Sketchbook Adventures
Since we started home educating in September, we’ve done various classes with Go Sketch Club. Cece and Henry (12 and 8) get so much from the lessons and respond really well to the non-prescriptive teaching style. They are not expected to do step-by-step drawings, which can be demoralising for children when they struggle to get it ‘right’. The positive messaging is effective, with reminders about there being no such thing as bad art, and that people work at different paces. They also love the encouragement to go off on a tangent if they have a different idea. It’s a nurturing approach and establishes a great environment for exploring and experimenting. We had the course on yesterday and both children sat at the kitchen table for two hours working in silent concentration – and they were really pleased with the result. They would not do that on their own, but the lessons give them confidence. It’s a sign of truly great teaching! KD
£64 gosketchclub.com
The Pirate Den Kit
My children, 4 and 7, love this kit. It comes in a quality cotton webbing haversack and includes a calico tarpaulin with handy loops for pegging out, a durable groundsheet, steel tent pegs, jute rope, a beautiful wooden mallet, pirate-themed calico bunting and a pirate eye patch. There are suggestions included of different ways to rig the den and the loops make it possible for older children to take charge of this. Everything fits well in the compact bag, which means you can easily take it with you – to the woods, a friend’s house, on holiday – anywhere you might want to create a special den. Den play immediately encourages camaraderie and adventure, and the open-ended pirate theme feeds into this spirit. This is classic outdoor fun. AE
£55 thedenkitco.com
Garden Insects
These press-out construction sets are such a fantastic idea! They come in small flat-pack kits, which are super lightweight and great if you’re travelling and want to bring an interactive toy that doesn’t take up much space. This set has 37 pieces to create a 3D plant, butterfly, dragonfly, bumble bee, beetle, snail, earthworm and ladybird. You press out the pieces and follow the instructions to put them together – it’s simple for children and nothing else is needed to get started. The packaging itself unfolds into a garden scene as a base for play. The kits are designed to nurture engineering skills with opportunities for creative play and storytelling with the figures. We took this with us on the train and it was a wonderful activity to pass the time. There’s minimal waste, and everything is recyclable. It would make a great gift. Made in the UK from sustainably sourced board and printed with plant-based inks. SM
Noble Nature
This art box is fabulous. A booklet introduces the artists that have inspired each activity before giving clear instructions to follow. We loved trying Zentangle Florals. With a chunky black marker, you fill the page with doodled flowers and then use watercolours to paint over the top. It’s really effective. My 7-year-old did the whole process, and my 4-year-old directed me to draw the flowers and then painted over them herself. The suggestions of ways to differentiate for ages and abilities are helpful. We love art, and the LoLA boxes have introduced us to techniques and materials we’ve not worked with before, which feels exciting and expands confidence and creative thinking. The materials included are high quality and it’s satisfying that, as well as encouraging experimentation, the final pieces are often really striking. AE
Calendrical Art Online Course
I love to paint and this year I’ve been taking classes whenever I can for inspiration and improvement. St Ives School of Painting offers in-person and online tuition, and their pre-recorded courses are a great resource that I can fit into my free time. I’ve been working through the Calendrical Art course, run by artist Kate Southworth. It’s designed to sensitise your approach to creative work in line with seasonal changes. “During each yearly cycle we witness a pattern of fading, composting, lying fallow, germination, gestation, birthing, blossoming, fruiting and harvesting. Becoming tuned with these natural processes enables us to recognise similar patterns within our own work and with the creative process itself.” It’s opened me up to new approaches, including automatic and intuitive drawing, which make up a large part of the practice. I’ve loved experimenting and the course has had a hugely positive impact on me. JH
My First Safari Concertina Book
Little Wild Eye’s concertina book is my go-to gift for new babies. The founders’ own high-contrast wildlife photography is beautiful, and it provides essential visual and cognitive stimulation for newborns – something I always recommend as a paediatrician to support early development. The concertina book stands up easily and unfolds to give a full 180-degree view – perfect for tummy time and encouraging gross motor skills as babies lift their heads to engage with the images. Little Wild Eye also offers beautiful sensory cards. They include facts and a map on the back, which our baby will grow into as she gets older. These are thoughtful products that nurture a love of nature from the very beginning. CP
Stockmar Triangular Pencils 24 + 1
Stockmar’s chunky triangular coloured pencils are a delight to use. Their shape and thickness make them comfortable to hold and they don’t feel unwieldy. The colour palette is fantastic – I had lots of fun experimenting with the shades of blues, greens and reds, and I loved the metallic gold for adding some highlights. The pencils have a high colour pigment, which provides a wonderfully rich and deep colour intensity. They create vibrancy, while retaining the softness that a quality pencil produces. In terms of consistency, they feel almost waxy to the touch, but you can use them for both detail and shading. The leads are break resistant, so I’m confident they will last a long time, and the soft wood (untreated lime) makes them tactile. The pleasing tin comes with 24 coloured pencils and 1 graphite pencil. SF
Neogrun Crystal Finger Paints Set
This set of pearlescent paints in soft crystal colours is made from natural, organic ingredients. The paints are vegan, environmentally friendly and child-safe, made without any of the common allergens. My daughter loves all things sparkly, but it’s hard to find plastic-free materials that have this effect. The metallic, shimmery finish of these paints comes from natural mica pigments so there’s no microplastics. Water-based, they’re easy to clean up and can be diluted, or they can be mixed together to create new shades. They’re great as finger paints and work well with brushes and sponges too. We made some jazzy wrapping paper. The pots are plastic and can be widely recycled, and the illustrated outer box is cardboard. A lovely gift idea for creative little ones. SM
£16.99 myriadonline.co.uk
Alphabet Storytelling Wheel
This storytelling wheel, with original artwork by Stephanie Green, is a beautiful object in itself, and a pleasure to use. The animals painted on the base correspond with the alphabet that runs around the outer edge. On the spinning discs are suggestions for storylines such as “narrowly avoids disaster” and “is given a magical object”, and ideas for where the story could be set “under the sea” or “in a faraway kingdom” perhaps. Each prompt is brief and open-ended, giving scope for imagination. There are many ways the wheel can be used. We enjoyed telling stories to one another, which we recorded and then refined. It’s also good to use for writing prompts, to generate ideas for bedtime stories, and to help with letter recognition. AE
£71.48 wildedfamily.com
Gardening and Nature Craft Box
Mud & Bloom designs forest school, Montessori and Steiner-inspired activities for 3–8-year-olds, delivered by post. The boxes are thoughtfully put together, with lots of creative inspiration. We enjoyed making flower fairies, with tactile wooden bases and colourful felts, which my daughter loved. We also made pressed flower pinch pots. The stick of air-dry clay in the box was enough to make two dinky pots. Other activities included a dandelion and lemon shortbread, organic sunflower and pumpkin seeds to sow, and a spotting guide for caterpillars. I love the project cards – they are colourful and simply laid out with step-by-step instructions. Most of the bits you need are included, or easy to get hold of. A wonderful way to bring new and fresh ideas for some creative time. SM
£18.95 mudandbloom.com
The New Mothers’ Writing Circle
This unique project centres on the experience of the mother and her transformation through matresence. I took part in the most recent cohort of mothers of 0–2-year-olds. (There is a concurrent course for mothers of 2–5-year-olds.) The course (led by founder and director Catrin Kemp) runs in small groups, with eight weekly online meetings, and attendees explore their individual experiences through creative writing. While not claiming to be a replacement for mental health support, the weekly outlet was definitely a great example of the power of creative expression. The meetings were uplifting and I was invited to show up as I was that day, with baby in tow or not. Many women attended while breastfeeding or babywearing. There was a WhatsApp group for sharing drafts and feedback, which helped gently coax out our self-conscious voices. We were encouraged to rally against the single-story narrative of motherhood by adding our own stories into the world. RKJ
£389 newmumswriting.co.uk
Kraft Paper Tape
This colourful, recyclable sticky tape makes a great alternative to plastic tape. There’s a range of bold designs including rainbows, bumble bees, sheep, tulips and daffodils! The illustrations are printed in eco-friendly water-soluble inks. The brown kraft tape is good quality, with strong, natural adhesive, and is completely recyclable and compostable. It comes in rolls of 24mm x 5m and adds a joyful finishing touch to gift wrapping or parcel packing. It’s especially lovely for craft projects like scrapbooking and collage. We have enjoyed using the tape for our JUNO orders! JH
£4.50 babipur.co.uk
