Halloween House of Horrors

Last Sunday I headed into the cellar and dragged up the huge bag that houses our Halloween decorations. The Jelly Babies were beyond excited at the prospect of transforming our dining room into a spooky, cob web strewn coven. The irony of the fake cobwebs was not lost on Mr Wobbly Jelly who despairs at my lack of housekeeping skills.

Halloween has changed somewhat from thirty years ago when, on the 31st of October my mum and I would attempt to carve a turnip and I’d put on a cardboard witches hat before bobbing for some apples with my brothers.

Halloween is now a full blown celebration for many and definitely one of the highlights of my children’s year.

Last year as well as carving several pumpkins, we crafted a spider web from string, created a pumpkin from felt, and made a skeleton from cotton buds. Although the final pieces of art barely resembled what they were meant to, the Jelly Babies spent a wonderful hour cutting and sticking.

As darkness descended the Jelly Babies and their buddies changed into their spooky attire before feasting on sandwiches cut into witches hats (triangles) pumpkin cupcakes (regular cakes topped with orange butter cream and a small green sweet,) spider web crisps, pumpkin tangerines and marshmallow mummies (giant marshmallows studded with chocolate chip eyes.) This was washed down with witches brew (a jug of blackcurrant squash with some jelly worms thrown in for added gruesomeness.) After eating, we cracked on with some spooky games. As a nod to tradition, the children bobbed for apples. They then split into teams to wrap one of their team members in white toilet roll to resemble mummies. Finally they tried to eat doughnuts suspended from the ceiling on sting without using their hands (much trickier than it sounds.) It was then time to grab the glow sticks and head out to trick or treat a few specially selected houses.

 

 

 

When the Wobbly Jelly met Mister Maker

When you are as big into crafting and making as The Wobbly Jelly is, and you’re also rather partial to an hour or two in front of CBeebies, there can’t be many better offers than a trip to the theatre to see Mister Maker and the Shapes Live, followed by a chance to meet the legend himself. We leapt at the chance when our local theatre, Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells invited us to do just that. The littlest Jelly Baby’s excitement was infectious and I found myself counting the number of sleeps until the big day.

For those parents who have been living under a rock for the last decade, Mister Maker like Tony Hart in the the 80s and Neil Buchanan in the 90s, is inspiring a generation of children to get creative. His high energy, fast paced television show has been on air for almost a decade but I’ll be honest I was curious as to how he would hold the attention of the audience for the length of a theatre show.

The moment Mister Maker jumped on stage (via Brazil) I knew the littlest Jelly Baby (aged 3) and I were in for a treat. The next 90 minutes whizzed by in a whirl of music, dancing, jokes and of course lots of crafting. It felt more like we were attending a huge party rather than a theatre performance with children encouraged to get up and dance, and parents invited to join in too. The littlest Jelly Baby was thrilled that the show included all of the things she associated with Mister Maker – gloopy glue, the doodle drawers, and of course the shapes. Adding further to her sense of excitement, the audience were appointed Mini Makers participating in their very own ingeniously devised minute make challenge.

Over the last five years I have accompanied the Jelly Babies to a whole host of children’s theatre productions based on their favourite television shows and as much as they have adored each of the shows, this is the first that I can honestly say I have loved. The thing that made the show so enjoyable for me, alongside the fact the audience were central to the entire show,  was that the adults had been thought of as much as the children. With bursts of pop music from the nineties interspersed with the more traditional children’s songs and some jokes aimed at the parents and grandparents rather than the children and even some classic rave moves, the entire audience were catered for. We were both a little glum when the show came to an end but were thrilled that it was almost time to meet our crafting hero and I’m delighted to report that Phil Gallagher a.k.a Mister Maker was just as delightful as he appears on the television. We hope he’ll treasure the Big Pencil Case The Wobbly Jelly made him, just as long as we’ll treasure the memories from the day Mister Maker visited our home town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tortoise and the Hare – Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

If you are looking for a special treat this Easter weekend, suitable for all the family and that won’t break the bank, be sure to check out the Tortoise & the Hare. It is  being performed on Fri 25 March at 2pm & 4pm at the Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells. Tickets are just £8 for adults and £6 for children.

To learn a little more about this very special children’s ballet, The Wobbly Jelly caught up with Gavin McCaig to find out about his role of the Tortoise

Gavin McCaig is a dancer from Motherwell, who trained at The Dance School of Scotland for four years before receiving a scholarship to study at English National Ballet School. He joined Northern Ballet in 2014.

What is it like to be involved with creating a new character for a ballet?
One of our other dancers, Matthew Topliss, had the role created on him before the end of last season and it was then passed on to me to develop and bring the character to life for the first performances. I felt very proud to dance Sebastian and Dreda’s ballet, and tried my utmost to bring the character to life.

Have you danced in a children’s ballet before?
Yes, I danced in our production of Elves & the Shoemaker which I toured with extensively last season. I also played the Clog Man in the BBC version which aired on CBeebies.

What is the character like?
The character of the Tortoise is an interesting one. He has this all-knowing aura about him, yet is humble, kind, wise and reliable. I like to think he is everything you’d want to find in a tortoise if he could meet you for a coffee and have a catch-up!

How do you get into character?
Truth be told, I try and feel really sleepy and I usually lie down on my shell backstage for a while. In my first scene I have just woken up after a long sleep, so it helps to have been rested. It is quite a challenge to move so slowly and with such stiffness throughout the show when I have trained all my life not to be!

What aspects of the character do you try to bring into your dancing?
This role doesn’t require much actual dancing so the character really is the role! Everything I do from the way I tilt my head to the facial expressions I make is supposed to encompass this lovable and comic character. The other characters are more energetic so they do a lot more dancing than the Tortoise.

Did the character come to you right away or did it develop as the ballet was created?
It definitely developed. It changes from show to show too, depending on how the audience reacts. It was interesting to come to appreciate that you have to understand the kind of audience you have in front of you, and how much you can push or hold back on the comedy or facial expressions in order to get the best reaction. After the first technical rehearsal was out of the way I tried to perform each show more and more to what I believed the Tortoise would be like.

What are you thinking about while you’re dancing?
The character! The choreography and technical aspects are sorted by the time we perform, so I can really concentrate on being ‘the Tortoise’. The show is has such a strong narrative that I tend to speak the story in my head. When I offer my best friend Molly the Mole some tea in the tea scene, I’m actually offering her some tea in my head! This transcends to the kids and the rest of the audience a great deal more than worrying about my next cartwheel sequence.

Is the role difficult? Are the steps quite technical?
In this show the difficulty lies in the way I do things, as opposed to what I do. It’s trying to get the viscosity of the movement and play with the character on top that is the challenge.

What is your favourite part of playing the Tortoise?
When I hear the audience laugh! It is so fulfilling to know the kids and the rest of the audience are enjoying the show.

Why do you think it is important to introduce young children and their families to the world of ballet and theatre?
Ballet and theatre is a magical world. I would encourage parents to introduce their kids to the arts for so many reasons, the main one being I can say it is such a fulfilling pastime. To expose children to the arts captivates their imagination and encourages engagement on so many levels. It’s also a great family day out, and the kids are sure to love what they are seeing on stage.

Can you tell us a little about the costumes audiences can expect to see?
The costumes for the show are wonderful. I couldn’t have imagined a better Tortoise costume! I want to steal his waistcoat and shirt for my own wardrobe, along with a pretty cool shell. The competitive Hare’s costume is true-to-imagination, along with a black and yellow buzzy-bee tutu and a wonderful flowing, glistening butterfly costume with layers of Arabian-inspired material. I won’t give more away – you’ll have to see for yourself!

The show is set to an original score by Bruno Merz. How did you find working with the music?
It was great to work with the music. Bruno has completely embodied the heart and soul of the story and its morals. It’s playful and engaging in every sense.

http://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Box office 01892 530613

 

World Book Day Costumes

The Wobbly Jelly has put together a definitive guide to surviving World Book Day. Whether you’re looking for some inspiration for a homemade costume or maybe you are in a complete whirl as you’ve left it to the last minute and are in need of a quick-fix, whichever it is the Wobbly Jelly has it covered.

Homemade Costumes

Sophie (The Tiger Who Came to Tea – Judith Kerr)

How simple but effective is this gorgeous outfit from one of my favourite children’s books. I particularly love the multicoloured coloured tights. Her sister makes a delightful Tinkerbell too.

Mrs Pepperpot (Mrs Pepperpot – Alf Proysen)

The classic tale of Mrs Pepperpot was first published in the 1950s but remains as popular as ever with young children.

Great Big Little Panther (Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie)

Who wouldn’t have fun going to school in this wonderful costume, accompanied by the toilet roll accessory.

Werewolf (Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling)

Do you have a Harry Potter fan in your house who wants to go as something a little different? Take inspiration from this costume.

Posh Totty (St Trinians – Ronald Searle)

Another story that has delighted children for generations.The gorgeous poodle takes this outfit to a whole new level.

Harry (Harry and The Bucketful of Dinosaurs – Ian Whybrow)

A simple costume that works particularly well if you have a Harry.

Veruca Salt (Charlie and The Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl)

This gorgeous little lady is way too sweet to be Veruca Salt but wouldn’t it be fun to channel her for the day.

Gangsta Granny (Gangsta Granny – David Walliams)

This is one of my favourite book day costumes. Easily identifiable and one that can be put together with little time and effort.

Girl Pirate  (The Night Pirates – Peter Harris)

Who said pirates are just for boys. We Jelly Babies love the story of the fearsome girl pirates in The Night Pirates and this outfit was thrown together in minutes.

Wendy and Tinkerbell – Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie)

What could be easier than a white nightie. It may require a pair of tights and pale cardigan at this time of year.

Dorothy – Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum)

A simple blue gingham school dress, a toy dog and plaited hair is all that are required for this easy peasy costume but it’s the addition of red shoes and sweet wicker basket that make this little lady the perfect Dorothy.

Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Longstocking -Astrid Lingren)

Pippi Longstocking’s signature plaits can be created in just a few minutes with a piece of garden wire securing them in place. A dress, accessorised with a pair of stripy tights would finish off the outfit perfectly.

Hyena (The Lion King)

This little boy will be donning this hyena outfit on Thursday as his favourite book is one about the Lion King. It might not please the purists but the secret to helping a child learn to read is to let them read something they enjoy. Doesn’t he look fabulous?

If you are short of time or just not feeling creative below you’ll find a whole heap of suggestions for Book Day costumes that take seconds to throw together.

Witch

Winnie the Witch – Valerie Thomas

Meg and Mog – Helen Nicoll

Room on the Broom – Julia Donaldson

Policeman

Cops and Robbers – Janet and Allan Ahlberg

A Day At The Police Station – Richard Scarry

Nurse

You Choose – Pippa Goodhart, Nick Sharratt

This book is a great one to match to any costume you have and it’s loved by so many children.

Footballer

Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend – Francesca Simon

Frankie’s Magic Football – Frank Lampard

Football Fever – Alan Durant

Dog

Bottomly Potts from Hairy Maclairy – Lynley Dodd

Harry the Dirty Dog – Gene Zion

101 Dalmations – Dodie Smith

Elephant

Elephant and the Bad Baby -Elfrida Vipont and Raymond Briggs

Dear Zoo – Rod Campbell

Horton Hears a Who – Dr Seuss

The Slightly Annoying Elephant – David Walliams

But no Elephants – Jerry Smath

Lion

Dear Zoo – Rod Campbell

Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis

How to Hide a Lion – Helen Stephens

There’s a Lion in My Cornflakes – Michelle Robinson

Rabbit 

Rabbit’s Nap – Julia Donaldson

The Velveteen Rabbit – Margery Williams

Little Grey Rabbit – Alison Uttley

Lettice – Mandy Stanley

Vampire

The Little Vampire – Angela Sommer-Bodenburg

The Sleepless Little Vampire – Richard Egielski

 

If you want to know what the Jelly Babies will be dressing up as this year, you’ll just have to take a peek at our Facebook page on Thursday.

 

 

Mix a pancake, stir a pancake, pop it in the pan

 I adore Shrove Tuesday. For me it symbolises the start of the next set of festivities. Mother’s Day, Easter and in turn Spring are hot on its heels and we get to eat one of my all time favourite foods. Pancakes!

The littlest Jelly Baby celebrated her first pancake eating Shrove Tuesday with her big brother and seven of their buddies. I covered the table in a huge sheet of brown paper and put out bowlfuls of crayons to keep the tiny guests entertained while I set to work tossing the pancakes.

Here’s my couldn’t be simpler pancake mixture recipe complete with a sassy twist on the traditional lemon and sugar topping.

Pancake Mixture (enough for a family of 5)

4 Eggs

250g Plain Flour

300ml Full Fat Milk

300ml Tap Water

Whisk the ingredients together until the mixture is lump free and set aside while you assemble your chosen toppings.

Melt a little butter in a frying pan until it is sizzling and ladle in enough mixture to thinly coat the pan.

Gently push the edges with a spatula to loosen and shake the pan to free the pancake.

At this point toss the pancake as high as you dare.

Cook the other side until nice and crispy.

Serve immediately to the child who is most worthy.

Topping

 Gently heat 3 tablespoons of golden syrup with the juice of half a lemon. When warmed through add a dollop of the warmed citrussy goo to your pancake.

If you are feeling a little advant garde add a tiny pinch of ground ginger to the mixture.

Chocolate spread and banana, fresh berries and squirty cream and strawberry jam will also be on offer at Wobbly Jelly towers tomorrow.

The warmed zesty syrup in awesome addition to a Yorkshire puddings, admittedly when served as a pudding and not when served with roast beef and gravy.

 

 

 

 

Friday Night Is……

Disco Night.

This is such as simple idea that makes the dreaded (by me) bath time so much more fun and all it requires is some glow sticks and a bit of bubble bath.

With the children engrossed in an episode of Topsy and Tim (almost as shocked as I am by Joy’s surprise pregnancy)  I snook upstairs to prepare the disco. I plugged in the disco light we were given last Christmas, ran the bath, added some bubbles, threw some activated glow sticks in, turned out the lights, pressed play on the disco tunes and summoned the Jelly Babies to the bathroom.

The children yelped with delight before hopping into the illuminated bath tub. Bath time lasted much longer than usual and was a whole heap more enjoyable. We will definitely be repeating this but next time I’ll remember to take a vodka and coke up with me to really add to the disco feeling.

Peter Pan Party

With delicate but oh so sassy Tinkerbell, puritanical Wendy and the dastardly Captain Hook, there’s a character to suit all personalities in Peter Pan which is one of the many reasons it makes for a wonderful party theme.

Out of all the parties I have thrown for the Jelly Babies, I think this is perhaps my favourite of all. I had such fun planning it and was thrilled that both Jelly Babies assisted me in putting it together.

The Invitations

The invitations were based on the ever so simple pirate treasure maps we made earlier in the year. I used my very primitive drawing skills and drew one map by hand before photocopying it, tearing the edges of the paper, soaking them in coffee and then baking on a low temperature. The invites were tied with gold sequins and hand delivered to the party guests. For a more detailed explanation on how to make these click on the link https://thewobblyjelly.wordpress.com/2015/05/23/treasure-maps-for-pirates/

The Party Decorations

We went to town decorating the house. Tinkerbell bunting embellished with hand cut green felt stars and white fairy lights set the scene in the dining room. In the sitting room where the games took place, a huge Neverland Map was hung, alongside a Jolly Roger and our homemade Neverland banner. Peter Pan, Wendy and Tinkerbell silhouettes appeared to fly in the sky. These were made by attaching silhouettes cut from black card to the strings of helium filled balloons. Most of the children came in fancy dress, alongside a host of Tinkerbells, we had several Captain Hooks, a Wendy and even a crocodile which really added to the magic of the party.

The Entertainment

I had written a list of games that I wanted the children to play at the party but following a somewhat chaotic party for the biggest Jelly Baby a fortnight earlier I decided we needed an entertainer and called on Bella Parties at the last minute to invite Tinkerbell to the party. They were fabulous, sorting out my request within the hour and I was further reassured that the party was in safe hands when I received a call from Tinkerbell herself to run through the details of the party. My daughter and her friends were thrilled that Tinkerbell was in charge of the party and I was able look after the grown up guests and enjoy myself.

The Party Table

The biggest Jelly Baby drew a fabulous map of Neverland on some brown paper which we used as a table cloth. Surplus invitations were used as place mats, while plain plastic cups were jazzed up with pirate tattoos. Green napkins were folded into Peter Pan hats and decorated with red feathers. Chocolate coins, pirate hats and eye patches also adorned the table.

The Party Tea

A few simple tricks transformed the usual party tea staples into a feast fit for Peter Pan and his friends.

Pixie wand sandwiches, and fresh fruit  wands were served alongside Captain Hook’s swords (Chipsticks) and Captain Hooks Gold Earrings (Onion Rings.)

Captain Hook Pirate Ships

The biggest Jelly Baby was responsible for making the pirate flags that were attached to cocktail sticks and placed in orange quarters

Tinkerbell Wands

Simple vanilla scented biscuits were cut into star shapes and attached to cake pop sticks prior to baking, then decorated with some ready roll icing,  and stuck on with a smidgen of cooled boiled water.

Tigerlily Tee Pees

Ice cream cones were dipped in melted white chocolate and rolled in hundred and thousands

Pixie Dust Popcorn

Popcorn kernels were popped in hot oil and coated in melted white chocolate and sprinkles

Tinkerbells Wings 

Butterfly buns were baked in green cupcake cases and decorated with  butter cream and green sugar crystals

The Birthday Cake

 To make the treasure chest cake, a home baked rectangular chocolate cake was cut it in half. One half was delicately placed on top of the other. It was held open using two wooden skewers and a little bit of cake wedged between the two cakes. It was covered in chocolate butter cream and crammed with sweets. Fondant icing and jelly diamonds were used to decorate the chest. The sand was made from crumbled digestive biscuits. The Peter Pan figures and jelly crocodiles further embellished the cake.

Party Bags

Going home gifts included inflatable swords, eye patches, tiny silver Tinkerbell wands, chocolate gold coins, jelly crocodiles, candy necklaces, fairy dust, and tattoos placed in simple green and white striped retro sweetie bags and sealed with a personalised Tinkerbell sticker.

A Very Happy Party Girl

Advent Bags – 24 Fabulously Fun Activities to do in the run up to Christmas

This will be the third year that I have created Advent Bags for the Jelly Babies. Unsure what to do with a box of pegs numbered 1 to 24 that I bought on a whim, I decided the easiest thing to do was to fill 24 paper sweetie bags with a festive treat and a Christmas activity. Little did I know that these advent bags would become a really important tradition in our little family.

 

Advent bags aren’t an excuse to completely over indulge my children, it is more about ensuring we slow down a little at Christmas and take time out to include the children in the Christmas preparations. This may sound contrived and slightly cheesy but I think in previous years I had focused so much on making Christmas day itself perfect that I had forgotten that children find as much enjoyment in the build up as they do in the day itself. If nothing else the treat hidden inside each bag works as a useful bribe during the hectic days in the run up to Christmas when the Jelly Babies are even more fraught than usual.

Each bag contains a small sweet treat that is associated with Christmas (chocolate coin, candy cane, foil wrapped christmas tree chocolate) a gift tag detailing an activity or event for the day ahead and a small cardboard house that together build a Christmas village. Some of  the bags will contain something relating to the day’s activity. For example, the stamps to go on the Christmas cards, a pot of glitter glue, a cookie cutter or the tickets to the pantomime.

Last year it took less time than the time it took to drink a Gin and Tonic to put the bags together. Admittedly I had been collecting the bits and pieces to go in them over the previous week.

24 Advent Bag Activities Ideas

These are all activities I have included in the advent bags either last year or the year before. I will certainly include a lot of them again as they have become little traditions but I will be thinking of a few new ideas to ensure that the children are as excited to open the bags this year as they have been for the last two.

Unpack the Christmas Bags and put up the first of the decorations

Write and send your letter to Father Christmas

Post to Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ by the 6th of December to receive a reply from the big man himself.

Find a blanket, choose a cosy spot and settle down for some Christmas stories

Head to the park for hot chocolates overlooking the ice rink

Put the stamps on the envelopes, and head out to find a post box to post the Christmas Cards

This requires me to be organised but ensures that I get the dreaded job out of the way early in the month.

Head to your local Pantomime 

The pantomime is our annual treat. This year we’ll be heading to see Cinderella at the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Halls.

Make some paper chains

The Jelly Babies were so excited last year they made them before breakfast. We used ready cut ones but they are super simple to make from scratch.

Today’s the day to shine like star as it’s your Nativity/Christmas Play

Make a wreath for the front door/bedroom door/window

To make a wreath like the one pictured below, simply cut out the middle of a paper plate and discard. Glue green tissue squares to the paper plate and add a few small red pom poms, foam stickers or dot with red paint. Tie some festive ribbon around  the top and hang.

Choose the Christmas tree

We try to make this a memorable event by visiting a woodland to choose the tree. Last year we went with friends to an amazing place that had some beautiful reindeer grazing amongst the trees and a van serving bacon sandwiches so all members of the group were happy.

Decorate the tree

I have to surrender my Christmaszilla tendencies for this task and go with the flow. Christmas music is essential and a glass of mulled wine a bonus.

Head to the shops to choose a present for the Mayor’s toy appeal

This was one of the children’s favourite activities last year, once they had got over their initial disappointment that the money in the bags wasn’t for them to spend on themselves.

Create a festive game to play 

Pop on your warmest clothes and head out for a woodland walk to collect some of nature’s seasonal treasures to decorate the house

This is a chance for me to go and collect holly, ivy etc to decorate the house but by featuring it in the advent bags the Jelly Babies don’t think of it as a chore but as a fun activity.

Make the birds a Christmas treat

The very simple recipe can be found here https://thewobblyjelly.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/bird-seed-cookies/

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Make a Christmas decoration

Kits are super cheap to purchase in pound stores/craft shop. The Wobbly Jelly will be featuring a few easy crafty ideas if the desire takes you.

Wait until it’s dark before heading out with glow sticks and torches for an evening stroll to look at all the seasonal lights and decorations

Popcorn at the ready, today’s the day to choose a festive film to watch together

Visit a Christmas Market

Make snowflakes to decorate the windows

If you have forgotten how, click the link for instructions and another fun snowman craft https://thewobblyjelly.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/do-you-want-to-build-a-snowman/)

Make some reindeer food ready to sprinkle on Christmas Eve

We used oats, coloured sugar, hundreds and thousands and some mini white chocolate stars (everything left over from that year’s birthday parties) and made the left overs into a sparkly porridge on Christmas morning.

Transform an old cardboard box into Santa’s Sleigh

I gave the Jelly Babies paint, tinsel, fairy lights and paper chains and left them to their own devices. This may have been an error.

Bake and deliver festive treats for the neighbours

Today’s the day to be extra good, get the stockings ready and set up a tray of treats for Father Christmas and his reindeer.

The look on the littlest Jelly Baby’s face was priceless when she saw the bags hanging from the stairs on the first day of advent.

Bird Seed Cookies

Today it finally dawned on me that Summer is officially over.

Conkers are beginning to drop from the horse chestnut trees, the sun is setting noticeably earlier and the temperature has most definitely dropped by a few degrees. I love summer days, filled with picnics, trips to the beach and impromptu play dates in the park but there is something so magical about Autumn and it’s crisp cold days and the turning of the leaves. I am eagerly anticipating lighting the fire for the first time, cannot wait to indulge in a mug of hot chocolate and have already been flicking through my vast collection of cook books searching for the ultimate casserole recipe.

We’ll be adding some fabulous Autumn activities to the blog. The first of which the littlest Jelly Baby and I did today while the rain lashed against the window. This one is for our feathered friends in the garden to nibble on. If you are looking for a tasty treat to enjoy yourself,  I suggest you whip up a batch of the zesty rock cakes we featured on The Wobbly Jelly earlier in the year ( https://thewobblyjelly.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/zesty-rock-cakes/)

Bird Seed Cookies

You will need

A 250g block of lard

Approximately 400g of bird seed

Some old cookie cutters

A little thread

Cling film

A baking tray

Method

Cut the thread into 10cm lengths and loop, tying a knot to secure.

Place some cling film onto your baking tray and lay the cookie cutters on top.

Melt  the block of lard in a pan over a very gentle heat.

Pour half the melted lard into a bowl and gradually mix the bird seed into it (please ensure the lard is warm and not hot before letting the children do this)

Add half the remaining melted fat to the mix and once again stir well.

Half fill the cookie cutters with the seed mixture.

Press the loops of thread into the seeds and cover with the remaining seeds.

Pour the last of the fat over the seed cookies.

Place in the fridge to set overnight.

Carefully press the seed cookies from the cutters and hang in the garden.

Rose Water Perfume

The Jelly Babies adored doing this activity, just as much as I used to as a child. There is something so satisfying about capturing the beautiful scent of the fallen rose petals.

Collect a jam jar full of rose petals (we nipped to a local park for our petals.)

Fill another empty jam jar with water and transfer the petals to the jam jar of  water. Put the jam jar lid on and shake.

Transfer the contents of the jam jar to another bowl. Begin to squash the rose petals with a potato masher. Then gently squeeze the petals to release their scent.

Sieve the contents and pour into a pretty bottle.