Seasons

Advent Calendar Ideas

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Seasons 2 Comments

In an effort to stop Miss NHM becoming fixated on chocolate in her Advent Calendar, I’ve been putting together a list of things for us to do during December instead.

This includes those things that I would like us to do together as a family in December.

The great thing is, you can move your advent calendar notes around, so they fit into the time you have each day.

My Ideas

December 5th is Saint Nicholas Day, so do someone a good deed in his spirit. The French bake gingerbread as a tradition.

December 21st is winter solstice so take time out from all those Pre- Christmas do’s and celebrate at home by cosying up with loved Ones.

Build a gingerbread house. Sainsburys are selling a gingerbread house kit for £4.99 which has everything you need, including cutters and edible decorations.

Have homemade hot chocolate with marshmallows

Attend Hook Christmas Cracker (6th December 2014)

Attend a Christmas Panto. (I am trying to put together a list of panto’s for 2014 but if I don’t get around to it, check out Pantomime’s 2013,  Pantomime’s 2012 and Pantomime’s 2011 for places that do Panto’s).

Go to a local school Christmas Fayre and pick up some fabulous bespoke Christmas presents.

Make Christmas Gloop (put in a couple of baubles and some glitter) 😀

Put together A personalised video message for your child from Santa (and it’s free!) (this is AWESOME!) and play it to your child.

Christmas Nature Walk – Take a walk to your local park or woods and collect pine cones and see if you can spot a robin or some holly. Check out Nature Detectives to see what you can find.

Visit your local Christmas lights. Festival Place now have their lights up or you could take a tour of your local area to see which decorations are your favourite.

Find out about Christmas in another country

Eat dinner by candlelight.(We use the electronic version of candles as I’m banned from using real candles since I set fire to my bedroom when I was 14 years old. Don’t ask!)

Read Christmas books whilst snuggled under blankets

Go ice skating at the local ice skating rink

Bake Christmas cookies and decorate them with friends whilst listening to Christmas music

Go Christmas Caroling (even if it’s just to Grandparents!)

Give something back, make a donation. You could contribute to the Christmas Food Boxes.

Heidi’s list

1. Put up tree and outside lights

2. Santa train ride in town centre

3. Christmas books by candle light

4. Christmas snap cards, make paperchains

5. Write Christmas cards

6. New Christmas jigsaw

7. Watch a Christmas DVD

8. Go and see a Christmas show either at the Anvil or the Haymarket.

9. Paper crafts (angels, snowflakes etc)

10. Lion’s Santa tour stops outisde our house – with glowsticks

11. Paper/foam wreaths

12. Sticker activity books

13. Make your own Christmas badge kit

14. Check out a local museum (Milestones or the Willis Museum) for their Christmas activities with little ones

15. Childrens Carol service at church

16. Do a Christmas Craft together – e.g.  foam Christmas tree kit, make Christmas crackers, Christmas baubles.

17. Christmas books

18. Stencils/sticker craft

19. Nativity Play scene set

20.TBC

21. Winter Ice Art or go and see the Christmas Ice Rink either at Winchester Cathederal or if they have one in Festival Place

22. Make Christmas biscuits

23. Visit Santa’s Wonderland at Paultons Park

24. Open your Christmas Eve box together (New PJ’s!!!)

What are your suggestions for an advent calendar activity?

Summer “Bored Sticks” Jar

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Summer Holidays 0 Comment

This is a follow up post to the post I did in January about Winter “Bored Sticks” Jar, but with ideas tailored for summer.

I will add to this, as and when I come up with more ideas!

Summer “Bored Sticks” Jar

  1. Make Gloop with buttons
  2. Getting the plastic balls and the tent out
  3. Make cookies
  4. Do some painting
  5. Do some glueing and sticking
  6. Make some birthday cards
  7. Feed the ducks (Black Dam Pond is the best place for this I believe)
  8. Build an obstacle course in the garden (Ikea have some great things for this. We bought one of these tunnels at Christmas and it’s great as it folds away but can be used inside and outside. Great with loads of plastic balls inside on a wet day and great as part of an obstacle course outside on a nice day.)
  9. Build a tent
  10. Have a picnic with pretend food
  11. Have an outdoor picnic with real food. Basing Wood is great for Picnics. Or click on the links HERE and HERE for more picnic suggestions.
  12. Draw something
  13. Read a book
  14. Make a gift for someone
  15. Go to the park. Dinton Pastures, California Country Park,
  16. Go to the beach
  17. Make a musical instrument
  18. Find something in your house that starts with every letter of the alphabet
  19. Learn ten words or count to 10 in a different language
  20. Play with or make play dough
  21. Let Dad choose something to do
  22. Let Mum choose something to do
  23. Play a board game
  24. Dance to some music
  25. Make cupcakes or fairy cakes
  26. Do a craft project or google one to make with empty plastic bottles, toilet roll holders, old christmas cards
  27. Make coloured spaghetti
  28. Do some dried food cooking
  29. Watch a film
  30. Make some DIY coloured sand
  31. Create a village from any toys that you have
  32. Design a memory board
  33. Make a scrapbook of a recent event
  34. Visit a castle. Odiham Castle is the closest castle
  35. Go to the kids club cinema at Odeon or Vue
  36. Go out for dinner somewhere. Check out these posts HERE and HERE for suggestions. Or check out my recent review on Giraffe.
  37. Take your toys out into the garden
  38. Listen to an Audio Book
  39. Go Swimming. Check out the post HERE for details of local swimming pool
  40. Find a local splash pool.
  41. Get the paddling pool out
  42. Play pooh sticks at your local stream or brook
  43. Organise a play date with friends

Top Tip: YHA Holidays

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Family, Holidays, Mum "Top Tips", Parents, Summer Holidays, Things to Do, Travel 0 Comment

http://www.yha.org.uk/

If you are looking for a reasonably priced holiday, have you checked out Youth Hostels recently?

There has been a dramatic change in the way Youth Hostels are structured in the UK over the past couple of years.

Most of the rooms are private rooms so no more dormitories, many are en-suite and they cater specifically for families.

Most of them also have self catering facilities (only the very small ones don’t) and many have restaurants on site that use local produce.

You no longer need to leave your room during the day either.

We are hoping to go Youth Hosteling in the autumn and spring next year, because I’m not a big fan of camping with a little one when the weather might be dubious.

Some of the best holidays I’ve ever had were with the YHA.

When I was 13 my family went on a weeks adventure holiday at the Wye Valley hostel which included:

  • orientering on bikes
  • a night kayaking down the River Wye
  • abseiling off a bridge into a boat
  • caving
  • horse riding in the brecon beacons
  • a medieval banquet at Briaval Castle

The two adventure holidays that we did when I was 13 and 14 were by far two of the best holidays I’ve ever had. Only my travels to Peru and Kenya compare!

There are several Youth Hostels that are just over an hours drive from here. One’s we are hoping to visit in the near future are Littlehampton and Alfriston.

Next year we also might try the new Youth Hostel campsite at the Eden Project.

Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Google+,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there! 

20 Spring “Bored Jar” Ideas – for a toddler

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Games, Spring, Toddlers 0 Comment

(If you want to find out more about what a “Bored jar” is, then please read the post at the bottom of this post, called “Winter Bored Jar Ideas”)

1. Feed the birds in the aviary in the War Memorial Park

2. Go on a Bluebell walk. Micheldever Forest is supposed to be lovely for bluebells, but I’ve not been there yet.

3. Take a ride on a train – Viables or Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway

4. Be King or queen of the castle. My favourite and the one closest too us is Odiham Castle

5. Discover something new: Museums

6. Paint some pots at Pots2Paint

7. Make some jewelery

8. Draw an animal

9. Make homemade bubbles

10. Do some painting

11. Make and decorate paper airplanes

12. Join a baby ballet class (this doesn’t have to be just girls!)

13. Go Swimming (Check out this post HERE for local swimming pools)

14. Create a dressing up box and pretend to be Princes or Princesses

15. Make some DIY coloured sand

16. Find shapes in clouds

17. Go to the Playgym at the Active Life Centre

18. Play with water and food colouring

19. Make a village out of all your toys

20. Make an Easter Egg hunt!!!!

Related Posts

Winter bored Jar Ideas – 40 ideas

Summer “bored sticks” jar 

Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Google+,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there! 

5 More Free Rainy Day Activities

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Rain, Summer Holidays 0 Comment

Where did the lovely sun go?!?!?! If you are struggling to keep your little ones entertained, the following list might help.

Don’t forget to check out this list also: 8 Cheap or Free Rainy Day Activities in Basingstoke

5 More Free Rainy Day Activities

1. Mr Printables

I LOVE the weather station here: http://www.mrprintables.com/my-weather-station.html

2. DABBLES & BABBLES

This is fab: http://dabblesandbabbles.com/blank-faces-drawing-page/

3. WeFreebies

Make sure you click on the English flag, to translate the text to English. I particularly love the Origami section!

4. Hobbycraft – Craft Tables

The Basingstoke Hobbycraft store is running free craft workshops throughout the whole of Easter. Worth checking out.

5. Handmade Charlotte

I love these http://www.handmadecharlotte.com/printable-mix-match-headbands/

Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Google+,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there! 

A week of “free” Activities – Autumn

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Autumn 0 Comment

If money was a bit tight and I wanted to be careful but still entertain my family, I would probably do the following:

  • Find a woodland trail and print off this seasons Nature Detectives pack
  • Attend a Rhymetime or Story time session at my local library
  • Find the nearest big puddle and do some puddle jumping
  • Go to the beach. We love West Wittering, especially when it’s windy and wet! 😀
  • Picnic breakfast at Basing lime pits (any kind of breakfast tastes better outside!)
  • Make some Halloween decorations or Christmas cards
  • Find the nearest museum and see what activities they have available for my little one/s. The Willis Museum in Town is free
  • Run through the Woods or o on a bear hunt in your nearest woods. We love Alice Holt and Farleigh Mount.
  • Find out when the cheap showing at the Vue or Odeon are and book them up early!
  • Make a trip to the library and see what activities are available for my little one
  • Indulge in some messy play. See Coloured Spaghetti or Making Gloop for some suggestions.

I would probably also cash in some points on my Nectar card and Tesco’s clubcard as you can get some real bargain days out if you do your research.

Yurt Camping!

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Summer Holidays, Travel 0 Comment

We’ve just got back from a couple of weeks holiday. Hopefully you didn’t notice I wasn’t here, because the wonderful Abigail has been making sure that you all still see the posts that were scheduled in advance. Thank you Abigail!

This was my first two weeks holiday in a long time and it was so good just to down tools and get away from my computer and work laptop!! We spent the first week in a static caravan on the cornish coast, but the highlight was a weeks camping in a Yurt!

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It was an awesome experience and if you like camping and want to try something different, I highly recommend it. We had a lovely wood burner in ours, so I would recommend going with someone who knows how to build a fire. This is the place we stayed: https://www.cornishyurts.co.uk/

Also, if you are going with little ones, I would suggest only going with immobile babies or little one’s that can understand the concept of “hot” and “fire”. Miss NHM picked up very quickly that she needed to stay away from the fire, which took a lot of pressure off.

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We found our yurt via the “Cool Camping – with kids” book. There is a website too and I’ve discovered that one of the campsites now has tree houses, which look wicked!

I also wanted to apologise to those people who sent messages these past two weeks. I haven’t replied because I’ve been relaxing on a beach in deepest, darkest Cornwall :-D. I’m back now, so normal service should resume very shortly.

Thanks for your patience!

Date Night Ideas for Autumn

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Autumn, Date Night, Exercise, Parents, Wellbeing 1 Comment

Do you have Date Nights with your partner?

We started going on Date Nights about a year ago. My little one was old enough to be babysat by a grandparent or trusted babysitter, so we thought we ought to make some specific time to spend together. Otherwise, the evenings just tended to roll into one another.

Date Nights have become even more important now my husband works shifts, as our evenings together are even more limited.

Date Night/Afternoon is a big thing in our house. I really look forward to Date Nights. It’s fun to plan what we are going to do and how we are going to spend this precious time together, out of the house, just the two of us, not as parents or as employee’s, but as a couple.

I’m putting together a list of Date Afternoon ideas too, so look out for that over the next few weeks.

If you always go out to dinner together – this list is a little bit more than that…

Some Date Night Ideas

Go Ice Skating

Party Night at Planet Ice, Leisure Park

Yes, this is pitched at people half my age and younger, but we went recently and had such a giggle.

Be warned that Planet Ice have changed the hire skates ice hockey skates, so I’m not as good as I used to be! Plus, after half an hour, we were toast! lol.

We did have a lot of fun though.

Go to a dancing session

There are lots and lots of dance classes for adults. These are just a selection of some I’ve found or been too over the years:

Jive Dancing Clubs – Basingstoke

Salsa – Basingstoke

Ballroom and Latin American – Basingstoke and Camberley

Go to an Ice Hockey match

Basingstoke Bison have an ice hockey match nearly every weekend at Planet Ice, in the Leisure Park. For more details, click HERE.

Go on an Owl Walk

The Hawk Conservancy is doing some “Owl by Moonlight” Walk in the evening times. For more details click HERE.

This looks really romantic and I’m hoping Mr NHM reads this post and takes the hint! :-D.

Go for a Spa evening

This doesn’t have to be just for girlies! lol

Below are just a few of the local Spa’s. I’m hoping to do a post on local Spa’s very soon…

Nirvana Spa – Wokingham

Hampshire Centre court Hotel – Basingstoke

Donnington Valley Spa – Newbury (I went here recently and it was FAB! Totally recommend the Afternoon tea package)

Go to a Roller Disco!

There is a Roller Disco in Newbury every Saturday evening at Northcroft Leisure Centre.

I’m itching to go to one of these events. We have some friends who go nearly every weekend to the Roller Disco. I remember fondly, the Roller Disco that used to be at the Sports Centre in town. Again, I realise I’m showing my age! lol :-D.

Go to the Planetarium

Intech Science Centre in Winchester hosts “Adults only” evenings.

What could be more romantic than watching the stars together :-D.

Go Sky Diving

I couldn’t really not mention the new Sky Diving facilities in the Leisure Park. This looks AWESOME and I’m hoping that I’m not too much of a woos to try it out! lol.

I hope some of these suggestions give you some inspiration. If you have any other ideas, please let me know as I’m always looking for something a bit different to do on our nights out together. Thanks!

A Summer of sport – final

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Guest Posts, Sport, Summer 0 Comment

The last Guest post this summer from the lovely Peta at minvra…

All good things must come to an end…

…and the end of summer is in sight. My ‘summer of sport’ blogs are also coming to an end, sooner than you think, actually, as I have no sport for you this week. This family is camping!

So in the greater range of camping experiences, what we are doing right now is ‘glamping’. Nearby we have a ‘washing up station’ – complete with sink and hot water (in the afternoon on a sunny day and before it runs out), showers – hot water and better than the ‘London-standard’ water pressure, and a toilet. The toilet, however, is firmly in the ‘camping’ category.

Running off energy and increased appetites are the two most common virtues that come to mind when I think of the great outdoors; camping, by extension, provides much, much more of the same. Opportunities for exciting, hands-on learning activities are in abundant supply out here so I have taken advantage by building on the recent Nature Detectives weekly challenges with Miss and Master. We have been checking out all the new leaves, flowers and berries (shapes, textures, colours) and the how’s and why’s of attracting birds, bees or butterflies (pollen, nectar, food). Sleeping in a tent provides an endless supply of ‘what noise is that?’ subjects, and living out of doors has expanded our bi-daily comparison of ‘morning’ and ‘bedtime’ to include most other parts of the day.

Messy play is practically a foregone conclusion; even the cleanest of parents must accept that no child will go un-muddied while camping. With my significant lean to the ‘neat freak’ side, I am endeavouring to strike a sensible balance between allowing Miss and Master to play uninhibited by my tendencies and ensuring a sufficient stash of spare clothes in the event of a summer downpour at a later point in the camping trip.

So far, so good. It is bank holiday Sunday night at 10 o’clock as I write this blog and I am tired. Very tired. Miss is all rugged up and sleeping soundly – Miss is shattered from days of playing chase with her brother, jumping in muddy puddles (God bless the British summer), naming & feeding farm animals, collecting stones on the beach and all the childish excitement that is Misses first camping trip. Master is, true to form, still fighting sleep (despite an equally active first camp).

Even with the messy clothes, the muddy shoes, the grubby faces (I confess, Mama was too tired for bucket baths tonight), I have a weary, contented smile on my face. I say to you, Summer, “Thanks for coming; it has been grand!”

A big thank you to those of you who have been following my summer of sport guest blogs and I do hope you have enjoyed them; although I am afraid that this is another case of a good thing coming to an end. The good news is that if you are interested in reading more you can visit and follow my regular blog: minrva

Thanks so much for your “Summer of sport” posts this summer Peta. I’ve learnt about a lot about what sporting facilities and events are on in the area.  Thank you!

24 things to do during the summer holidays with young children in Basingstoke

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Babies, Children, Summer Holidays, Things to Do, Toddlers 0 Comment

This is an incredibly long overdue post, but as it’s the last week of the school holidays you might be desperate for some inspiration, so I thought I would post it up anyway!

Many of these suggestions are free!

1. Swim in an outdoor pool.

You could investigate rivers, reservoirs, lakes or canals with towpaths as this will be a new landscape for your child to take in, e.g.:

Fleet Pond

Frensham Ponds

Basingstoke Canal

Lido’s in Hampshire

Splash pools

Or you could just play in the water at Festival Place (the big green phalic things!! lol) or check out the baby swimming pool and the stepping stones in Eastrop Park.

There is also a new splash park which was opened in May 2016, near the Spotlight centre. We are hoping to visit it soon!

2. Walk through the Woods

A trip to the woods can also be exciting – see the woodland trusts nature trails for inspiration – or bike rides. Don’t forget to check out my Basing Wood, Farleigh Mount, Basing Lime Pits, Micheldever Wood and Alice Holt reviews.

3. Visit an Ice Cream shop

We have some friends who live in Birmingham which has a fantastic ice cream parlour in the city centre. We always make a trip here, as the children really enjoy it. It’s become a bit of a tradition.

Sundaes Gelato is in Basingstoke and is perfect for an ice cream or sorbet!

4. Fly a kite

Crabtree has to be the best place for this in Basingstoke.

5. Pretend to be a pirate

My little one is obsessed with pirates at the moment. When she’s bigger, we hope to take her to the Historic shipyard in Portsmouth.

She was christened on HMS Victory, so I want to see if they have finally sorted out her plaque!

6. Play ball games

I never realised how much fun you can have with a football till my little one started kicking one!

7. Go on a bear hunt (or a Gruffalo hunt if your little one has read the book)

We are very lucky because we live very close to some little wooded areas which are perfect for bear hunting.

If you don’t live close to some wooded areas, have a look at this post HERE.

8. Go to a Country show

You may be just in time for the New Forest Show this year (it was in July), but maybe something to think about for next year.

It’s a great opportunity to see shiny tractors, lovely animals and yummy things to buy and eat. Or check out some other country shows that are coming up HERE.

9. Go to the Zoo.

Marwell is probably the closest zoo to us, but I went to London Zoo in April 2014 when she was three years old with my little one and can thoroughly recommend this too. Just don’t walk it from Waterloo like we did!

10. Sleep under the stars

We are going camping next weekend and I’m looking forward to doing this!

11. Build a sandcastle or have a sand Castle Competitions

Fleet Pond

Frensham Ponds

Or go to the Beach! The Nearest “Beaches” to Basingstoke are Fleet Pond on the way to Fleet and Frensham Pond, just past Farnham. Otherwise, head to West Wittering, which is great for toddlers.

12. Run through the sprinkler

Not particularly environmentally friendly, but great fun!!!

13. Create your own perfume

I was obsessed with doing this when I was about 8 years old. All I needed was a jar with a lid, some water and a rose bush. My poor parents had to clean out the remnants! lol

14. Roast some marshmallows

“Burning Nights” are a big thing in our house. We have a chiminea and Miss NHM loves it because we can roast marshmallows over it. We recently learnt something new about counting to “50” after you’ve roasted your marshamallow to ensure you don’t get burnt.

15. Go on a train adventure

For a proper train adventure, check out the Watercress Line or Exbury Gardens and Steam Train. Otherwise, just a trip from Basingstoke to Winchester or Farnborough will probably be exciting for little ones.

16. Rainy day card making

Click HERE for some ideas

17. Explore art and music

There are lots of music classes in the area or maybe just a trip to the Anvil or the Haymarket will be inspiring.

18. Learn a new language

Borrow some books in a different language from the library. There are even children’s books in different languages at the Basingstoke Discovery Centre.

Or maybe investigate Linguatastic, the local language school.

19. Fruit Picking – Local Pick Your Own’s

Check out my previous post on local Pick Your Own farms HERE.

20. Climbing Trees

Basing Wood is perfect for climbing trees.

21. Painting Rocks

I want to do this next year with my little one, as I think it will make less mess then! lol.

22. Have a BBQ

You can’t beat a BBQ in summer! Check HERE for a previous post about outdoor BBQ facilities in the area.

23. Daisy Chains

All you need is an area with daisies in. Hours of fun!

24. Go to a farm

Try Finkley Down Farm, Miller’s Ark, Manydown and Bucklebury Farm.

Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Google+,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there!