Five Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend

EVENT AND RECIPE A DOZEN DAYS Traditionally, a Twelfth Night celebration was held on January 5, a night of feasting, games and giving gifts, all presided over by the Lord Of Misrule. The Lord was chosen by sweetmeat lottery – whoever found a bean in their slice of Twelfth Night Cake became the ruler for the night, organising the entertainment and setting ludicrous commands. There’s a lovely piece here about the celebrations, complete with a recipe for a rich cake to make (if you can face more sweet stuff!) If you’re in London, don’t miss Sunday’s fun and free Lions Part celebrations on Bankside with the Holly Man, wassailing and King Bean and Queen Pea – one of our favourite yearly events.



EVENT AND RECIPE WASS UP?

Ward off evil spirits, worms and maggots, and encourage the ‘good’ robin at a wassail. Traditionally held in orchards on Old Twelfth Night (January 17), events run all through January and might involve singing traditional songs, making lots of noise to scare off ghoulies, and hanging a cider-soaked piece of toast on a tree. Find a National Trust event near you here – we love the sound of a mummer’s play, morris dancing and procession at Devon’s Buckland Abbey. Find more parties across the UK here, including details of Croydon’s battle between the Holly King or Oak King, earth-centred spiritual heritage at the Dilstron Physic Garden in Corbridge and a whole day of processions, performances and song at the Weald and Downland Living Museum in West Sussex.

Alternatively, visit your nearest apple tree, and hold your own noisy, magical ceremony while drinking a traditional wassail cup. Try these recipes for traditional and alcohol-free versions (American apple cider is similar to our cloudy apple juice).

DO SCHOOL FUN

For many of us it’s back-to-school time. Motivating kids to get up and moving can be more difficult in the colder, darker months. Why not try…

Packing a flask of warm soup for lunch instead of cold sandwiches. Try these portable, delicious, vegetarian ideas.

Layering thermal tops to keep cosy in the classroom; try the middle aisle in Lidl or Aldi for bargains or invest in merino base layers.

Finding fun on the school walk; get ideas including playing as you go and using a tracker wisely here

Making your own school supplies; a pencil case that repurposes a favourite shirt, covering books with brown paper and then customising them or creating stylish work folders.

For those home educating, the colder weather means that it’s a little more difficult to get serious outside time in, but our ideas for winter forest school activities will help keep kids warm and engaged. We love the Swedish concept of ‘friluftsliv’, the idea of connecting to nature through immersing yourself in it; find out more here. Find more ideas for open-air learning and play courtesy of the excellent Outdoor Learning Day crew.

EVENT A RIGHT PA-LAVA

This Saturday is Volcano Day at London’s Natural History Museum. Join Museum scientists to explore the explosive world of magma, lava flows and eruptions. Help make a model volcano erupt, go on a treasure hunt for materials, attempt to save a town from catastrophe in an action-packed show and try to stay upright on the famous earthquake simulator. Free.

While you’re there, don’t miss the Museum’s new exhibition The Lost Rhino. It’s a free display that examines our relationship with endangered species and includes a video installation featuring a life-sized northern white rhino, thought-provoking films, prints and a rhino from the Museum’s collection.

DO BOX CLEVER

We still have a big stash of post-Christmas cardboard boxes. And getting them out can only result in one thing; fun. We adore this baby maze made from card and bulldog clips while this stair-slide is great for older kids Find creative and magical ideas for cardboard houses here and lots more ideas here and here.

WHAT WE’RE EATING Seasonal Mains for January Bright, beety borscht, chestnut pesto and healthy green stir fries. Find our ideas for nutritious, cheap veggie recipes for cold winter nights here.

WHAT WE’RE READING Exactly How to Find Joy Today—and Every Day: Make a joy list, add some colour to your world, give a little bit, get houseplants, be even kinder, talk to strangers and clear your mind. Find how to bring more positivity to your life here