Glamumous: Play Time

Having spent so long cooped up indoors through the winter months, what better time to explore the great outdoors and enjoy a range of family-friendly activities?

Here are ten interesting and entertaining activities to enjoy with your children this spring, most of which won't cost even a penny, and all of which are guaranteed to make the most of the great outdoors.

Take a walk through bluebell woods

Photo credit: antonychammond

After a mild start to the year, bluebells will be out in force this year offering a spectacular display of colour through our woodlands.

Why not enjoy a peaceful walk through local woodlands with your family to enjoy the fleeting beauty of one of Britain's proudest natural splendours?

Half of the world's bluebell woods are found in the UK, over 1300 in fact, and most are free to enter. To find your nearest bluebell trail, enter your postcode over on the VisitWoods website and find places recommended by other visitors to the site.

Visit newborns at your local farm

Photo credit: tc morgan

During springtime, farms spring to life with the birth of newborn animals. From little lambs to tottering foals and adorable baby chicks, children will be thrilled to meet the new arrivals at your local city (or public) farm.

Go Pond Dipping

Photo credit: Paul Albertella

Pond dipping is a fascinating activity which helps children learn about the natural wildlife lurking in nearby waters. No special equipment is required: if you have an old sieve and a shallow tray you're all set to go!

The Pond Conservation website provides some excellent tips for effective pond dipping, including essential safety advice which is particularly relevant for small children. You might also find these worksheets from The Woodland Trust helpful in identifying the wildlife you discover.

Start growing sunflowers

Photo credit: Kyle Rush

Spring is the perfect time to begin growing sunflowers from seed; by summer you can expect a beautiful bright array of these insect-attracting flowers!

Sow sunflower seeds outside from April in compost-rich well-raked soil, ensuring each seed is about 12 inches apart. To grow really large sunflowers, germinate them indoors by planting in compost-filled yoghurt pots covered with cling-film until the first leaves appear. Once your seedlings are large enough, transplant them to a sunny spot outside and watch them grow. Take a look at The Sunflower Challenge website for more tips and ideas for sunflower growth.

Collect caterpillars

Photo credit: Peewubblewoo

Observing caterpillars as they metamorphose from wriggly little creatures through to beautiful butterflies is a springtime project your children will love, and which will help them learn far more about the natural world than watching the process on TV!

All you need for this project is a large glass jar, some caterpillars and several handfuls of the plant the insects were found on. Encourage children to search around your garden or nearby woodland: damaged leaves may provide clues as to where the caterpillars are hiding.

There is no need to puncture holes in the lid of the jar if your children will be opening the lid to observe them every day. Over time, your children can watch the caterpillars grow and perhaps even shed their skin before wrapping themselves in a chrysalis and emerging as a butterfly - at which stage these beautiful insects should be set free.

This page on the BBC gardening site provides useful advice and tips for collecting and observing caterpillars in the UK.

Go fly a kite

Photo credit: HaoJan

Britain is Europe's windiest country and is blessed with wide open spaces which provide the perfect runway for launching a kite into the air. In recent times the sport of kite-flying has taken a downturn, yet this remains a highly enjoyable pastime for children, particularly after taking the time to build a kite of their own.

A simple paper kite project for children can be found over at Instructables, or you might like to take a look at Kite Calendar to find kite-flying events happening near you.

Nurture birds in your garden

Photo credit: Stuart Herbert

Build a simple nest box to nurture the birds living around your garden. This simple project is something you can complete in an hour or less, and one which children will love to get involved with.

Detailed instructions and templates can be found over at The Birdbox Project, or if DIY isn't your thing, ready made boxes can be bought cheaply at garden centres or even larger supermarket branches (we spotted some for less than £5 on our last visit to Morrissons!).

Forage for wild garlic

Photo credit: Mick E. Talbot

Food foraging is not only fun, but can result in a delicious meal at the end of the day, helping children relate to food and enjoy a variety of new tastes. Unlike domestic garlic found in supermarkets, wild garlic is championed for its leaves rather than the bulb, which are wonderful in salads or boiled in soup dishes.

Wild garlic is ideally harvested in spring when it's frequently found amongst the bluebells which flourish at this time of year. Take the children foraging through woodland to find this delicious plant, which is easily identifiable by it's pungent garlic smell.

Create an insect haven in your garden

Photo credit: wobble-san

Even the smallest outdoor space can be transformed into a haven for insects, enabling children to observe a plethora of miniature wildlife and explore an interest in the natural world.

Try creating an insect watering hole, plant bee and butterfly enticing lavender (in pots if you don't have flowerbeds) or build a bug box to provide the perfect habitat for ladybirds, spiders and lacewings.

Picnic beneath a canopy of blossom

Photo credit: zilverbat

The sight of plum and cherry trees erupting with blossom is one of my favourite seasonal treats. In Japan, the Hanami season is revered with tourists flocking to parks in order to enjoy the flurry of falling blossoms.

While British blossoms may not be quite so breathtaking, picnicking beneath a canopy of pink or white blossoms is a family activity well worth enjoying this weekend! Take a trip to a nearby park or visit one of the most noted locations for blossom viewing listed on the BBC website for a springtime family treat.

Photo credit (main image): Nina Matthews Photography, via Flickr

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As children are reported to spend more and more time indoors in front of a screen, the need for physical outdoor play becomes increasingly more important. In addition to the obvious physical benefits, we must consider the positive social and emotional improvements our children can experience by playing outside.

According to The Guardian, only 21% of children regularly play outside compared to 71% of their parents. We can blame this decrease on concern for the safety of our children, the lure of television and video-games, or the even time spent on after-school activities and classes. But the fact remains that our children don't get nearly as much time for unrestricted outdoor play as we did as children, and this can have consequences for their overall health.

Here are six important reasons why outdoor play helps us raise happier, healthier children.

1. Children need fresh air

The fresh glowing cheeks of a child who plays outside compared to the dull pallor of those who stay mostly indoors is unmistakeable. Spending time outdoors through all seasons of the year enables us to breathe in fresher air than the stale, often polluted atmosphere of our homes.

Research by the Environmental Protection Agency suggests the air inside our homes could be more polluted than that outside, meaning that children's health can be at more risk by staying indoors than exposing themselves to potential outdoor toxins.

Furthermore, we should consider that bacteria and viruses spread more easily in enclosed environments such as classrooms and indoor activity spaces. "Outdoor play enables the infectious agents to spread out and be dissipated" explains research by Johnson, Christie and Wardle. In other words, regular outdoor play helps prevent our children catching their friends' illnesses quite to frequently.

2. Encourages physical activity

Children who play indoors are more likely to be sedentary. Outdoors, there is space for children to walk or run; places to climb; opportunities to jump and skip, all of which encourage children to be more active.

Physical activity is important to help children to burn off excess energy and maintain a healthy weight. Regular running, walking and other forms of activity also help build endurance levels resulting in increased physical health.

Climbing, throwing, skipping and playing football helps children to develop their motor skills and co-ordination which are essential for healthy physical development. It should also be noted that those who enjoy regular physical activity throughout childhood tend to exercise more regularly as adults.

3. Emotional well-being

"Vigorous outdoor play activity can help relieve the child’s boredom or stress, and satisfy the child’s natural urge for adventure" explains Rhonda Clements in her Investigation in the Status of Outdoor Play. When playing outside, children can enjoy messy and dirty activities, be more noisy and feel less restriction in their play than when spending time indoors, allowing them to be more expressive and less concerned with being disciplined for their rowdy activity.

A report by The National Trust suggests that "as little as five minutes of ‘green exercise’ can improve mood and self-esteem by a significant margin" and that long term, regular contact with nature can improve levels of satisfaction with life in general.

4. Outdoor play inspires creativity

Outdoor activity offers greater potential for children to choose how they play. Building dens, collecting leaves or unusual rocks; playing hide and seek or enjoying role-play games encourages children to use their imagination and develop important reasoning skills.

Creative play scenarios provide "an opportunity to verbalize desires, likes, and dislikes without restrictions on noise or activity" writes Clements. This in turn raises self-esteem and attracts the appreciation of peers and family members.

5. Opportunities for social interaction

Playing locally with neighbouring children or meeting new people at the park provides valuable opportunities for social interaction. The relaxed restrictions of outdoor play provide a friendly environment for children to get to know each other through creative and competitive play.

Situations of social conflict (such as disagreements, friends falling out) still provide positive outcomes as children learn resolution skills on their own, without having to rely on the presence of adults.

6. Developing interest in the natural world

In his report on Natural Childhood, Steven Moss suggests that "a generation of children appears to be suffering from a lack of contact with the natural world, with serious consequences both for themselves and for society as a whole".

Many children develop an interest in the natural world through documentaries, their formal education and Internet research, but there is no substitute for experiencing the beauty and wonder of nature in it's native form.

By observing the changing seasons, investigating garden wildlife and exploring green spaces, children are able to connect with nature, which research proves is beneficial not only for the individual but for communities and society as a whole. "The critical age of influence appears to be before 12 years, explains Dr. William Bird in his works for the RSPB. "Before this age contact with nature in all its forms, but in particular wild nature, appears to strongly influence a positive behaviour towards the environment."

Join the conversation!

Outdoor play forms some of the strongest memories of my own childhood. Back then, we didn't have home computers or video-games, children's television was only shown for a couple of hours a day and we were not only expected to play outdoors after school, we actively wanted to!

Yes, society has changed. As parents of the 21st century we have concerns for safety, for ensuring our children receive the best education and are entertained according to their needs, yet outdoor play still remains fundamental for our children's healthy development and well-being. It is not essential that we encourage and nurture this important aspect of growing up?

Do you encourage your children to play outdoors or provide regular opportunities for exploration of green spaces? Perhaps you feel your child's time is better spent on more formal activities than unrestricted play?

Please feel free to join the conversation by leaving your own experiences and commentary below.

Photo credit: Alice Popkorn, via Flickr

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As the old saying goes, "you never forget how to ride a bike". This assumes, of course, that you have previously learned how to ride a bike, and if you're reading this article I imagine you have a child in need of learning this lifelong skill.

Learning how to ride a bike without stabilisers can be very intimidating to children. There are so many things to consider at once: how to balance, when to brake, how to steer... and how to avoid that fast approaching lamppost!

Here is some advice to make the transition from four wheels to two a little less intimidating for both you and your child, so they may learn this important skill and begin to enjoy the thrill of riding a bike unaided.

Always insist on a helmet!

Whether your child is riding on public highways or the lawn in your back garden, you should always insist they wear a safety helmet!

I doubt there is need to point out the reasons why head protection is of such importance here, though can attest from personal experience that it is better to begin wearing a helmet from day one than trying to persuade a confident child to wear their helmet once they've graduated to tarmacked surfaces.

A bike helmet should fit properly: snug and comfortable - rather than something too large which you think they may "grow into" - and of course should bear safety standard markings. Take a look at this page from the NHTSA website for very clear advice about fitting and wearing bike helmets.

Be sure your child is ready

A child who feels ready to ride without stabilisers is far more likely to succeed than one who feels pressured into trying. Children vary vastly in the age they begin riding unaided: I've known children as young as three ride up and down their street whilst my son and I were both twelve when we finally felt ready!

There is no magic age at which children learn to ride their bikes. At the beginning of summer, your child may shudder at the thoughts of removing their training wheels, but after endless days of watching their friends ride by unaided they may realise their confidence has increased. Play it by ear and you'll know when the time is right.

Remove the pedals

By taking the pedals off the bike and lowering the seat, your child will be able to learn to balance much more quickly than when also considering leg momentum.

At first, using feet to propel themselves may seem a little silly, but after building up a little speed your child will be able to pull their feet off the floor and discover the ease with which they keep the bike upright. Once this confidence has been built, they will relish being able to cycle properly with their pedals!

Consider a balance bike

Balance bikes are training bikes for younger children which have no pedals at all. The frames of balance bikes are usually more lightweight than regular cycles, either wood or light aluminium.

Until rather recently I hadn't heard of these marvellous bikes, but after seeing a little boy zooming around our local park on his cute wooden training bike we'll definitely be getting our youngest one of these for his second birthday!

Children aged between 2 and 5 are ideally suited for balance bikes, and you'l find a wonderful selection of styles and colours available. Try Kiddimoto for cute wooden bikes or Bikestar for a more traditional model. Don't forget to check out eBay for great bargains on both new and used models!

Ensure you have plenty of safe space

Not everyone lives on a quiet cul-de-sac with plenty of safe flat road on which to practise. Try visiting a nearby park or cycling around a sports field at first to allow your child to build confidence before having to worry about parked and moving cars.

Learn to let go!

With my daughter, I was more worried about removing her stabilisers than she was! After watching her wobble around on her training wheels for weeks, I was convinced she'd tumble and injure herself, and at first wouldn't allow them to be removed even though she'd asked herself!

My other half realised that my concerns were holding her back and unbolted them when I popped out to the shops. Less than half an hour later, Princess was pedalling up and down the street on two wheels shouting "Look at me Mum, I can do it!".

Chances are, your child is more capable than either of you realise. Be confident in your child's abilities and through your expression they will learn to be more confident in themselves. The scratches and scrapes encountered through the inescapable act of falling off become insignificant in comparison to the sense of pride at riding unaided!

Enrol your child for cycling proficiency lessons

Once your child has mastered the basic skills of riding a bike, you may want to consider enrolling them for a basic cycling proficiency course. These are often operated in schools and help your child learn essential safety skills for riding on public highways.

In the UK, the Bikeability scheme offers three levels of proficiency for children in primary school and older. Badges and certificates are awarded and children are encouraged to take all three levels.

Final thoughts

Helping your child learn to ride a bike is an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both of you, and is a skill which will last for the rest of their lives. Whether you are teaching for the fun experience of childhood or so you can go on long bike rides as a family, I hope this article has provided some helpful advice.

Please feel free to add your own experiences, suggestions and comments using the form below.

Photo credit: chefranden, via Flickr

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Family outings to the cinema can be very expensive affairs! The cost of tickets alone can mount to around £30 for a family of four, possibly even more if you're watching a movie in 3d!

Luckily, there are ways to make cinema trips less expensive, possibly even free! In this post, I'll explain how you can find cheap cinema screenings for you family, score free tickets for new releases, and enjoy snacks which cost a fraction of the kiosk price.

Look out for Kids Screenings and Matinees

Most big name cinemas (and several independent ones) offer budget-priced screenings of family-friendly films. Ticket prices are heavily reduced, averaging only a couple of pounds per person, and while the films screened may not be the latest blockbuster, they offer value for money and the enjoyment of viewing great films on the big screen.

Cineworld's Movies for Juniors

For just £1 each, parents and children can watch a variety of family-friendly films at Cineworld. Screenings are usually on Saturday or Sunday and tickets should be booked online to take advantage of this incredible price. There's usually two or three films to choose from each week, so be sure to check what's showing at your local cinema.

Vue's Kids AM

Vue offer family-friendly screenings on weekend mornings with tickets costing only £1.75 each for adults or children (or £3.00 if watching in 3d). There's usually only one choice of film per week, a fairly recent release which has not yet made it to video.

Odeon Kids

Depending on your location, the Odeon Kids scheme could offer the best value for money. Tickets start from only £1 (to a maximum of £4, depending on your cinema) and for every child ticket purchased an adult goes free!

Kids screenings are on weekends and daily throughout the school holidays, though there's usually only one film choice per week. Ideally you should book tickets at the box office as a 75p charge applies if booked over the telephone/On-line to both the child and (free) adult tickets.

Independent Cinema Screenings for Kids

Your local Indie cinema may offer special screenings or activities for children. In my home town, for example, the Showroom offers weekly activity, lunch and movie screenings for kids which cost just £5 per child (adults can watch the film for just a couple of pounds, but must buy their own food).

Check your local cinema's website or give them a call to discover if there are special value screenings for children.

Orange Wednesdays and discount days

Those using Orange's mobile phone network are eligible for two-for-one cinema tickets every Wednesday at cinemas across the country. Aside from the cost of a text message, this offer is free to use and enables you to buy two tickets for the price of one - effectively halving the price for each person attending.

It's worth booking in advance to take advantage of this offer as cinemas can become incredibly busy on Wednesdays for this very reason! Also, only one promotion per week can be used for each Orange customer, so if you need more than two tickets you'll need to have another Orange-powered phone handy!

Many cinemas offer discounted tickets on certain days/times during the week. On Tuesdays, Odeon, Cineworld and Vue cinemas offer discount tickets (priced at £4.50-£5) and many cinemas offer reduced tickets for showings before 6pm.

Find free tickets for preview screenings

Film distributors often give away tickets for preview screenings of the latest films, usually to generate publicity. These tickets are usually limited and run out quickly, so be quick to register your interest if there's a film you'd particularly like to see!

Here are the most popular websites to find free tickets to movie screenings:

ShowFilmFirst - register to receive updates about new screenings
Sky Rewards - Sky Movies subscribers regularly receive offers for free cinema tickets. Register for the weekly newsletter to get updates about the latest releases.
Virgin Media - Customers to this cable service can opt to receive two free cinema tickets for selected screenings each month.
LoveFilm - Check out the LoveFilm blog for news of free ticket promotions.
HotUkDeals - The Freebies>Entertainment section of this popular deals site features free ticket promotions from many different distributors.
MoneySavingExpert forum - This thread is solely for posting codes for free cinema screenings, and is probably the best place to search for a variety of film types.

Cut the cost of cinema snacks by bringing your own food

Food purchased from cinema kiosks can be extortionately priced. In many places, the cheapest bag of popcorn can set you back five pounds! With a mark-up of 600% on many consumables (more, I suspect, for certain food items), the cost of snacks often exceeds that of the cinema ticket itself. Cinemas argue that much of their ticket sales is take by film distributors and that the food mark-up compensates for that, but those of us little disposable income prefer our snacks to be more frugal.

Did you know that most cinemas allow you to consume cold food and drinks which have not been purchased in the kiosk. Except for hot food and alcoholic beverages, you will usually be allowed to snack on foods you have brought in yourself. Unfortunately, most consumers (and some cinema staff) are the false impression that food and drink purchased elsewhere is prohibited.

Here's what the big three British cinema chains have to say about bringing your own food into their cinemas:

Cineworld

From Section 2.2 of Cineworld's Terms of Entry:

Alcohol and Food Policy: Neither alcohol nor hot food may be brought onto the premises. Only hot food bought on the premises may be consumed on the premises. Alcohol may only be purchased and consumed in Cineworld licensed bar areas or in licensed screens and licensing laws will be strictly enforced.

There is no mention that food purchased elsewhere is prohibited from the cinema.

Vue

From Section 3.8 of the Terms and Conditions:

Hot food brought from outside of the cinema may not be consumed on the premises.

It is also stated in Section 3.13 that no alcohol may be brought into the cinema (and alcohol purchased on the premises must be consumed only in the licensed bar area).

There is no mention that food and drink purchased elsewhere may not be consumed on the premises.

Odeon

In the terms and conditions for general admission, Odeon does not specifically reference whether or not food can be taken into the cinema. Luckily I found this statement to BBC Watchdog to help clarify matters:

ODEON does not have a policy against people taking their own food into screenings, other than when it can affect other guests' enjoyment - for example odorous foods - and discretion is therefore left to the individual cinema managers.

When visiting an independent cinema, it is best to check the terms of entry beforehand to see whether or not you are allowed to consume your own food. In all cases, this is allowed at the cinema manager's discretion; different cinemas may well have different policies in regards to food and drink.

Join the conversation!

Do you have any further ideas about cheap cinema outings for the family? What are your opinions about taking your own food into the cinema?

Please feel free to add your own comments and suggestions using the form below.

Photo credit: atomicjeep, via Flickr

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Which are your favourite paper subscriptions?

1. Mamma Mia!

2. Annie (1982)

3. The Wizard of Oz

4. Legally Blonde

5. Matilda

6. The Secret Garden

7. Mary Poppins

8. High School Musical

9. Drop Dead Fred

10. My Girl

What are your favourite parent-daughter films?

Take a walk through bluebell woods

Visit newborns at your local farm

Go Pond Dipping

Start growing sunflowers

Collect caterpillars

Go fly a kite

Nurture birds in your garden

Forage for wild garlic

Create an insect haven in your garden

Picnic beneath a canopy of blossom

1. Children need fresh air

2. Encourages physical activity

3. Emotional well-being

4. Outdoor play inspires creativity

5. Opportunities for social interaction

6. Developing interest in the natural world

Join the conversation!

Always insist on a helmet!

Be sure your child is ready

Remove the pedals

Consider a balance bike

Ensure you have plenty of safe space

Learn to let go!

Enrol your child for cycling proficiency lessons

Final thoughts

Look out for Kids Screenings and Matinees

Independent Cinema Screenings for Kids

Orange Wednesdays and discount days

Find free tickets for preview screenings

Cut the cost of cinema snacks by bringing your own food

Cineworld

Vue

Odeon

Join the conversation!

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