Spring Activities for Rainy Days

We all know that Spring in the UK can mean pretty turbulent weather on our little isles, and this year makes it no different. With The Weather Outlook forecasting a potentially colder and wetter Spring, we’ve collated some top activities to do whether it’s rain or shine.

RSPB have just had their yearly Big Garden Bird Watch campaign with great success – but that doesn't mean that it should stop there! Making bird feeders with your children is a great way to get involved with the campaign as well as teaching them to care about wildlife and the environment (it’s a good excuse for kids to get messy, too).

You only need:

Instructions:

1.      Gently heat the lard in a saucepan, ensuring its thoroughly melted, but not boiling.

2.      Take off the heat and stir in the seeds and mealworms if using.

3.      Then press mixture into a container like a yogurt pot or roll a cardboard tube in it.

4.      Attach string to your feeder once dried, either through the tube or by poking a hole through the solidified lard with a pen, if you’ve used a container.

5.      Hang from a tree or near a window and you can enjoy watching which birds best enjoy your treats!

This simple craft is a really nice activity to do when it’s dismal outside and the little ones are getting antsy. You only need three ingredients and some sort of plastic sheeting (think a cut-open ziplock bag, a clear document wallet or a clear table cloth); as well as a bit of patience.

You'll need:

Instructions:

1.      If you’re using different colours – separate equal amounts of PVA into different bowls and pop in a couple of drops of washing up liquid and a few drops of your food colourings of choice.

2.      Mix with a wooden stirrer if you have one, or a spoon that you don’t mind scrubbing glue off.

3.      Trace designs over shapes or create your own masterpiece on top of the plastic sheeting and wait to dry.

4.      Peel the shapes off and carefully place them on your windows to decorate your home!

The great thing about these window clings is that they’re not only easy to make, but easy to clean from hands, to dispose of and not terrible for the environment either.

Another classic and hands-on activity to do when it’s an “indoors day” – getting everyone together to decorate some eggs to use as a display or hang on an easter tree makes a great afternoon and is the perfect way to show children how to reduce waste and try new mediums of art in their play.

You’ll need:

Instructions:

1.      Make a small hole in the top and bottom of the eggs with a safety pin.

2.      Carefully open up the hole at the bottom with a cocktail stick so the hole is slightly larger and that you’re able to pierce the yolk. Twirl it around so that the insides are lightly mixed.

3.      Over a bowl, blow through the top hole so that the egg is emptied into it.

4.      Once it feels empty, try to rinse the egg in a bowl of soapy water and repeat step 3 to remove water from the inside.

5.      Pat them dry and they’re ready to paint on your designs!

Stay tuned for part 2, where we’ll be giving ideas for fun in the sun!