By Kate Hodges
10th September 2020
DO New Issue Alert!
Curl up with a cuppa and the latest print edition of The Green Parent magazine. Inside you can discover the most unique school in the world, find five actions to raise anti-racist kids and learn immune boosting tips from readers’ grannies! We’ve launched the Alternative School Directory in this issue so you can choose the best forest kindergarten, Montessori school or other child-led education for your family. Plus how to create a tea ceremony, babywear with twins and switch to a plant based diet. Learn the Dutch art of Niksen, cut yourself some slack and find the perfect work/life balance. And find lots of healthy, nutritious, tasty recipes and ideas for playing and listening to music at home. Of course, there’s heaps more inside too, including a copy of the Natural Beauty Bible tucked inside with award winners in our Natural Beauty Awards 2020. Treat yourself to a little down-time, order your copy here.
MAKE and DO Conked Out
Early autumnal walks to school wouldn’t be complete without kicking around some horse chestnut cases and breaking them open to reveal nut-brown conkers. Did you know that there’s no proof that they repel spiders, but that they might keep moths at bay? Find out more conker facts here and ten things to do with conkers here. Conkers are, of course, great for crafts – we are in love with these cute painted horse chestnut hedgehogs – but did you know you can use conkers for making soap? If you fancy brewing the ultimate in wild detergents, discover how here. Alternatively, gear up for the World Conker Championships in October and practice your gameplay; find tips here (you might like to give passing your conker through a pig a miss).
RECIPE Treasure Chests
If conkers are hitting the streets, then chestnuts will also be ripening. It’s a race against the squirrels to find them, so get into the woods and make your harvest. There are some excellent storage tips and cooking tips here (we adore candied chestnuts) or try this silky and indulgent mushroom and chestnut pearl barley risotto.
DO Bring The Colour
The eleventh Design Ventura, the Design Museum’s annual competition aimed at young adults aged 13–16 has launched. This year, artist and designer Yinka Illori has set the brief. Yinka is best known for his Colour Palace project at Dulwich Pavilion and his designs use shape and colour to create objects that tell stories inspired by his British and Nigerian heritage. For this year he has invited students to design a product that improves everyday life by addressing a social, educational or environmental issue. The winning team of students will have their product manufactured and sold in the Design Museum Shop, with the profits gong to a charity of their choice. Watch Yinka’s video brief here and find out more about the competition here
EVENT Top of the Tots
Manchester Museum’s parent and baby sessions, Muso Baby, are now online, so everyone can join in the fun. Music therapist Rachel Swanick offers a live session followed by chat offering emotional support and suggestions for family well-being activities each Tuesday morning. Head to the Muso Baby Virtual! Facebook page between 10 – 11.30am (join the group ahead of time!)
What we’ve been reading this week:
What is it like to be a middle-aged woman? A son asked his mother – then wrote a comic “One day – while doing his own housework – Ma realised he wanted to better understand his mother. He gave her a blank notebook, and asked her to fill it with the unfiltered truth of her daily life. Less than a month later, she’d filled it with quotidian details, about her love life, her friends, her work; “at once a confession and letter to her son”, as Ma describes it.” Read more here
Found something inspirational to read that you’d like to share? Want to share your creations with us? Have an idea for things to do? We’d love to hear from you. Email Kate
