Crisp mornings are upon us and although I still feel a little mournful of the summer coming to an end, I’m also excited for the cosy days autumn brings. This is a nostalgic time of year for me, the crunch of leaves take me back to my childhood putting on wellies and taking our golden retriever for a walk over the South Downs, or the smell of a bonfire reminding me of toasting marshmallows and watching fireworks with cold noses and rosy cheeks. Autumn is also one of my favourite times for being out in nature and finding ways of bringing the outside in. The children and I will often take strolls through the woodlands close to home and hunt for different materials we can use to create something wonderful. It gives us time to really be in the moment and spend some quality time together creating moments of joy.
I thought I’d share some of the activities we’ll be doing over the coming weeks. With everything we do now, sustainability is a priority, so we can really make the most of the magic of nature…
- Woodland wands – Last weekend we all went for a walk in the woods and collected sticks and leaves of all different kinds. Using twine, yarn or ribbon, we’d strap the leaves to the end of the sticks – you can add strips of colourful ribbon and feathers too. The kids had so much fun playing make believe games with the wands after, and now they look beautiful bunched together in a vase on their desk. A simple pleasure.
- Halloween garlands – Make a garland for your Halloween window display using twine, dried orange slices and different spooky cut-outs. This is a great one to reuse for (dare I say) Christmas too as you can replace the cut-outs with cinnamon sticks, pine cones, berries, or even reuse the orange slices to create your own wreath.
- Autumn Wreath – Speaking of which, why not have a try at making an autumn wreath. This is a great way to decorate and get those creative juices flowing. I have a rattan grapevine wreath that I add different foliage to and then the ring can be used again and again.
- A spooky treasure hunt - again using cardboard cut-outs to hang from trees, or using characters you have around the home, or maybe collect small stones and paint creepy crawlies on them for your little ones to find. If you’re not one for trick or treating you could even hide little goodie bags around the house or garden filled with your child’s favourite treats.
- Salt dough - Make salt dough decorations and hang these from the windows. My children love playing with dough of any kind and these decorations will keep for years to come too.
- Craft boxes - There are some great sustainable crafting companies that have some wonderful ideas to keep your little ones occupied. I particularly love frecklesontheinside. (the-inside.co.uk/shop)
- Baking - This is most certainly the time of year that makes me want to get into the kitchen and bake delicious treats for the family. Pumpkins not only look fabulous in the window, but also taste amazing in cakes and muffins. I love a certain yummy pumpkin loaf recipe that I go to time and time again courtesy of Deliciously Ella, which has the bonus of being gluten, dairy and refined sugar free too.
- Fruit creations - You can also get creative with fruits, perhaps dipping bananas in chocolate for a ghostly treat, making pumpkin clementine's, or sandwich mini marshmallows between apple slices (using peanut butter as the glue) to make false teeth!
- Last but absolutely not least, if you own one of our sustainable bodysuits, especially in black, why not base your Halloween outfit around this? The Ola or Emily bodysuit in black is the perfect sustainable basic to wear with a black skirt or pants, accessorised with a witches hat, cat ears, or a vampire cape. Boo!
I hope I’ve offered a bit of inspiration here. I always find that when you’re in need of a few creative ideas, just get wrapped up, wellies on, and get outdoors with your little ones. Who knows where it will take you.
Take care and enjoy those cosy comforts.
Harriet - Founder x