Five Free Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend

MAKE Cuteness Overload

Acorn cups and nuts are thick on the ground of our parks, streets, and gardens. They make one of our favourite – and free – art materials. They’re super-cute, perfect for fairy hats, canopies for pet rock villages, or tiny, tiny boats. Painted acorns are an easy way to make your house look seasonal; make up a bunch of clay versions for decoration.

EVENT Hull 4

Hull’s Freedom Festival is a forward-thinking, inclusive, and adventurous event that, ordinarily brings spectacle to the streets of the Humber-side city. This year, it’s intimate rather than large-scale, unfolding digitally online and via the BBC. Try tap-dancing at a socially distanced club, join scientists online to explore environmental change, take in powerful musical and DJ performances, or pop some corn and watch moving circus performances from the comfort of your own home. Full programme here. All free.

DO and RECIPE Red Magic

As all good hedge witches know, this is the season when hawthorn berries start to spangle the trees like shiny rubies. They are magickal little things, said to help regulate heartbeats and high blood pressure. They’re quite pippy and stalky, but it’s worth persevering with the fiddle in order to cook them. Try making richly-flavoured, deep crimson haw ketchup, perfect for eating with roast dinners, or sweet cordial. Find out more about the berries and tree here and find more ideas for recipes here

RECIPE Boxing Clever

Many children return to school this week. With restrictions still in place, things will feel a little different this year. Hot dinners are off the menu for lots of us, but packed lunches don’t have to be boring. We’ve got a stack of hacks, from saving on packaging, making meals sturdy enough to survive bumpy bike rides and – our favourite – including surprise notes, doodles and labels to add a little love to your sandwiches. Click here to read on (and find a whole free digital issue to boot!)

EVENT and RECIPE Bread Heads

It’s Sourdough September! This annual celebration of genuine sourdough and the people who make it is an excuse to eat more sourdough and think about making your own. Find out the difference between sourdough and sour faux and where to find the real deal here or find out more about making your own here

What we’ve been reading this week:

Starting young by Rowan Clarke “The joy of wild water is just what open water families are discovering now. As a sport, it’s being buoyed by a fresh influx of youngsters who will excel in pushing it forward and opening up new opportunities. But it’s also helping us tap into something more profound. The outdoor swimming community knows the qualities of wild water to de-stress and promote health and well-being, and whether we lead our children into the water or vice-versa, it can benefit us all.”

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