Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

08th June 2022

Rollerskate and hula hoop with Grace Jones, plunge into cleaner oceans and meet a pod of real merpeople, and peek behind the gates of your nearest farm! Plus waste-free potato-peel crisps, the power of knitting and why men are delaying having children.

Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

08th June 2022

Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

08th June 2022

EVENT, DO, MAKE SEAS THE DAY
How will you celebrate Saturday’s World Ocean Day? Perhaps you might find an event near you here or plan your own beach or waterway clean-up using the resources here.
London’s National Maritime Museum is jumping in feet-first, with a brand-new digital art installation, workshops to create wearable artworks from everyday materials and printmaking, a chance to meet scientists, conservation experts and a pod of fabulous merfolk, live sea shanty sing-alongs, and a brand new gallery, ‘Poles Apart’, which takes visitors to the icy frontiers of modern polar science. Free. Get the lowdown here
Find more ideas for direct action you can get involved with here, our guide to Britain’s best hidden beaches here, our favourite nine British beaches for rock pooling here, and how to make sweet ‘jellyfish’ from sea urchins and air plants here.

EVENT PULL UP TO THE BUMPER, BABY!
Grace Jones’ Meltdown shimmies into the South Bank Centre from this weekend. While many of the events are for adults and young adults with performances from the likes of Peaches, Baaba Maal, Big Joanie and John Grant, there’s plenty of free fun for younger audiences. This weekend, make like the iconic picture of Grace and get skating; there’s a series of jam roller workshops with DJs (over 10s) on Saturday, and an ear-quaking outdoor friendly sound clash on Sunday, while next week sees a high-fashion takeover of the terrace with African Fashion Week London’s A Night of a Thousand Graces and a dazzling hula hooping workshop and mass performance from The Majorettes.

EVENT FURROW AND BULLS
Open Farm Sunday is a chance to peek behind the gates and into the fields and paddocks of our nation’s food providers. Understanding the way our crops are grown and the route from field to plate is vital for our children’s health and our agricultural future, and this is a really fun way to gain that knowledge. There will be a farm near you to explore, and most will be hosting activities that might include a chance to meet the animals, walks, nature trails, tractor rides, pond dipping or arts and crafts. Free.

EVENT CAST ON

This Saturday is not only Worldwide Knit in Public Day, but also International Yarn Bombing Day. Two brilliant prompts to cast on! Practical, calming and a great way to socialise, we’re fans of family knitting. Find our eight reasons for families to knit together here and more knitting inspiration here, while we meet more craftivists changing the world one stitch at a time here. There are great suggestions for approaches to teaching knitting to kids here.

EVENT PUTTING ON THE BRICKS
Running for the whole of June, London Festival Of Architecture is the world’s largest annual architecture festival. Its events are inclusive and fun, taking place in the streets and parks of the city, and include plenty for families. Reimagine London through a day of big building at Hackney Bridge, find out about what our dreams tell us about living on a messy planet with other animals, walk through a ‘time tunnel’ at Seven Dials, play on a rocking bench, follow the Sculpture in the City Family Tour, design your own playground or discover Euston through creative workshops and STEAM activities. Family programme here, full line-up here. Free.

BONUS SNACK ATTACK!
We’re addicted to these zero-waste potato peel crisps. Sorry, not sorry for enabling you lot too!

WHAT WE’RE EATING: Cherry lollies Cherries are obviously best eaten straight from the tree. But all cherries make excellent jams/jellies says David Hamilton. Here he makes use of a glut with a simple cherry ice lolly recipe. Get the recipe here

WHAT WE’RE READING: Women’s fertility problems are not theirs to bear alone. Men are also delaying childbirth: “Buried in the first page of the study, in unemotional language, is the smoking gun that makes me sit up with annoyance: “A substantial proportion of young men desire to have children at an age when a female partner of similar age would have reduced fertility potential.” Read more here

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