Autumn Materials Bright and even blustery autumn days are the ideal time to explore the great outdoors. Whilst you’re out and about with your child, gather some fabulous autumn materials such as leaves, sticks, and conkers to create a beautiful collage. You can do this whilst on the school run or on the way to…

Sensory Play with Herbs We have been growing mint in our Nursery gardens. Mint is so straightforward to grow. You can buy a plant from the garden centre or even the supermarket and plant it in your garden (just watch it doesn’t take over!). Mint is great for Sensory Play with your child. Stimulate your…

Mint Playdough All children love playdough. Why not make your own delicious smelling mint playdough using fresh mint that you can grow in your own garden? Adding fresh mint into playdough will extend your child’s sensory play. They can also get involved in growing the mint, for example, watering it every day, and measuring the size…

LEAF RUBBINGS Now that Spring is on its way, why not take your little ones out to the park to explore the great outdoors and extend their understanding of the natural world.  These leaf rubbings are a simple but effective activity to enjoy together. Bring along a sheet of paper and wax crayons, and whilst…

Painting Outside This is a great activity for a sunny day and so easy to organise. Simply dress your little ones appropriately and give them a small beach bucket with some water in. Show them how to use a big brush (decorating ones are great) to paint just about anything! The path, the shed, the…

Paper Chains You can buy packs of ready cut paper (plain, metallic or patterned) to make these paper chains.  Alternatively, cut strips of paper yourself to stick with a glue stick. Strips of 2cm by 20cm are the ideal size.   Show your child how to make the first loop and then thread the next…

Snipping Snowflake This is a great seasonal activity that practices motor skills. You can add a little early years geography by talking about weather and snowfall. Scissors are often hard for children to master but this activity gives a nice result even if the cutting is a little haphazard!   Fold a square piece of paper…

Broken crayons can be a trauma for parents everywhere; we are sure that you will identify with it! The thin ones snap in little hands (you know the ones, the kind that you get for free when you visit a restaurant!); pieces break off and embed into the carpet, or, at best, the crayons languish…

Creating Egg Box Gardens Research has shown that in our ever-busy lives, children are spending less time outside.  At Bumpkins, we believe that fresh air and the great outdoors grows little minds and allows children to explore the world around them.  Gardening is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. We love this recycling idea…

There’s plenty of fun activities on over the Easter school holidays for young families in the area around Whaddon. Here’s our Bumpkins pick of things to do this Easter.  Click the title of the event to find out more details! The Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt is on every day this week until Friday 8th April,…