Five Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend

MAKE STITCHING TIME

Finger knitting is a classic Waldorf school activity, and it’s easy and fun for any child to master. All you need is a ball of yarn and some willing digits. Try these child-friendly instructions that come complete with a song or this slightly more intricate take. Once you have your ‘ropes’ made, use them to make bracelets, rugs, scarves for dolls and humans, or even gigantic, outdoor art installations!



EVENT, DO LEST WE FORGET

Sunday is Remembrance Day, a time to remember everyone who sacrificed their lives for their country during wars. However, at a time of enormous global uncertainty, any glamorisation of conflict can seem at odds with what we teach our children. The White Poppy movement, run each year by the Peace Pledge Union, represents remembrance for all victims of war worldwide, including civilians and those in conflicts that are still happening; a commitment to world peace, and a challenge to those who would celebrate wars. Incidentally, if you’re finding this week’s political news hard to explain to children, this guide might help. And here’s our steer on finding positive news among the doom and gloom.



EVENT GRAND PARADE

Saturday’s free Lord Mayor’s Show might seem a quaint tradition, and described by the organisers as “the oldest, longest, least rehearsed and best loved civic procession in the world”. The giant basket-woven figures of Gog and Magog, the guardians of the city, lend a Summerisle-style pagan feel to the procession, parading alongside full-size model elephants, Japanese drummers, a horse-drawn bus and the tallest fire engine in Europe. Find out more about the event’s rowdy history here. After the parade, why not have a wander around the City and explore the galleries, green spaces and buildings steeped in history? Download a map of the day’s events here.

DO PRAISE THE VEG
It’s World Vegan Month! Not only is going vegan good for animals, and our bodies, it’s also going to play a vital role in saving our environment. There are happenings all month; visit a vegan market or event near you. If you’ve not taken the plunge, why not sign up for the 30-day pledge, which offers support, daily encouraging messages, tips and resources or find fresh recipe ideas here.

EVENT AND DO IT’S A SWING THING
The London Jazz festival gets into full swing this week, but unless your kids are deeply into hard bop or funk fusion, they probably won’t appreciate being strapped into a seat and subjected to full-on noodling sax solos. However, they will enjoy the festival’s annual Tots Tunes, Music To Move To and young people performing. The events take place at venues across the capital including the South Bank Centre. Find the family friendly – many of them free – events here.

Jazz sounds like a sophisticated concept for little musicians, but improvisation is what little kids do all the time; pretending a cushion is a hat, making up silly lyrics to songs they know well, and inventing new dances. Find out more about how to explore jazz with your kids here.

WHAT WE’RE EATING WARMING WINTER SOUPS There’s nothing quite like getting in from a brisk walk to a warming bowl of soup. Packed with vitamins and nutrients, it is the perfect meal for those convalescing, in need of comfort, or as a quick and easy family dinner. Rustle up some homemade bread to serve, slather with butter, and there you have it: comfort food at its very best! Find the recipes here

WHAT WE’RE READING First to 21st: a woman and her son through the years – in pictures: “Zoe Norfolk won a silver award at the AOP Awards 2023 for Every Year I Take a Photo, a collection of self-portraits of her and her son, William, taken on his first to 21st birthdays” Read more here