cake Recipe – best ever!
Easy birthday cake recipe
Makes enough to fill two round cake tins about 20cm diameter or 24 fairy cakes
8 oz caster sugar
8oz butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, free range please
8 oz self raising flour
a little milk
1. Grease the two cake tins with butter – on the bottom and all round the sides. Pre-heat the oven to gas 4 / 180 C.
2. Cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat with an electric whisk until smooth and stiff.
4. Sieve in the flour and fold it in gently with a large metal spoon. Easy does it.
5. Mix in a little milk to get the mixture to a soft consistency which drops easily off the spoon.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins. Family tradition says everyone present in the kitchen has to blow the cake a kiss to make it taste good.
7. Bake for 20 minutes until it’s firm to the touch on top when y0u press it gently.
8. Turn the cakes out on to a cooling rack. Once completely cool you can decorate (see icing receipe below).
Butter Icing
3oz butter at room temperature
6oz icing sugar
a little water
1. Beat the butter until soft
2. Sieve in the icing sugar and beat with the butter.
3. Add a little water (or orange / lemon juice for flavour) til you get the consistency you want – fairly stiff, but spreadable. Less is definitely more – don’t add too much water. You could add a few drops of food colouring if you want.
4. Spread over the top (and sides if you want) of the cake. Then add your decorations.