Dec 3rd - make Christmas cards

Having bought blacnk cards from Amazon the girls enjoyed decorating them. G and P painted theirs with watercolours. E used stamps I had bought from Noolibird.

Art Start Challenge Day 2: Chalk

Today I set up the challenge area 2 with different types of paper and chalk.

 First P got to work enjoying colouring the paper with the chalk and then I suggested she could try adding some water to her pictures.

 We tried different textured objects to try to create different effects.

 P then took the chalk outside.

If we repeated this, I think I would have more dark coloured paper and better quality material to give better colour.

December 17th - Enjoy Christmas crafts @ Wandlebury

After ballet and riding, we headed over to Wandlebury to enjoy their Christmas crafts. We used Christmas stencils to decorate cut up pieces of logs; branches to make trees to hang decorations on, and painted tiny wooden decorations.

 As we left, the mist was amazingly atmospheric.

 We read

December 7th - Make candles

Our elf wrote on Mary's Donkey round our advent spiral:

 

We then used some sheets of beewax to make candles from a kit bought from the Quince Honey Farm.  Once we warmed the sheets up, they were easy to make. They burn well too!

 We read

December 4th - Make Pepperkaker

Today we made the Scandinavian Gingerbread.  We always make this but this time I used a new recipe. 

Ingredients:
 150g golden syrup
250g soft brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
175g butter, softened
150ml double cream
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
750g plain flour, plus more for dusting

Method:
1 Meltthe syrup, brown sugar, spices and butter. Add the cream and beat. Sift together the bicarbonate of soda and flour, then mix it into the butter mixture. Flour a work surface and knead the dough well, then wrap in clingfilm and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
2 The next day, or when ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Roll out the dough really thinly on a floured work surface and cut out with whichever cookie cutters you fancy. Place on baking trays lined with baking parchment. Bake for about eight minutes, then leave to cool on the baking parchment on a wire rack.

 

 P also made some Christmas decorations (a walking snowman and penguin and an angel for the tree) using kits from Baker Ross.

 

We read:

 Our Elf is clearly missing home:

 

Family Halloween Fun @ Wandlebury

Today we went to the family Halloween fun afternoon at Wandlebury. You had to prebook and it cost £10 a pumpkin. The girls had fun picking their pumpkin from a massive selection which we then took to a table outside to carve!  E enjoyed doing her own whilst the husband helped P.

 When the pumpkins were carved we took them and put them on a stake which we then decorated with greenery! 

 The girls then enjoyed roasting marshmallows and some crafts. There was also a walk in the dusk around the ring but we had to leave early so we didn't join with this!

Fitzwilliam Art week @Summer at the musuems

This afternoon, after a morning of gymnastics and a play at the park, we went to the Fitzwilliam as part of Summer at the Museums.Today we clay sculptures.

We started off looking at the bronze sculpture by Henry Moore, titled Hill Arches

 which is outside the museum. We also found some small works by Moore inside.

 The girls then created their own work of art from clay.

Gargoyles @summer at the musuems

We started the day off with a couple of hours playing at the swimming pool, including several goes on the slides!

Then we had a quick picnic lunch before heading to Great St Mary's to join with their Clay Creatures as part of Summer at the Museums. We started off hunting
gargoyles around Cambridge, before the girls sculpted their own clay creatures.

#30dayswild Day 17: Making insects

Today we made our own insects. We painted a tube, used glitter glue on acetate sheets for the wings and stuck on pipe cleaner legs and eyes.

#30dayswild Day 16: Designing seed packets

Today, whilst the rain continued to fall the girls designed their own plants and seed packets (a printable from Sparklebox). 

#30dayswild Day 12: Fowlmere Bullfinches RSPB Wildlife Explorers

Today G and E attended their first Fowlmere Bullfinches RSPB Wildlife Explorer meeting. They went looking for the reptile and amphibian inhabitants of Fowlmere. Sadly, the weather was against them and we didn't see anything! However, we heard a turtle dove and saw the southern marsh orchid. The girls then made salt dough snakes and a great-crested newt (which are currently drying at home before being painted!).  They both had a fab time and can't wait for the next meeting.

At home, P was then inspired to make one too! We used this recipe for salt dough:

1 cup salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup luke warm water

Directions
1. In a large bowl mix salt and flour.
2. Gradually stir in water. Mix well until it forms a doughy consistency.
3. With your hands form a ball with your dough and kneed it for at least 5 minutes. The longer you kneed your dough the smoother it will be.
4. Then  make your animal!

P made a nest with eggs in, a lizard (and so did I), a snake, a dog and an insect.

#30dayswild Day 5: A garden gathering to celebrate the Queen's official 90th birthday

To celebrate the queen's official 90th birthday we had a few friends round and decorated crown shaped biscuits and paper crowns bought from Kidzcraft and had afternoon tea in the glorious sunshine, just enjoying being outside! 

Children’s Lantern Crafts

Today we went to Great St. Mary's as part of e-luminate festival of lights to create our own lanterns from laminated tissue paper. It was a really simple yet effective idea that both E and P really enjoyed!

 First they laid tissue paper on an outline of a house pre-drawn on an A3 laminated sheet. Then they put it through the laminater.

 Then the shape was cut out.

 Then the house was stuck together with selotape! 

We added battery operated t-light and it was finished.