Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

02nd November 2018

Find positive climate change news! Hold an old-school Guy Fawkes night, find eco-firework alternatives, make Diwali snacks

Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

02nd November 2018

Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

02nd November 2018

RESOURCE - Be Positive
It can be taxing to feel positive about our planet’s future, and hard to answer children’s questions and address their worries when news programmes are filled with apocalyptic warnings. Addressing the positives helps. We love this good news ticker, filled with stories of ways in which individuals, parliaments and companies are taking responsibility for their actions. NASA is also an excellent resource to help explain climate change terms, and inspire future generations to make positive choices. Find more resources to help explain scary and overwhelming news stories for kids at the excellent Fred Rogers site – the ‘helpful hints’ section is particularly good.

EVENT, RECIPE, MAKE Light and Life
Diwali falls on Wednesday 7 – expect to hear the crashing and banging of fireworks beyond the 5th of November! The Festival of Light is celebrated by those from the Hindu and Sikh religion. It’s all about the lights; candles are placed in homes, there are firework displays (we love the always-spectacular one at the BAPS temple in north London that’s being held this year on Wednesday 7 and the huge celebrations in Leicester). Celebrate at home by making your own lanterns, create a rangoli, make these delicious Diwali snacks or cup of warming chai. Here are five of our favourite ways to celebrate the festival

MAKE, RECIPE Remember, Remember
We’ve decided to go old-school for Guy Fawkes night this year. The tradition of guy-making has all but died out, but we’re determined to revive it. Guys can be as complicated or straightforward as you want to make them – the most basic are just clothes and a pillowcase stuffed with newspaper or rags. Or you can get creative with plaster-of-Paris heads, home-made masks, or even build an effigy! Find ideas for yours here and here. Bobbing for apples is a bonfire night tradition – find out about its unexpectedly romantic history here. And don’t forget the food; toffee apples are a must, while cinder toffee is fantastic fun for kids to help make; watch it puff up as you add the bicarbonate of soda! Or try something very old-fashioned; a slice of sticky, gingery parkin. Find ideas for a greener, cleaner 5th of November celebration here

MAKE, DO - Autumn Wanders
It’s a lovely time of year to go for a walk in the forest. There’s still enough sun to keep us warm, chestnuts to find, and leaves to tramp through. We’ve spotted fly agaric toadstools lurking in corners, fairy-tale perfect. Take some Nature Detective sheets with you to identify leaves, name ancient trees, uncover signs of autumn, or even discover who’s been pooing on the boggy ground. Or just let yourself walk slowly, breathe, and indulge in therapeutic forest bathing. Why not bring some twigs home to make wind chimes or wall hangings

EVENT - Reely Good
The Into Film Festival is the world’s largest free film and education event for young people, with over 3000 free screenings and events across the UK. The festival aims to inspire young people to watch and understand film in new and creative ways, and is open to all educators of young people, including, of course, home educators. Their film resources are excellent; use their film guides as a basis to explore topics and themes from all disciplines and subjects, and their action packs to create projects such as work inspired by archive footage or a two-shot film using portraits

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